ld have rattled some of that shining gear about the lazy citizens'
ears! He, jolly King Edward's son! I'll never give faith to it! To
turn his back when there was such a booty to be had for the plundering."

"He might not have found it so easy. Our trainbands are sturdy enough,"
said Stephen, whose _esprit de corps_ was this time on the Londoners'
side, but the knight of the Badger snapped his fingers, and said, "So
much for your burgher trainbands! All they be good for with their show
of fight is to give honest landsknechts a good reason to fall on to the
plunder, if so be one is hampered by a squeamish prince. But grammercy
to Saint George, there be not many of that sort after they be once
fleshed!"

Perhaps a year ago, when fresh from the Forest, Stephen might have been
more captivated by the notion of adventure and conquest. Now that he
had his place in the community and looked on a civic position with
wholesome ambition, Fulford's longings for havoc in these peaceful
streets made his blood run cold. He was glad when they reached their
destination, and he saw Perronel with bare arms, taking in some linen
cuffs and bands from a line across to the opposite wall. He could only
call out, "Good naunt, here he be!"

Perronel turned round, the colour rising in her cheeks, with an
obeisance, but trembling a good deal. "How now, wench? Thou art grown
a buxom dame. Thou makst an old man of me," said the soldier with a
laugh. "Where's my father? I have not the turning of a cup to stay,
for I'm come home poor as a cat in a plundered town, and am off to the
wars again; but hearing that the old man was nigh at hand, I came this
way to see him, and let thee know thou art a knight's daughter. Thou
art indifferent comely, girl, what's thy name? but not the peer of thy
mother when I wooed her as one of the bonny lasses of Bruges."

He gave a kind of embrace, while she gave a kind of gasp of "Welcome,
sir," and glanced somewhat reproachfully at Stephen for not having given
her more warning. The cause of her dismay was plain as the Captain,
giving her no time to precede him, strode into the little chamber, where
Hal Randall, without his false beard or hair, and in his parti-coloured
hose, was seated by the cupboard-like bed, assisting old Martin Fulford
to take his mid-day meal.

"Be this thine husband, girl? Ha! ha! He's more like a jolly friar
come in to make thee merry when the good man is out!" exclaimed the