ed in prose."

But the lad, in spite of all this treatment, slowly did recover, and
then obtained relief, which set him on his nimble legs again. For
his aunt Philippa, one snowy morning, went into the room beneath that
desperately sick chamber, to see whether wreaths of snow had entered,
as they often did, between the loose joints of the casement. She walked
very carefully, for fear of making a noise that might be heard above,
and disturb the repose of the poor invalid. But, to her surprise, there
came loud thumps from above, and a quivering of the ceiling, and a sound
as of rushing steps, and laughter, and uproarious jollity.

"What can it be? I am perfectly amazed," said Mistress Yordas to
herself. "I must inquire into this."

She knew that her sister was out of the way, and the nurse in the
kitchen, having one of her frequent feeds and agreeable discourses.
So she went to a mighty ring in her own room, as large as an untaxed
carriage wheel, and from it (after due difficulty) took the spare key of
the passage door that led the way to Lancelot.

No sooner had she passed this door than she heard a noise a great deal
worse than the worst imagination--whiz, and hiss, and crack, and smash,
and rolling of hollow things over hollow places, varied with shouts, and
the flapping of skirts, and jingling of money upon heart of oak; these
and many other travails of the air (including strong language) amazed
the lady. Hastening into the sick-room, she found the window wide open,
with the snow pouring in, a dozen of phial bottles ranged like skittles,
some full and some empty, and Lancelot dancing about in his night-gown,
with Divine Songs poised for another hurl.

"Two for a full, and one for an empty. Seven to me, and four to you. No
cheating, now, or I'll knock you over," he was shouting to Welldrum's
boy, who had clearly been smuggled in at the window for this game.
"There's plenty more in old Spraggs's chest. Holloa, here's Aunt
Philippa!"

Mistress Yordas was not displeased with this spirited application of
pharmacy; she at once flung wide the passage door, and Pet was free of
the house again, but upon parole not to venture out of doors. The
first use he made of his liberty was to seek the faithful Jordas, who
possessed a little private sitting-room, and there hold secret council
with him.

The dogman threw his curly head back, when he had listened to his young
lord's tale (which contained the truth, and nothing but t