"Soothly, nay. This world is thrown all out of gear by sin. Things fitted in Eden, be thou sure. Another reason is there also--that he which hath the food may bestow it on him that can relish it, and hath it not." The chapel bell tolled softly for the last service of the day, and the whole household assembled. Every day this was done at Hazelwood, for prime, sext, and compline, at six a.m., noon, and seven p.m. respectively, and any member of the household found missing would have been required to render an exceedingly good reason for it. The services were very short, and a sermon was a scarcely imagined performance. After compline came bed-time. Each girl took her lamp, louted to Lady Foljambe and kissed her hand, and they then filed upstairs to bed after Perrote, she and Amphillis going to their own turret. Hitherto Perrote had been an extremely silent person. Not one word unnecessary to the work in hand had she ever uttered, since those few on Amphillis's first arrival. It was therefore with some little surprise that the girl heard her voice, as she stood that evening brushing her hair before the mirror. "Amphillis, who chose you to come hither?" "Truly, Mistress, that wis I not. Only, first of all, Mistress Chaucer, of the Savoy Palace, looked me o'er to see if I should be meet for taking into account, and then came a lady thence, and asked at me divers questions, and judged that I should serve; but who she was I knew not. She bade me be well ware that I gat me in no entanglements of no sort," said Amphillis, laughing a little; "but in good sooth, I see here nothing to entangle me in." "She gave thee good counsel therein. There be tangles of divers sorts, my maid, and those which cut the tightest be not alway the worst. Thou mayest tangle thy feet of soft wool, or rich silk, no less than of rough cord. Ah me! there be tangles here, Amphillis, and hard to undo. There were skilwise fingers to their tying--hard fingers, that thought only to pull them tight, and harried them little touching the trouble of such as should be thus tethered. And there be knots that no man can undo--only God. Why tarry the wheels of His chariot?" Amphillis turned round from the mirror. "Mistress Perrote, may I ask a thing at you?" "Ask, my maid." "My Lady answered me not; will you? What hath our Lady done to be thus shut close in prison?" "_She_ done?" was the answer, with a piteous intonation. Perrote looked earnestly into the girl's face. "Amphillis, canst thou keep a secret?" "If I know myself, I can well." "Wilt thou so do, for the love of God and thy Lady? It should harm her, if men knew thou wist it. And, God wot, she hath harm enough." "I will never speak word, Mistress Perrote, to any other than you, without you bid me, or grant me leave." "So shall thou do well. Guess, Amphillis, who is it that keepeth this poor lady in such durance." "Nay, that I cannot, without it be our Lord the King."