"Home, housewife--home!" exclaimed her husband, the old huntsman, who was weary of this public exhibition of his domestic termagant --"home, or I will give you a taste of my dog lash--Here are both the confessor and Wilkin Flammock wondering at your impudence." "Indeed!" replied Gillian; "and are not two fools enough for wonderment, that you must come with your grave pate to make up the number three?" There was a general laugh at the huntsman's expense, under cover of which he prudently withdrew his spouse, without attempting to continue the war of tongues, in which she had shown such a decided superiority. This controversy, so light is the change in human spirits, especially among the lower class, awakened bursts of idle mirth among beings, who had so lately been in the jaws of danger, if not of absolute despair. CHAPTER THE TENTH They bore him barefaced on his bier, Six proper youths and tall, And many a tear bedew'd his grave Within yon kirkyard wall. THE FRIAR OF ORDERS GRAY. While these matters took place in the castle-yard, the young squire, Damian Lacy, obtained the audience which he had requested of Eveline Berenger, who received him in the great hall of the castle, seated beneath the dais, or canopy, and waited upon by Rose and other female attendants; of whom the first alone was permitted to use a tabouret or small stool in her presence, so strict were the Norman maidens of quality in maintaining their claims to high rank and observance. The youth was introduced by the confessor and Flammock, as the spiritual character of the one, and the trust reposed by her late father in the other, authorized them to be present upon the occasion. Eveline naturally blushed, as she advanced two steps to receive the handsome youthful envoy; and her bashfulness seemed infectious, for it was with some confusion that Damian went through the ceremony of saluting the hand which she extended towards him in token of welcome. Eveline was under the necessity of speaking first. "We advance as far as our limits will permit us," she said, "to greet with our thanks the messenger who brings us tidings of safety. We speak--unless we err--to the noble Damian of Lacy?" "To the humblest of your servants," answered Damian, falling with some difficulty into the tone of courtesy which his errand and character required, "who approaches you on behalf of his noble uncle, Hugo de Lacy, Constable of Chester." "Will not our noble deliverer in person honour with his presence the poor dwelling which he has saved?"