wer, nodding her head. "He is well enough, but
his lady--Lord! but they tell that she was a vixen before her marriage
a few years gone!"

"I have seen her," said his Grace. "She is not ill to look at, and has
done us no harm yet."

"Ay, but she may," says her Grace, nodding wisely again. "Who knows
what such a woman may turn out. I have seen _him_!" She stopped, her
elbows on the little round wooden table, her chin on her hands, and
gave her saucy stare again. "I'll pay thee a compliment," she said. "He
is a big fellow, and not unlike thee--though he be Duke and thou naught
but a vagabond gipsy."

Their host had hearkened to them eagerly, and now he put in a question.
"Was not she the beauty that was married to an old Earl who left her
widow?" he said. "Was not she Countess Dunstanwolde?"

"Ay," answered her Grace, quietly.

"Ecod!" cried the old fellow, "that minds me of a story, and 'twas a
thing happened in this very house and room. Look there!"

He pointed with something like excitement to the window. 'Twas but
seldom he had chance to tell his story, and 'twas a thing he dearly
loved to do, life being but a dull thing at the Cow at Wickben, and few
travellers passing that way. A pair so friendly and gay and ready to
hearken to his chatter as these two he had not seen for years.

"Look there!" he said. "At that big hole in the wall."

They turned together and looked at it in some wonder that her ladyship
of Dunstanwolde should have any connection with it. 'Twas indeed a big
hole, and looked as if the plaster of the wall under the sill had been
roughly broken and hacked.

"Ay," said the host, "'tis a queer thing and came here in a strange
way, being made by a gentleman's sword, and he either wild with liquor
or with rage. Never shall I forget hearing his horse's hoofs come
tearing over the road, as if some man was riding for his life. I was
abed, and started out of my sleep at the sound of it. 'Who's chased by
the devil at this time o' night through Wickben village?' says I, and
scarce were the words out of my mouth before the horse clatters up to
the house and stops. I could hear him panting and heaving as his rider
gets off and strides up to bang on the door. 'What dost thou want?'
says I, putting my head out of the window. 'Come down and let me in,'
answers he; 'I have no time to spare. You have a thing in your house I
would find.' 'Twas a gentleman's voice, and I saw 'twas a gentleman's
dress he wore, f