with thy letter, friend Myles."

The attendants who passed through the anteroom now came and went more
hurriedly, and Myles knew that the Earl must be about to come forth.
He had hardly time to untie his pouch, take out the letter, and tie the
strings again when the arras at the door-way was thrust suddenly aside,
and a tall thin squire of about twenty came forth, said some words to
the young men upon the bench, and then withdrew again. Instantly the
squires arose and took their station beside the door-way. A sudden hush
fell upon all in the room, and the men-at-arms stood in a line against
the wall, stiff and erect as though all at once transformed to figures
of iron. Once more the arras was drawn back, and in the hush Myles heard
voices in the other room.

"My Lord cometh," whispered Gascoyne in his ear, and Myles felt his
heart leap in answer.

The next moment two noblemen came into the anteroom followed by a crowd
of gentlemen, squires, and pages. One of the two was a dignitary of the
Church; the other Myles instantly singled out as the Earl of Mackworth.

CHAPTER 4

He was a tall man, taller even than Myles's father. He had a thin
face, deep-set bushy eyebrows, and a hawk nose. His upper lip was clean
shaven, but from his chin a flowing beard of iron-gray hung nearly to
his waist. He was clad in a riding-gown of black velvet that hung a
little lower than the knee, trimmed with otter fur and embroidered with
silver goshawks--the crest of the family of Beaumont.

A light shirt of link mail showed beneath the gown as he walked, and a
pair of soft undressed leather riding-boots were laced as high as the
knee, protecting his scarlet hose from mud and dirt. Over his shoulders
he wore a collar of enamelled gold, from which hung a magnificent
jewelled pendant, and upon his fist he carried a beautiful Iceland
falcon.

As Myles stood staring, he suddenly heard Gascoyne's voice whisper in
his ear, "Yon is my Lord; go forward and give him thy letter."

Scarcely knowing what he did, he walked towards the Earl like a machine,
his heart pounding within him and a great humming in his ears. As he
drew near, the nobleman stopped for a moment and stared at him, and
Myles, as in a dream, kneeled, and presented the letter. The Earl took
it in his hand, turned it this way and that, looked first at the bearer,
then at the packet, and then at the bearer again.

"Who art thou?" said he; "and what is the matter thou wouldst h