honour as you ought to be; but, as I cannot do so, I will, when my son
returns, acquaint you with the errand I sent him on."

After this they conversed together on common subjects, like
fellow-creatures of the same natural form and endowments, though
different kinds of education had given a conscious superiority to the
one, a conscious inferiority to the other; and the due respect was paid
by the latter, without being exacted by the former. In about half an
hour young John returned.

"Thou hast made haste," said the father.

"Not more than good speed," quoth the son.

"Tell us, then, how you speed?"

"Shall I tell all that passed?" said John.

"All," said the father; "I don't want to hide any thing."

John stood with his cap in his hand, and thus told his tale--

"I went straight to the castle as fast as I could run; it was my hap to
light on young Master Edmund first, so I told him just as you bad me,
that a noble gentleman was come a long journey from foreign parts to
see the Lord Lovel, his friend; and, having lived abroad many years, he
did not know that he was dead, and that the castle was fallen into
other hands; that upon hearing these tidings he was much grieved and
disappointed, and wanting a night's lodging, to rest himself before he
returned to his own home, he was fain to take up with one at our