Next day, about an hour before noon, Colonel Wyndham and his lovely cousin mounted their steeds and rode towards Sherborne to meet the king. They had not got beyond the colonel's domain when he went into a field to speak to some of his men, leaving Juliana beneath a tree, which threw its branches across the road. She had been alone for a few minutes, when a solitary horseman was seen coming from the direction of Sherborne. For a moment her expectations were raised, but as the horseman drew nearer she judged from his garb and general appearance that he could only be a farmer's son. Presently the young man rode up, and doffed his cap respectfully. He was excessively swarthy, and his hair was clipped very close to his head. With a certain freedom of manner, which Juliana did not at all like, he inquired whether Colonel Wyndham dwelt thereabouts. "The colonel is in yonder field," she replied. "You can go to him, if you think proper." "No; I will wait for him here," said the young man. "If I am not mistaken, you are his cousin, Mistress Juliana Coningsby." The young lady regarded him haughtily, as much as to say, "What can it matter to you who I am?" "Nay, I meant no offence," he said, construing the look correctly. "If you are Mistress Juliana Coningsby, as I shrewdly suspect, report has done you scant justice." Juliana's proud lip slightly curled. "You are reported to be very handsome, but more might be said, methinks," continued the young man, scarcely repressing his admiration. "Thou art a bold fellow to tell me this to my face," cried Juliana. "I may be bold, but I am not a flatterer," rejoined the young man. "Truth ought not to be disagreeable, and I have spoken nothing but truth." "But were I to say thou art singularly ill-favoured, it would be truth, yet thou wouldst not like it," remarked Juliana. "It would certainly be a poor return for my civil speech," rejoined the young man, laughing. "But if you knew me better you might change your opinion. I have not always been thought ill-favoured." "They who thought thee otherwise must have been bad judges, with whom thy impertinence might pass for wit," said Juliana. "But I will tolerate no more of it. Stand back, and do not presume to address me again, or I will acquaint the colonel, and he will punish thy presumption." "I am not aware that I have presumed, fair mistress," replied the other. "But if you deem so, I humbly ask your pardon." "Ah! here comes the colonel," cried Juliana. "He will read thee a wholesome lesson for thy freedom of speech." Colonel Wyndham's approach produced a sudden change in the young man's demeanour that astonished Juliana. Pushing forward to the gate, he called out lustily, "Frank, Frank! how art thou?" At the sound of this well-known voice the colonel quickened his pace, exclaiming joyously: "Welcome, my liege!--welcome! I am rejoiced to see you." "And I am equally rejoiced to see thee, Frank," cried Charles, heartily.