girl showed that her confidence became warmer by keeping nearer to
his side, and presently she said, "I must beg for Stephen first, for
'tis his whistle."

"Blessings on thee, fair wench, for that, yet seest thou, 'tis the other
springald who is in the greater peril, and he is closer to thy father
and to thee."

"He fled, when Stephen made in to the rescue of my father," said Dennet.

"The saints grant we may so work with the King that he may spare them
both," ejaculated Randall.

By this time the strange pair were reaching the precincts of the great
dwelling-house, where about the wide-open door loitered gentlemen,
grooms, lacqueys, and attendants of all kinds. Randall reconnoitred.

"An we go up among all these," he said, "they might make their sport of
us both, so that we might lose time. Let us see whether the little
garden postern be open."

Henry the Eighth had no fears of his people, and kept his dwellings more
accessible than were the castles of many a subject. The door in the
wall proved to be open, and with an exclamation of joy, Randall pointed
out two figures, one in a white silken doublet and hose, with a short
crimson cloak over his shoulder, the other in scarlet and purple robes,
pacing the walk under the wall--Henry's way of holding a cabinet council
with his prime minister on a summer's morning.

"Come on, mistress, put a brave face on it!" the jester encouraged the
girl, as he led her forward, while the king, catching sight of them,
exclaimed, "Ha! there's old Patch. What doth he there?"

But the Cardinal, impatient of interruption, spoke imperiously, "What
dost thou here, Merriman? Away, this is no time for thy fooleries and
frolics."

But the King, with some pleasure in teasing, and some of the enjoyment
of a schoolboy at a break in his tasks, called out, "Nay, come hither,
quipsome one! What new puppet hast brought hither to play off on us?"

"Yea, brother Hal," said the jester, "I have brought one to let thee
know how Tom of Norfolk and his crew are playing the fool in the
Guildhall, and to ask who will be the fool to let them wreak their spite
on the best blood in London, and leave a sore that will take many a day
to heal."

"How is this, my Lord Cardinal?" said Henry; "I bade them make an
example of a few worthless hinds, such as might teach the lusty burghers
to hold their lads in bounds and prove to our neighbours that their
churlishness was by no consent of ours."

"I tro