"Then that is thy blame, Cicely, routing like a bedel [shouting like a town-crier], and oncoming [assaulting] folks as thou dost. I marvel thou canst not be peaceable! I alway am. Canst mind the night that ever I shaked thee awake and made thee run out of thy warm bed as if a bear were after thee?" I trust I kept out of my voice the laughter that was in my throat as I said, "No, Dame: that cannot I." The self notion of Dame Elizabeth ever doing thus to any was so exceeding laughable. "Well! then why canst--Body o' me! what ever is yonder flaming light?" Master Oliver was just alongside, and quoth he drily-- "Burden not your Ladyship; 'tis but the Scots that have reached Brotherton, and be firing the suburbs." "Holy Mary, pray for us!" skraighs Dame Elizabeth, at last verily feared: "Cicely, how canst thou ride so slow? For love of all the saints; let us get on!" Then fell she to her beads, and began to invoke all the Calendar, while she urged on her horse till his rapid trotting brake up the _aves_ and _oras_ into fragments that man might scarce hear and keep him sober. I warrant I was well pleased, for all my weariness, when we rade in at Micklebar of York; and so, I warrant, was Dame Elizabeth, for all her impassibility. We tarried not long at York, for, hearing that the Scots came on, the Queen removed to Nottingham for safer keeping. And so ended that year. But no contakes had I, save of Dame Elizabeth, that for the rest of that month put on a sorrowful look at the sight of me. On the contrary part, Robin had brave reward from the King, and my Lady the Queen was pleased to advance me, as shall now be told, shortly thereafter: and ever afterwards did she seem to affy her more in me, as in one that had been tried and proved faithful unto trust. Thus far had I won when I heard a little bruit behind me, and looking up, as I guessed, I saw Jack, over my shoulder. "Dear heart, Jack!" said I, "but thou hast set me a merry task! Two days have I been a-work, and not yet won to the Queen's former journey to France; yet I do thee to wit, I am full disheartened at the stretch of road I see afore me. Must I needs tell every thing that happed for every year? Mary love us! but I feel very nigh at my wits' end but to think of it. Why, my Chronicle shall be bigger than the Golden Legend and the Morte Arthur put together, and all Underby Common shall not furnish geese enow to keep me in quills!" I ended betwixt laughter and tears. To say sooth, I was very nigh the latter. "Take breath, Sissot," saith Jack, quietly. "But dost thou mean that, Jack?" "I mean not to make a nief [serf] of my wife," saith he. I was something comforted to hear that. "As for time, dear heart," he pursueth, "take thou an hour or twain by the day, so thou weary not thyself; and for events, I counsel thee to make a diverse form of chronicle from any ever yet written." "How so, Jack?"