will walk here in the court till we hear what he saith of
her. How befell it, dost thou ask? Truly I can hardly tell, but I
believe one of the Frenchmen's horses got restless either with a fly or
with standing so long to hear yonder leech's discourse. He must needs
cut the beast with his rod, and so managed to hit White Posy, who
starts aside, and Cis, sitting unheedfully on that new-fangled French
saddle, was thrown in an instant."

"I shall laugh at her well for letting herself be thrown by a Frenchman
with his switch," said Diccon.

"I hope the damage hath not been great," said his father, anxiously
looking up the stair. "Where wast thou, Dick? I had lost sight of
thee."

"I was seeking you, sir, for I had seen a strange sight," said Dick.
"That woman who spoke with us at Tideswell was here again; yea, and she
talked with the little old Frenchman that they call Gorion, the same
that is with Cis now."

"She did! Folly, boy! The fellow can hardly comprehend five words of
plain English together, long as he hath been here! One of the Queen's
women is gone in even now to interpret for him."

"That do I wot, sir. Therefore did I marvel, and sought to tell you."

"What like was the woman?" demanded Richard.

Diccon's description was lame, and his father bade him hasten out of
the court, and fetch the woman if he could find her displaying her
trinkets to the water-drinkers, instructing him not to alarm her by
peremptory commands, but to give her hopes of a purchaser for her
spars. Proud of the commission entrusted to him, the boy sallied
forth, but though he wandered through all the groups on the sward, and
encountered two tumblers and one puppet show, besides a bear and
monkey, he utterly failed in finding the vendor of the beads and
bracelets.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE MONOGRAMS.

When Cicely had been carried into a chamber by Master Talbot, and laid
half-conscious and moaning on the grand carved bed, Mrs. Talbot by word
and gesture expelled all superfluous spectators. She would have
preferred examining alone into the injury sustained by the maiden,
which she did not think beyond her own management; but there was no
refusing the services of Maitre Gorion, or of Mrs. Kennedy, who indeed
treated her authoritatively, assuming the direction of the sick-room.
She found herself acting under their orders as she undid the boddice,
while Mrs. Kennedy ripped up the tight sleeve of the riding dress, and
laid