"Oh," quod she cheerfully, "I would gladly take the second Place. Or, if she preferred my Room to my Company, I would take Pattern by the old Lady at the Bridge End that lives all alone by herself with her Cats." "No, dear _Fraunces_" sayth he,—and I have Ground for thinking he kissed her,—"you shall need neither Alternative—_Alice_ shall have no Successor in mine House, since she can never have one in my Heart ... and, as to happy,—why, except for that one great Loss, am I not happy as Man can be? Believe me, I am content with the Present, and trustful for the Future. I hope to see...." But what he hoped to see, I heard not. About this Time, _Miles_ had formed close Acquaintance with some Lads on the Bridge, who gave their Masters more Trouble than enough. I suppose he thought it spirited of them, and worthy of all Imitation. One Night, I awoke out of my first Sleep, and lay listening to the Uproar of the Winds and Waters, which seemed quite to drown _Miles'_ Snoring, when the Door suddenly opened, and my Master, with a Lamp in his Hand, sayth, "_Ned_, are you in Bed?" I say, "Yes, Master." "Then," quod he, where is _Miles_?" I said, "In Bed too, Master." But he turned his Light on _Miles'_ Bed, and it was empty. Then quod he, "The Bridge Watchman hath just called under my Window to say one of my 'Prentices was abroad, but he wist not which, for in chasing him, he stumbled over an Heap of Rubbish before a House under Repair, and lost him in the Dark." Then he left me, and I lay wondering how _Miles_ could have got out, since Mistress _Fraunces_ kept the House-key, and what Account he would give of himself when he came back. Master _Hewet_, I afterwards learnt, found the Key in the Door, outside, and took it in, and locked the Door. And so, sate in Wait a good While, till at length some one tries the Door from without, then gropes about the Ground for the Key, then loudly whispers through the Keyhole, "_Tib!_ _Tib!_"