"Those are samples," remarked the pedlar, with a gleam of pleasure in his eyes. "I have more, of various patterns, if my Lady would wish to see them. She has only to speak her commands." "Yes. But--these are all imported, I suppose?" "All imported, such as I have shown to my Lady." "I presume no broideress is to be found in England, who can do such work as this?" said the Countess in a regretful tone. "Did my Lady wish to find one?" "I wished to have a scarf in my possession copied, with a few variations which I would order. But I fear it cannot be done--it would be almost necessary that I should see the broideress myself, to avoid mistakes; and I would fain, if it were possible, have had the work done under my own eye." "That might be done, perhaps. It would be costly." "Oh, I should not care for the cost. I want the scarf for a gift; and it is nothing to me whether I pay ten silver pennies or a hundred." "Would my Lady suffer her servant to see the scarf she wishes to have imitated?" "Fetch it, Levina," said the Countess; "thou knowest which I mean." Levina brought it, and the pedlar gave it very careful inspection. "And the alterations?" he asked. "I would have a row of silver harebells and green ferns, touched with gold, as an outer border," explained the Countess: "and instead of those ornaments in the inner part, I would have golden scrolls, worked with the words `Dieu et mon droit' in scarlet." The pedlar shook his head. "The golden scrolls with the words can be done, without difficulty. But I must in all humility represent to my Lady that the flowers and leaves she desires cannot." "Why?" asked the Countess in a surprised tone. "Not in this work," answered the pedlar. "In this style of embroidery"--and he took another scarf from his pack--"it could be wrought: but not in the other." "But that is not to be compared with the other!" "My Lady has well said," returned the pedlar with a smile. "But I do not understand where the difficulty lies?" said the Countess, evidently disappointed. "Let my Lady pardon her servant. We have in our company--nay, there is in all England--one broideress only, who can work in this style. And I dare not make such an engagement on her behalf." "Still I cannot understand for what reason?" "Lady, these flowers, leaves, heads, and such representations of created things, are the work of Christian hands. That broidery which my Lady desires is not so." "But why cannot Christians work this broidery?" "Ha! They do not. My Lady's servant cannot speak further." "Then what is she who alone can do this work? What eyes and fingers she must have!" "She is my daughter," answered the pedlar, rather proudly. "But I am sure the woman who can broider like this, is clever enough to make a row of harebells and ferns!" "Clever enough,--oh yes! But--she could not do it." "`Clever enough,' but `could not do it'--old man, I cannot understand thee."