him there and then. More heated grew the argument, till in the
end Galliard, being put out of temper, snatched at his sword,
and would assuredly have spitted the boy had not your father
interposed, thereby getting himself wounded. Thereafter, in
his drunken lust Sir Crispin went the length of wantonly
cracking that panel with his sword by way of showing Kenneth
what he had to expect unless he obeyed him. At that I
intervened, and using my influence, I prevailed upon Kenneth to
go with Galliard as he demanded. To this, for all his
reluctance, Kenneth ended by consenting, and so they are gone."

By that most glib and specious explanation Cynthia was
convinced. True, she added a question touching the amazing
condition of the grooms, in reply to which Joseph afforded her
a part of the truth.

"Sir Crispin sent them some wine, and they drank to his
departure so heartily that they are not rightly sober yet."

Satisfied with this explanation Cynthia repaired to her father.

Now Gregory had not agreed with Joseph what narrative they were
to offer Cynthia, for it had never crossed his dull mind that
the disorder of the hall and the absence of Kenneth might cause
her astonishment. And so when she touched upon the matter of
his wound, like the blundering fool he was, he must needs let
his tongue wag upon a tale which, if no less imaginative than
Joseph's, was vastly its inferior in plausibility and had yet
the quality of differing from it totally in substance.