"What an aggravating woman thou art!" and with the words he passed through the door, clashing it after him in a way that made Mistress Atheling smile and nod her handsome head understandingly. She stood waiting until she heard a door clash sympathetically up-stairs, and then she said softly,-- "He did not manage to 'throw' or 'threep' me; if he was cock of the walk down on the green--what fools men are!--I see clear through him--stubborn though--takes after his mother--and there never was a woman more stubborn than Dame Joan Atheling." During this soliloquy she was locking up the cupboards in the parlour and houseplace. Then she opened the kitchen door and sharply gave the two women watching the malt mash her last orders; after which she took off her slippers at the foot of the stairs, and went very quietly up them. She had no light, but without any hesitation she turned towards a certain corridor, and gently pushed open a door. It let her into a large, low room; and the moonlight showed in the centre of it a high canopied bedstead, piled with snowy pillows and drapery, and among them, lying with closed eyes, her daughter Kate. "Kate! Kitty darling! Are you awake?" she whispered. "Mother! Yes, dear Mother, I am wide awake." "Your father has been in one of his tantrums again--fretting and fuming like everything." "Poor father! What angered him?" "Well, child, I angered him. Why wouldn't I? He saw a man in the village who has been living with Edgar for a year, and he never asked him whether your poor brother was alive or dead. What do you think of that?" "It was too bad. Never mind, Mother. I will go to the village in the morning, and I will find the man, and hear all about Edgar. If there is any chance, and you want to see him, I will bring him here." "I would like him to come here, Kitty; for you know he might take Edgar his best clothes. The poor lad must be in rags by this time." "Don't fret, Mother. I'll manage it." "I knew you would. Your father is going to Parliament, Kate. The Duke offers to seat him, and you will get up to London. What do you think of that?" "I am very glad to hear it. Father ought to be in Parliament. He is such a straight-forward man." "Well, I don't know whether that kind of man is wanted there, Kate; but he will do right, and speak plain, I have no doubt. I thought I would tell you at once. It is something to look forward to. Now go to sleep and dream of what may come out of it,--for one thing, you shall have plenty of fine new dresses--good-night, my dear child."