in the castle would have dared to take his course, but Humphrey was
thus favored and trusted because he was born a servant in Lord De
Aldithely's father's house, and was ten years older than the mistress
of the castle, whose master was now gone. He had already told Lady De
Aldithely all that he knew of the strange lad, and had advised her,
with his accustomed frankness, to put lad, horse, and hound at once
without the castle walls. Lady De Aldithely had listened, and when he
had finished, without any comment, she had commanded him to send the
two lads to her.

For a moment Humphrey had seemed disappointed. Then recovering himself
he had made answer, "Oh, ay. It will no doubt be best to see for
yourself first, and there is no denying that the three can then be put
outside the walls."

Receiving no reply, he had withdrawn and delivered his message.

Lady De Aldithely was standing evidently in deep thought when the
little group entered. The strange lad looked at her curiously. He saw a
slight figure clad in a green robe, and as she turned he caught the
gleam of a jewel in the golden fillet that bound her wimple on the
forehead. Her eyes were blue, and her look one of high courage shadowed
somewhat by an expression of anxiety. One could well believe that,
however anxious and worried she might be, she would still dare to do
what seemed to her best. She now diligently and eagerly compared the
two lads, glancing quickly from one to the other, and their exceeding
great likeness to each other seemed to strike her with astonishment. At
last she smiled and spoke to the stranger. "Thou art welcome, my lad,"
she said kindly. "But whence comest thou? and what is thy name?"