irst, it was enough for the prentices to spend most of their time in
lying about on the grass under the trees. Giles, who was in the best
condition, exerted himself so far as to try to learn chess from Aldonza,
who seemed to be a proficient in the game, and even defeated the good-
natured burly parson who came every evening to the Antelope, to imbibe
slowly a tankard of ale, and hear any news there stirring.

She and Giles were content to spend hours over her instructions in chess
on that pleasant balcony in the shade of the house. Though really only
a year older than Dennet Headley, she looked much more, and was so in
all her ways. It never occurred to her to run childishly wild with
delight in the garden and orchard as did Dennet, who, with little five-
years-old Will Streatfield for her guide and playfellow, rushed about
hither and thither, making acquaintance with hens and chickens, geese
and goslings, seeing cows and goats milked, watching butter churned,
bringing all manner of animal and vegetable curiosities to Stephen to be
named and explained, and enjoying his delight in them, a delight which
after the first few days became more and more vigorous.

By and by there was punting and fishing on the river, strawberry
gathering in the park, explorations of the forest, expeditions of all
sorts and kinds, Jasper being soon likewise well enough to share in
them. The boys and girls were in a kind of fairy land under Perronel's
kind wing, the wandering habits of whose girlhood made the freedom of
the country far more congenial to her than it would have been to any
regular Londoner.

Stephen was the great oracle, of course, as to the deer respectfully
peeped at in the park, or the squirrels, the hares and rabbits, in the
forest, and the inhabitants of the stream above or below. It was he who
secured and tamed the memorials of their visit--two starlings for Dennet
and Aldonza. The birds were to be taught to speak, and to do wonders of
all kinds, but Aldonza's bird was found one morning dead, and Giles
consoled her by the promise of something much bigger, and that would
talk much better. Two days after he brought her a young jackdaw.
Aldonza clasped her hands and admired its glossy back and queer blue
eye, and was in transports when it uttered something between "Jack" and
"good lack." But Dennet looked in scorn at it, and said, "That's a bird
tamed already. He didn't catch it. He only bought it! I would have
non