y of a religion, he was a
man very sound in limb and peaceable of disposition. In his day he had
been esteemed the most graceful whiffler in the world: now he used
only the heavy sword, because he was himself grown heavy.

Katharine answered his gentle sneer at her cousin:

'It is true that I have a servant, but he is gone and may not serve
me.' Yet the knight would find it in the books of chivalry that
certain occasions or great quests allowed of a knight's doing the
errands of more than one lady: but one lady, as for instance the
celebrated Dorinda, might have her claims asserted by an illimitable
number of knights, and she begged him to do her a service.

'I have heard of these Errantry books,' he said. 'In my day there were
none such, and now I have no letters.'

'How, then, do you pass the long days of peace,' Katharine asked, 'if
you neither drink nor dice?'

He answered: 'In telling of old tales and teaching their paces to the
King's horses.'

He drew himself up a little. He would have her understand that he was
not a horse leech: but there was in these four-footed beasts a certain
love for him, so that Richmond, the King's favourite gelding, would
stand still to be bled if he but laid his hand on the great creature's
withers to calm him. These animals he loved, since he grew old and
might not follow arguments and disputations of _hic_ and _hoc_. 'There
were none such in my day. But a good horse is the same from year's end
to year's end....'

'Will you carry a letter for me?' Katharine asked.

'I would have you let me show you some of his Highness' beasts,' he
added. 'I breed them to the manage myself. You shall find none that
step more proudly in Christendom or Heathenasse.'

'Why, I believe you,' she answered. Suddenly she asked: 'You have
ridden as knight errant?'

He said: 'For three weeks only. Then the Scots came on too thick and
fast to waste time.' His dark eyes blinked and his broad lips moved
humorously with his beard. 'I swore to do service to any lady; pray
you let me serve you.'

'You can do me a service,' she said.

He moved his hand to silence her.

'Pray you take it not amiss. But there is one that hates you.'

She said:

'Perhaps there are a many; but do me a service if you will.'

'Look you,' he said, 'these times are no times of mine. But I know it
is prudent to have servitors that love one. I saw yours shake a fist
at your door.'

Katharine said:

'A man?' She looked a