As the Parliament man moved away across the grass, his image very dark against its green, Brilliana looked after him, nursing her chin in her palm and her elbow on her knee. As he entered the house with the big book under his arm she took out her pretty handkerchief, and with much deliberation tied a small knot in one corner of it. "Master Puritan, Master Puritan," she murmured, "I must tie a knot in my handkerchief to remind me that you and I are enemies." XXII MASTER PAUL AND MASTER PETER At the dinner-hour Halfman came for Evander, where he sat in the library, and told him that Lady Brilliana awaited him. The meal was served in the banqueting-hall, a splendid, panelled room with deep-embrasured windows, from which the defences had now been removed and through which the inmates could have noble views of the lawns and gardens beyond the moat. The little company of three seemed, as it were, lost in the vastness of the chamber as they sat at meat together at the oak table by the hearth at one end of the room, Brilliana at the head, with Halfman at her right and Evander at her left as the guest and stranger. It proved a vastly pleasant meal to Evander, for the talk was brisk and entertaining, and there was no allusion made to those civil and religious differences which in distracting the country had their curious effect, so unimportant to the country, so important to themselves, of bringing that oddly assorted trio together. Brilliana gave a gracious equality of attention to her companions; showed no keener interest in her new visitor than she had found in the conversation of her old acquaintance, and thus made both men very happily at their ease. Indeed, Halfman was at his best that afternoon, playing the genial, ripe, mellow man of the world to perfection, so that Evander found him a most entertaining board-fellow. They were at the fruit, and Halfman showing them tricks of carving faces in October apples, when Tiffany skipped into the room a-twitter with excitement. "My lady," she cried, "here is come Master Paul and two of our people bearing a great box. And I can spy Master Peter and his party with another at the turn of the road." Halfman laughed loudly; Brilliana laughed softly; Evander wondered what there was to laugh at. "Lodge them apart and bring them in by turn," Brilliana gave order. "Master Paul first and then Master Peter. This is rare. Bring them in, bring them in." Tiffany fluttered out and Evander rose from his chair. "Shall I leave you, lady?" he asked, thinking that she would be private. But Brilliana would not hear of this and motioned to him to keep his seat. "Nay, sir, stay," she said, "if you would see some sport."