to hear, "you will permit our young kinsman to be placed as our
guest this evening. To-morrow he will act as an apprentice, as we
all have done in our time."

"I never did so at home!" cried Giles, in his loud, hasty voice.

"I trow not," dryly observed one of the guests.

Giles, however, went on muttering while the priest was pronouncing a
Latin grace, and thereupon the same burgess observed, "Never did I
see it better proved that folk in the country give their sons no
good breeding."

"Have patience with him, good Master Pepper," returned Mr. Headley.
"He hath been an only son, greatly cockered by father, mother, and
sisters, but ere long he will learn what is befiting."

Giles glared round, but he met nothing encouraging. Little Dennet
sat with open mouth of astonishment, her grandmother looked shocked,
the household which had been aggrieved by his presumption laughed at
his rebuke, for there was not much delicacy in those days; but
something generous in the gentle blood of Ambrose moved him to some
amount of pity for the lad, who thus suddenly became conscious that
the tie he had thought nominal at Salisbury, a mere preliminary to
municipal rank, was here absolute subjection, and a bondage whence
there was no escape. His was the only face that Giles met which had
any friendliness in it, but no one spoke, for manners imposed
silence upon youth at table, except when spoken to; and there was
general hunger enough prevailing to make Mistress Headley's fat
capon the most interesting contemplation for the present.