will not be a dishonour to her family--and--and--"

"And may do worse!" quoth Mistress Clo, and laughed until the room rang.

Sir Jeoffry's rage was such as made him like to burst; but she restrained
him when he would have flung his tankard at the chaplain's head, and amid
his storm of curses bundled the poor man out of the room, picking up his
hat which in his hurry and fright he let fall, and thrusting it into his
hand.

"Tell his lordship," she said, laughing still as she spoke the final
words, "that I say he is right--and I will see to it that no disgrace
befalls him."

"Forsooth, Dad," she said, returning, "perhaps the old son of
a--"--something unmannerly--"is not so great a fool. As for me, I mean
to make a fine marriage and be a great lady, and I know of none
hereabouts to suit me but the old Earl of Dunstanwolde, and 'tis said he
rates at all but modest women, and, in faith, he might not find breeches
mannerly. I will not hunt in them again."

She did not, though once or twice when she was in a wild mood, and her
father entertained at dinner those of his companions whom she was the
most inclined to, she swaggered in among them in her daintiest suits of
male attire, and caused their wine-shot eyes to gloat over her boyish-
maiden charms and jaunty airs and graces.

On the night of her fifteenth birthday Sir Jeoffry gave a great dinner to
his boon companions and hers. She had herself commanded that there
should be no ladies at the feast; for she chose to announce that she