said at length,
shaking his head in grave reproof, "let me not say to thee, 'O thou of
little faith!' There were no heroes were there no martyrs!"

"Do not frown on me, Father," said Sibyll, sadly; "let the world
frown,--not thou! Yes, thou art right. Thou must triumph at last."
And suddenly, her whole countenance changing into a soft and caressing
endearment, she added, "But now come, Father. Thou hast laboured
well for this morning. We shall have a little feast for thee in a few
minutes. And the stranger is recovered, thanks to our leechcraft. He is
impatient to see and thank thee."

"Well, well, I come, Sibyll," said the student, with a regretful,
lingering look at his model, and a sigh to be disturbed from its
contemplation; and he slowly quitted the room with Sibyll.

"But not, dear sir and father, not thus--not quite thus--will you go to
the stranger, well-born like yourself? Oh, no! your Sibyll is proud,
you know,--proud of her father." So saying, she clung to him fondly,
and drew him mechanically, for he had sunk into a revery, and heeded her
not, into an adjoining chamber, in which he slept. The comforts even of
the gentry, of men with the acres that Adam had sold, were then few
and scanty. The nobles and the wealthy merchants, indeed, boasted many
luxuries that excelled in gaud and pomp those of their equals now.
But the class of the gentry who had very little money at command were
contented with hardships from which a menial of this day would revolt.
What they could spend in luxury was usually consumed in dress and the
table they were obliged to keep. These were the essentials of dignity.
Of furniture there was a woful stint. In many houses, even of knights,
an edifice large enough to occupy a quadrangle was composed more of
offices than chambers inhabited by the owners; rarely boasting more than
three beds, which were bequeathed in wills as articles of great value.
The reader must, therefore, not be surprised that Warner's abode
contained but one bed, properly so called, and that was now devoted to
Nevile. The couch which served the philosopher for bed was a wretched
pallet, stretched on the floor, stuffed with straw,--with rough say,
or serge, and an old cloak for the coverings. His daughter's, in a room
below, was little better. The walls were bare; the whole house boasted
but one chair, which was in Marmaduke's chamber; stools or settles of
rude oak elsewhere supplied their place. There was no chimney e