was escaping with his
deer on his shoulders, he fled by way of this stile. Touch that top
rail, John, and see what will happen. No, this end of the rail!"

As John put his hand on the place which Mrs. Pitt designated, that end
gave way and hit the three other rails, so that they also bent down to
the ground. John was much amused, and repeated the motion again and
again.

"Did Shakespeare fall over that stile when he was trying to climb it
with the deer, and did they catch him then?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, that's the story, and, of course, we know it is true! Now, come
this way to the gatehouse. I was able to get permission, through an
influential friend, to take you inside. I am so glad, for not every
one has such good fortune. This woodland," motioning to the fine old
oaks, as they sped along, "is also a part of the ancient Forest of
Arden. That wood was so dense in this county in the thirteenth
century, that the King ordered the Constable of Warwickshire to cut
down six acres in breadth between Warwick and Coventry, to insure the
greater safety of travelers."

They were now getting distant glimpses of the fine Elizabethan
residence itself. It was built in 1558, the year of Elizabeth's
accession to the throne, and was made in the general shape of the
letter E, in honor of that Queen. The color of the ancient bricks has
been softened and beautified by the hand of Time, which has also
caused heavy vines to grow upon, and in certain places, almost to
cover the walls. The different courts, gateways, and gables, are
therefore most picturesque. The present owner, a descendant of the Sir
Thomas Lucy whom Shakespeare knew and ridiculed, permits visitors (the
privileged few) to see the Great Hall and the library.

The former is the most interesting of all the apartments, for here one
stands in the very room where Shakespeare is said to have been
questioned by the pompous Sir Thomas Lucy, after the deer-stealing
episode. This lofty hall has a slight modern atmosphere about it now,
but the dark paneling, bits of really old glass in the windows, and,
above all, the bust of Shakespeare, recall the past very vividly to
mind.

Most historians admit that there is some truth in the story that
Shakespeare came into unpleasant contact with the Lord of Charlecote,
through a more or less serious boyish prank; but not all believe that
there can be any truth in the statement that he was brought into the
Great Hall by the forester w