him. The Earl said something, and those who
stood near drew back as he came forward. Then Myles found himself
standing beside the bed, looking down upon the quilted counterpane,
feeling that the other was gazing fixedly at him.

"I sent for thee," said the Earl at last, still looking steadily at
him, "because this afternoon came a letter to my hand which thou hadst
written to my niece, the Lady Alice. I have it here," said he, thrusting
his hand under the bolster, "and have just now finished reading it."
Then, after a moment's pause, whilst he opened the parchment and scanned
it again, "I find no matter of harm in it, but hereafter write no more
such." He spoke entirely without anger, and Myles looked up in wonder.
"Here, take it," said the Earl, folding the letter and tossing it to
Myles, who instinctively caught it, "and henceforth trouble thou my
niece no more either by letter or any other way. I thought haply thou
wouldst be at some such saucy trick, and I made Alice promise to let me
know when it happed. Now, I say, let this be an end of the matter. Dost
thou not know thou mayst injure her by such witless folly as that of
meeting her privily, and privily writing to her?"

"I meant no harm," said Myles.

"I believe thee," said the Earl. "That will do now; thou mayst go."

Myles hesitated.

"What wouldst thou say?" said Lord Mackworth.

"Only this," said Myles, "an I have thy leave so to do, that the Lady
Alice hath chosen me to be her knight, and so, whether I may see her or
speak with her or no, the laws of chivalry give me, who am gentle born,
the right to serve her as a true knight may."

"As a true fool may," said the Earl, dryly. "Why, how now, thou art not
a knight yet, nor anything but a raw lump of a boy. What rights do the
laws of chivalry give thee, sirrah? Thou art a fool!"

Had the Earl been ever so angry, his words would have been less bitter
to Myles than his cool, unmoved patience; it mortified his pride and
galled it to the quick.

"I know that thou dost hold me in contempt," he mumbled.

"Out upon thee!" said the Earl, testily. "Thou dost tease me beyond
patience. I hold thee in contempt, forsooth! Why, look thee, hadst thou
been other than thou art, I would have had thee whipped out of my house
long since. Thinkest thou I would have borne so patiently with another
one of ye squires had such an one held secret meeting with my daughter
and niece, and tampered, as thou hast done, with my ho