"Beshrew me, Master Barber, thou wilt drive me mad!" cried the impatient Yolande. "Canst thou not answer me plainly, instead of talking thy jaw-breaking jargon?" But the leech or barber was incensed at this want of respect, especially coming from a young lady, and he briefly replied he must wait before giving an opinion until Aldeboran reached the third house. Compelled to be satisfied with this answer, Yolande saw her cousin moved to his new couch, and then, recognising the absolute necessity of not disturbing him, she returned to the festivities, over which a cloud had been cast by this strange event. Meanwhile Sir John Trenchard had gone to his apartment, and thither Maurice Woodville, Willie Newenhall and Dicky Cheke followed him. "Where’s Master Bowerman?" inquired the Seneschal. No one answered. "Who saw him last?" was the next question. Newenhall moved uneasily, but looked as stolid as ever. "Master Newenhall, thou art the eldest; tell me where you last saw Master Bowerman." "An it please you, Sir John, ’twas after the banquet was over." "Well, where was he? Was he dancing?" "He was dancing." "How long agone was that?" Newenhall twisted his cap round, and looked more stupid and vacant than ever. "Come, Master Newenhall, brush up thy wits and give a short answer--time presses." "Maybe ’twas an hour ago," said the page sullenly. Sir John Trenchard, seeing that Newenhall, either through stupidity or on purpose, would give no useful information, turned to Dicky Cheke and bid him narrate all the circumstances of his finding Ralph. When he heard of the figure disappearing over the steep declivity on the other side of the road, Sir John rated Master Cheke soundly for not having bid one of the archers pursue him; and in spite of Dicky’s protestations that he was so flurried by the sight of Ralph’s body lying bleeding in the road, as to think only of helping him, that young gentleman was severely reprimanded for his absence of mind. "One who would be a useful knight, and serve his prince well, should never forget what is the right course, never mind what may be the obstacles," said the Seneschal, with stern sententiousness. Maurice Woodville could give no information; he had been in close attendance on the Captain of the Wight, and had not seen Bowerman at all. Orders were now issued to have the castle searched for the missing page, but with no result. He was not found, and no one had any doubt that it was Eustace Bowerman who had struck the blow. The guests all dispersed to their homes soon afterwards, many of them being accommodated for the night in the castle as guests of the Captain of the Wight; among whom Sir William Lisle and his daughter, with the Abbot of Quarr, were the most honoured.