"Ay me!" said I. "It should be the strangest and woefullest tale ever writ by woman." "The more need that it should be writ," quoth Jack, "by them that have lived it, and can tell the sooth-fastness [truth] thereof. Look you, Sissot, there are men enough will tell the tale of hearsay, such as they may win of one and another, and that is like to be full of guile and contrariousness. And many will tell it to win favour of those in high place, and so shall but the half be told. Thou hast lived through it, and wist all the inwards thereof, at least from thine own standing-spot. Let there be one tale told just as it was, of one that verily knew, and had no purpose to win gold or favour, but only to speak sooth-fastness." "You set me an hard task, Jack!" I said, and I think I sighed. "Easier to do, maybe, than to reckon on," saith he, in his dry, tholemode [Note 2] way. "Thou needest write but one word at once, and thou canst take thine own time to think what word to write." "But I have no parchment," said I. I am a little afraid I coveted not any, for I fancied not the business at all. It was Jack who wanted the story writ out fair, not I. "Well, I have," saith Jack calmly. "Nor any quills," said I. "I have," saith Jack, after the same fashion. "And the ink is dried-up." "Then will we buy more." "But--" I stayed, for I thought I had better hold my tongue. "But--I have no mind to it," saith Jack. "That might have come first, Sissot. It shows, when it doth, that thou hast come to an end of thine excuses. Nay, sweet heart, do but begin, and the mind will have after." "Lack-a-daisy!" said I, trying to laugh, though I felt somewhat irked [worried, irritated]: "I reckon, then, I had best do mine husband's bidding without more ado." "There spake my Sissot," saith he. "Good dame!" So here am I, sat at this desk, with a roll of parchment that Jack hath cut in even leches [strips] for to make a book, and an inkhorn of fresh ink, and divers quills--O me! must all this be writ up? Well, have forth! I shall so content Jack, and if I content not myself, that shall pay me. It was through being one of Queen Isabel's gentlewomen that I came to know these things, and, as Jack saith, to live through my story. And I might go a step further back, for I came to that dignity by reason of being daughter unto Dame Alice de Lethegreve, that was of old time nurse to King Edward. So long as I was a young maid, I was one of the Queen's sub-damsels; but when I wedded my Jack (and a better Jack never did maiden wed) I was preferred to be damsel of the chamber: and in such fashion journeyed I with the Queen to France, and tarried with her all the time she dwelt beyond seas, and came home with her again, and was with her the four years following, until all brake up, and she was appointed to keep house at Rising Castle. So the whole play was played before mine own eyes.