Dominica interposed in the voice of one accustomed to command. "A bedchamber with your best speed, host, and supper against Don Tomas' coming." Her tone had its calculated effect. She was evidently a lady of quality, and as such the landlord bowed to her. That he was suspicious, however, was plain. "And well he might be!" said Joshua Dimmock. "An unlikely tale, I grant you, but by this time I was grown barren of lies, a very uncommon thing in me." Doña Dominica was shown upstairs to a chamber of fair size and appointments. She sank into a chair, and said pettishly for the benefit of the landlord: "It was you who should have chased those knaves, Pedro." She hunched a shoulder. "Don Tomas is too impetuous. To send me off so, and himself to tarry!" She became aware of the puzzled landlord. "Well, fellow, well? What do you want?" she demanded. He bowed himself out, assuring her that supper should be provided against her lord's coming. A glimpse of a double ducat negligently fingered by Joshua decided him to keep his suspicions in abeyance. Double ducats were not so plentiful in this village that a man could afford to run the risk of losing one. Joshua nodded briskly, and made a significant gesture of a down-thrust thumb. "We shall do very well," he said. "Now, señorita, with your good leave I shall go get the pack from off my nag's back. I must hope that Sir Nicholas brings on his own jennet, for the most of his raiment is upon it, and I can very plainly hear him calling in the morn for a clean shirt and a clean ruff too." He took Beauvallet's coming so much for granted that Dominica began to feel that he would come indeed. She laughed, and looked down at her tumbled riding dress. "A clean ruff for Sir Nicholas! Pray you, what will you do for me who have no clothes at all but what you see me in?" Joshua shook his head. "A very pungent question, señora, I allow. This should have been looked to. But thus it is ever when my master is in this humour! I doubt he will have lost his pack and that scabbard beside. But there is never any ho with him. Reck Not! Ah, do I not know it? In we dash, and if we come off with our skins you may say it is a miracle."