society, and she had the implements in a pouch hanging to her girdle;
but she was not prepared for the unwashed condition of the bowls, nor
for being obliged to share that of her father--far less for the
absence of all blessing on the meal, and the coarse boisterousness of
manners prevailing thereat. Hungry as she was, she did not find it
easy to take food under these circumstances, and she was relieved
when Ermentrude, overcome by the turmoil, grew giddy, and was carried
upstairs by her father, who laid her down upon her great bed, and
left her to the attendance of Christina. Ursel had followed, but was
petulantly repulsed by her young lady in favour of the newcomer, and
went away grumbling.

Nestled on her bed, Ermentrude insisted on hearing the lute, and
Christina had to creep down to fetch it, with some other of her
goods, in trembling haste, and redoubled disgust at the aspect of the
meal, which looked even more repulsive in this later stage, and to
one who was no longer partaking of it.

Low and softly, with a voice whence she could scarcely banish tears,
and in dread of attracting attention, Christina sung to the sick
girl, who listened with a sort of rude wonder, and finally was lulled
to sleep. Christina ventured to lay down her instrument and move
towards the window, heavily mullioned with stone, barred with iron,
and glazed with thick glass; being in fact the only glazed window in
the castle. To her great satisfaction it did not look out over the
loathsome court, but over the opening of the ravine. The apartment
occupied the whole floor of the keep; it was stone-paved, but the
roof was boarded, and there was a round turret at each angle. One
contained the staircase, and was that which ran up above the keep,
served as a watch-tower, and supported the Eagle banner. The other