the late Lord Chancellor of England,
and had taught him those tricks with his nimble heels which had capered
him into the Queen's good graces, and so got him the chancellorship.
M'sieu spoke dreadful English, but danced like the essence of agility,
and taught both Nick and Cicely the latest Italian coranto, playing the
tune upon his queer little pochette.

Cicely already danced like a pixy, and laughed merrily at her comrade's
first awkward antics, until he flushed with embarrassment. At that she
instantly became grave, and, when M'sieu had gone, came across the room,
and putting her arm about Nick, said repentantly, "Don't thou mind me,
Nick. Father saith the French all laugh too soon at nothing; and I have
caught it from my mother's blood. A boy is not good friends with his
feet as a girl is; but thou wilt do beautifully, I know; and M'sieu
shall teach us the galliard together."

And often, after the lesson was over and M'sieu departed, she would
have Nick try his steps over and over again in the great room, while she
stood upon the stool to make her tall, and cried, "Sa--sa!" as the
master did, scolding and praising him by turns, or jumping down in
pretty impatience to tuck up her little silken skirts and show him the
step herself; while the cook's knave and the scullery-maids peeped at
the door and cried: "La, now, look 'e, Moll!" at every coupee.

It made a picture quaint and pretty to see them dancing there. The smoky
light, stealing in through the narrow casements over the woodwork dark
with age, dropped in little yellow chequers upon old chests of oak, of
walnut, and of strange, purple-black wood from foreign lands, giving a
weird life to the griffins and twisted traceries carved upon their
sides. High-backed, narrow chairs stood along the wall, with cushioned
stools inlaid with shell. Twinklings of light glinted from the brass
candlesticks. On the wall above the wainscot the faded hangings wavered
in the draught, crusted thickly with strange embroidered flowers. And
dancing there together in the semi-gloom, the children seemed quaint
little figures stepped down from the tapestry at the touch of a
magic wand.

And so the time went slipping by, very pleasantly upon the whole, and
Nick's young heart grew stout again within his breast; for he was strong
and well, and in those days the very air was full of hope, and no man
knew what might betide with the rising of to-morrow's sun.

Every day, from two till thr