having been passed from one to another, and having answered many
questions, Myles in due time found himself in the outer waiting-room
sitting beside Diccon Bowman upon a wooden bench that stood along the
wall under the great arch of a glazed window.

For a while the poor country lad sat stupidly bewildered. He was aware
of people coming and going; he was aware of talk and laughter sounding
around him; but he thought of nothing but his aching homesickness and
the oppression of his utter littleness in the busy life of this great
castle.

Meantime old Diccon Bowman was staring about him with huge interest,
every now and then nudging his young master, calling his attention now
to this and now to that, until at last the lad began to awaken somewhat
from his despondency to the things around. Besides those servants and
others who came and went, and a knot of six or eight men-at-arms with
bills and pole-axes, who stood at the farther door-way talking together
in low tones, now and then broken by a stifled laugh, was a group of
four young squires, who lounged upon a bench beside a door-way hidden by
an arras, and upon them Myles's eyes lit with a sudden interest. Three
of the four were about his own age, one was a year or two older, and
all four were dressed in the black-and-yellow uniform of the house of
Beaumont.

Myles plucked the bowman by the sleeve. "Be they squires, Diccon?" said
he, nodding towards the door.

"Eh?" said Diccon. "Aye; they be squires."

"And will my station be with them?" asked the boy.