seating themselves, mostly old people and little children, looking
very poor and ragged. Steadfast held himself to be a yeoman in a
small way, and somewhat above a Christmas feast with the poor, but
the Dean's kindness was enough to make him put away his pride, and
then there was such a delicious steam coming up from the buttery
hatch as was enough to melt away all nonsense of that sort from a
hungry lad.

Grand joints of beef came up in clouds of vapour, and plum puddings
smoked in their rear, to be eaten with them, after the fashion of
these days, when of summer vegetables there were few, and of winter
vegetables none. The choirmen and boys, indeed all the Cathedral
clergy who were unmarried, were dining there too, but the Dean and
his wife waited on the table where the poorest were. Horns of ale
were served to everyone, and then came big mince pies. Steadfast
felt a great longing to take his home to his sisters, but he was
ashamed to do it, even though he saw that it was permissible, they
were such beggarly-looking folks who set the example.

However, the Dean's wife came up to him with a pleasant smile and
asked if he had no appetite or if he were thinking of someone at
home, and when he answered, she kindly undertook to lend him a
basket, for which he might call after evensong, and in the basket
were also afterwards found some slices of the beef and a fine large
cake.

Then the young Prince and his suite came in, and he stood at the end
of the hall, smiling and looking amused as everyone's cup was filled
with wine--such wine as the Roundhead captains had left, and the Dean
at the head of the table gave out the health of his most sacred