So saying, the serving man, or varlet, as the falconer’s assistants were called, stooped down and held out his right hand, which was protected by a stout leathern glove with a large gauntlet. Two leather thongs, called lunes, were connected by two rings or tyrrits, and the lunes were then fastened to the jesses, and the ends loosely twined round the little finger, to prevent the bird from escaping. The bird was gaily hooded, and turned its head from side to side, causing the little artificial plume of feathers on its head to shake and flutter gaily. The boy, in his eagerness to stroke his new possession--for it was his birthday, and his father had sent to Salisbury to buy this hawk for his favourite son--put out his hand too quickly, for the hawk made a peck at it; but he drew it back in time, and with more caution and gentle words he at last succeeded in stroking her wings and back. "Marry Humphrey, she is a fine one. She is a long hawk, and ought to fly well." "I’ faith! will she so. I got her rare cheap; for the price has risen mightily sithen the tolls have been laid on all hawks. ’Tis one shilling and eightpence, over and above the price of the bird, I had to pay to Brother Anselm for the licence of bringing her over; but I got her cheap, marry, did I! An you’ll find such another in all the south of England--ay, and the north too--for ten shillings, never call me Humphrey more." They had now reached the gateway where Master Ralph, as Humphrey called him, had been waiting for his birthday present. The groom took off the leather glove and gave it to Ralph, who put it on, and took the bird into the house to show to his father and mother, while Humphrey rode round to the stables. The interior of the hall was a large low oak-panelled room, with a wide fireplace on one side. Antlers, spears, bows, and bills were hung or fixed all along the walls, and a few skins of red deer and other wild animals lay about on the stone floor. Ralph crossed the hall, and went down a low dark passage. He paused at a little oak door, and tapped. "Come in," said a lady’s voice, and Ralph entered joyously. "Oh, mother, look! She’s a hawk fit for the emperor. Thank thee, father, thank thee; ’tis the best gift thou couldst have chosen!" And the boy went up to the large armchair, in which an old man was sitting, clad in a long robe of fur, while opposite to him was standing his wife, the Dame Isabel de Lisle. "Ay, my son, so thou art right joyous, art thou? Well, and that’s e’en as it should be. Thou art growing a stout lad, and ’tis time to be thinking of thy after life. I would fain have ye all started in the world, before God sees fit to call me to him; and methinks ’twill not be long now." "Why, father, what ails thee, that thou talkest thus dolefully?" said Ralph, his ardour damped by the tone of his father’s remarks.