grind-stones.

Stephen, though not yet formally bound, was to enter on his apprentice
life at once; and Ambrose was assured by Master Headley that it was of
no use to repair to any of the dignified clergy of Saint Paul's before
mid-day, and that he had better employ the time in writing to his elder
brother respecting the fee. Materials were supplied to him, and he used
them so as to do credit to the monks of Beaulieu, in spite of little
Dennet spending every spare moment in watching his pen as if he were
performing some cabalistic operation.

He was a long time about it. There were two letters to write, and the
wording of them needed to be very careful, besides that the old court
hand took more time to frame than the Italian current hand, and even
thus, when dinner-time came, at ten o'clock, the household was
astonished to find that he had finished all that regarded Stephen,
though he had left the letters open, until his own venture should have
been made.

Stephen flung himself down beside his brother hot and panting, shaking
his shoulder-blades and declaring that his arms felt ready to drop out.
He had been turning a grindstone ever since six o'clock. The two new
apprentices had been set on to sharpening the weapon points as all that
they were capable of, and had been bidden by Smallbones to turn and hold
alternately, but "that oaf Giles Headley," said Stephen, "never ground
but one lance, and made me go on turning, threatening to lay the butt
about mine ears if I slacked."

"The lazy lubber!" cried Ambrose. "But did none see thee, or couldst
not call out for redress?"

"Thou art half a wench thyself, Ambrose, to think I'd complain.
Besides, he stood on his rights as a master, and he is a big fellow."

"That's true," said Ambrose, "and he might make it the worse for thee."

"I would I were as big as he," sighed Stephen, "I would soon show him
which was the better man."

Perhaps the grinding match had not been as unobserved as Stephen
fancied, for on returning to work, Smallbones, who presided over all the
rougher parts of the business, claimed them both. He set Stephen to
stand by him, sort out and hand him all the rivets needed for a suit of
proof armour that hung on a frame, while he required Giles to straighten
bars of iron heated to a white heat. Ere long Giles called out for
Stephen to change places, to which Smallbones coolly replied, "Turnabout
is the rule here, master."

"Even so," replied Gil