did not. He does not love his lordship tenderly enough."

She led the way, holding her head jauntily and high, while he cast down
his eyes lest his gaze should be led to wander in a way unseemly in one
of his cloth. Such a foot and such--! He felt it more becoming and
safer to lift his eyes to the ceiling and keep them there, which gave him
somewhat the aspect of one praying.

Sir Jeoffry stood at the buffet with a flagon of ale in his hand, taking
his stirrup cup. At the sight of a stranger and one attired in the garb
of a chaplain, he scowled surprisedly.

"What's this?" quoth he. "What dost want, Clo? I have no leisure for a
sermon."

Mistress Clorinda went to the buffet and filled a tankard for herself and
carried it back to the table, on the edge of which she half sat, with one
leg bent, one foot resting on the floor.

"Time thou wilt have to take, Dad," she said, with an arch grin, showing
two rows of gleaming pearls. "This gentleman is my Lord Twemlow's
chaplain, whom he sends to exhort you, requesting you to have the
civility to hear him."

"Exhort be damned, and Twemlow be damned too!" cried Sir Jeoffry, who had
a great quarrel with his lordship and hated him bitterly. "What does the
canting fool mean?"

"Sir," faltered the poor message-bearer, "his lordship hath--hath been
concerned--having heard--"

The handsome creature balanced against the table took the tankard from
her lips and laughed.

"Having heard thy daughter rides to field in breeches, and is an unseemly-
behaving wench," she cried, "his lordship sends his chaplain to deliver a
discourse thereon--not choosing to come himself. Is not that thy errand,
reverend sir?"

The chaplain, poor man, turned pale, having caught, as she spoke, a
glimpse of Sir Jeoffry's reddening visage.

"Madam," he faltered, bowing--"Madam, I ask pardon of you most humbly! If
it were your pleasure to deign to--to--allow me--"

She set the tankard on the table with a rollicking smack, and thrust her
hands in her breeches-pockets, swaying with laughter; and, indeed, 'twas
ringing music, her rich great laugh, which, when she grew of riper years,
was much lauded and written verses on by her numerous swains.

"If 'twere my pleasure to go away and allow you to speak, free from the
awkwardness of a young lady's presence," she said. "But 'tis not, as it
happens, and if I stay here, I shall be a protection."

In truth, he required one. Sir Jeoffry broke int