demand. "Where is he?"

"Thy horse!" he echoed. "Which is thy horse then?"

"Rake is my horse," she answered--"the big black one. The man took him
again;" and she ripped out a few more oaths and unchaste expressions,
threatening what she would do for the man in question; the which
delighted him more than ever. "Rake is my horse," she ended. "None else
shall ride him."

"None else?" cried he. "Thou canst not ride him, baggage!"

She looked at him with scornful majesty.

"Where is he?" she demanded. And the next instant hearing the beast's
restless feet grinding into the gravel outside as he fretted at having
been kept waiting so long, she remembered what the stable-boy had said of
having seen her favourite standing before the door, and struggling and
dropping from the settle, she ran to look out; whereupon having done so,
she shouted in triumph.

"He is here!" she said. "I see him;" and went pell-mell down the stone
steps to his side.

Sir Jeoffry followed her in haste. 'Twould not have been to his humour
now to have her brains kicked out.

"Hey!" he called, as he hurried. "Keep away from his heels, thou little
devil."