ave of
me?"

"I am Myles Falworth," said the lad, in a low voice; "and I come seeking
service with you."

The Earl drew his thick eyebrows quickly together, and shot a keen
look at the lad. "Falworth?" said he, sharply--"Falworth? I know no
Falworth!"

"The letter will tell you," said Myles. "It is from one once dear to
you."

The Earl took the letter, and handing it to a gentleman who stood near,
bade him break the seal. "Thou mayst stand," said he to Myles; "needst
not kneel there forever." Then, taking the opened parchment again, he
glanced first at the face and then at the back, and, seeing its length,
looked vexed. Then he read for an earnest moment or two, skipping from
line to line. Presently he folded the letter and thrust it into the
pouch at his side. "So it is, your Grace," said he to the lordly
prelate, "that we who have luck to rise in the world must ever suffer by
being plagued at all times and seasons. Here is one I chanced to know a
dozen years ago, who thinks he hath a claim upon me, and saddles me
with his son. I must e'en take the lad, too, for the sake of peace and
quietness." He glanced around, and seeing Gascoyne, who had drawn near,
beckoned to him. "Take me this fellow," said he, "to the buttery, and
see him fed; and then to Sir James Lee, and have his name entered in the
castle books. And stay, sirrah," he added; "bid me Sir James, if it may
be so done, to enter him as a squire-at-arms. Methinks he will be better
serving so than in the household, for he appeareth a soothly rough cub
for a page."

Myles did look rustic enough, standing clad in frieze in the midst of
that gay company, and a murmur of laughter sounded around, though he
was too bewildered to fully understand that he was the cause of the
merriment. Then some hand drew him back--it was Gascoyne's--there was a
bustle of people passing, and the next minute they were gone, and
Myles and old Diccon Bowman and the young squire were left alone in the
anteroom.

Gascoyne looked very sour and put out. "Murrain upon it!" said he; "here
is good sport spoiled for me to see thee fed. I wish no ill to thee,
friend, but I would thou hadst come this afternoon or to-morrow."

"Methinks I bring trouble and dole to every one," said Myles, somewhat
bitterly. "It would have been better had I never come to this place,
methinks."

His words and tone softened Gascoyne a little. "Ne'er mind," said the
squire; "it was not thy fault, and is past me