bustards, as they ca' them,' muttered Jean.

The forester had sent a messenger forward to inform the Duke of
York of his capture. The consequence was that the cavalcade had
no sooner crossed the first drawbridge under the great gateway
of the castle, where the banner of Plantagenet was displayed,
than before it were seen a goodly company, in the glittering and
gorgeous robes of the fifteenth century.

There was no doubt of welcome. Foremost was a graceful,
slenderly-made gentleman about thirty years old, in rich azure
and gold, who doffed his cap of maintenance, turned up with fur,
and with long ends, and, bowing low, declared himself delighted
that the princesses of Scotland, his good cousins, should honour
his poor dwelling.

He gave his hand to assist Jean to alight, and an equally
gorgeous but much younger gentleman in the same manner waited on
Eleanor. A tall, grizzled, sunburnt figure received Lady
Drummond with recognition on both sides, and the words, 'My wife
is fain to see you, my honoured lady: is this your daughter?'
with a sign to a tall youth, who took Annis from her horse.
Dame Lilias heard with joy that the Countess of Salisbury was
actually in the castle, and in a few moments more she was in the
great hall, in the arms of the sweet Countess Alice of her
youth, who, middle-aged as she was, with all her youthful
impulsiveness had not waited for the grand and formal greeting
bestowed on the princesses by her stately young sister-in-law,
the Duchess of York.