me to Windsor on the next morrow, as well as Bertram, and show
thee to the king, and give thee a glimpse of the world of court.
But if thou be in such plight as this, thou wilt scarce be fit to
go."

"I must await another time," muttered Edred, in the same indistinct
way, and Julian added with an air of chagrin:

"It was a villainous mischance. I would I had been more careful. I
am always having the ill luck to hurt Edred."

"Nay, the fault is mine!" exclaimed the other boy.

"And now thou wilt be hindered from seeing the king and his fine
court."

"Perchance thou wilt go in my stead."

"Nay, that will I not. An thou stayest at home for fault of mine, I
will stay to keep thee company.

"Now, gentle mother, prithee see if he be much hurt. I cannot rest
till I know."

The lady was ready now to make her examination, and gently removed
the rude wrappings the boys had made for themselves. Edred's face
presented an ugly appearance as these were taken away. He had a
great gash across his brow, which passed dangerously near to the
eye, and had laid open the cheek almost as far as the mouth, and
knocked out one back tooth. The knight looked concerned at the
magnitude of the damage, and spoke rather sharply to Julian.

"Thou must have a care with these weapons of thine, or thou wilt do
thy brother a fatal mischief one of these days. See, boy, had that
blow of thine swerved but the half of an inch, thy brother would
have lost the sight of an eye forever--nay, he might have lost his
life; for an injury to the eye oft penetrates to the brain, and
then the skill of the leech is of no avail.

"Good wife, is thy skill sufficient for these hurts? or shall we
send to seek a surgeon's aid?"

"Methinks I can do all that is needful. They are ugly scratches and
painful, but not over deep. The lad will not be scarred, methinks,
when the wound is well healed. See, it looks better already after
the bathing.

"Run, Julian, for the roll of lint and the strapping in yon
cupboard.

"The boy will be a sorry spectacle for a few short days, but after
that I trow he will feel none the worse."

"It is but a scratch," said Edred, speaking more freely now, though
with a mumbling accent, as though his lips were swollen, which,
indeed, one of them was. "I scarce feel it, now it is bathed. Do
not look so grave anent the matter, my father."

Sir Oliver, relieved to find matters no worse, went on his way; and
Lady Chadgrove proceeded to b