“The first woman face,” muttered Nicholas to himself, “I ever saw that had the sense of a man’s. And, by the rood, what a smile!”
“Is this thy friend, Master Nevile?” said Sibyll, with a glance at the goldsmith. “He is welcome. But is it fair and courteous, Master Nelwyn—”
“Alwyn, an’ it please you, fair mistress. A humble name, but good Saxon,—which, I take it, Nelwyn is not,” interrupted Nicholas.
“Master Alwyn, forgive me; but can I forgive thee so readily for thy espial of my handiwork, without license or leave?”
“Yours, comely mistress!” exclaimed Nicholas, opening his eyes, and unheeding the gay rebuke—“why, this is a master-hand. My Lord Scales—nay, the Earl of Worcester himself—hath scarce a finer in all his amassment.”
“Well, I forgive thy fault for thy flattery; and I pray thee, in my father’s name, to stay and sup with thy friend.” Nicholas bowed low, and still riveted his eyes on the book with such open admiration, that Marmaduke thought it right to excuse his abstraction; but there was something in that admiration which raised the spirits of Sibyll, which gave her hope when hope was well-nigh gone; and she became so vivacious, so debonair, so charming, in the flow of a gayety natural to her, and very uncommon with English maidens, but which she took partly, perhaps, from her French blood, and partly from the example of girls and maidens of French extraction in Margaret’s court, that Nicholas Alwyn thought he had never seen any one so irresistible. Madge had now served the evening meal, put in her head to announce it, and Sibyll withdrew to summon her father.
“I trust he will not tarry too long, for I am sharp set!” muttered Marmaduke. “What thinkest thou of the damozel?”
“Marry,” answered Alwyn, thoughtfully, “I pity and marvel at her. There is eno’ in her to furnish forth twenty court beauties. But what good can so much wit and cunning do to an honest maiden?”
“That is exactly my own thought,” said Marmaduke; and both the young men sunk into silence, till Sibyll re-entered with her father.
To the surprise of Marmaduke, Nicholas Alwyn, whose less gallant manner he was inclined to ridicule, soon contrived to rouse their host from his lethargy, and to absorb all the notice of Sibyll; and the surprise was increased, when he saw that his friend appeared not unfamiliar with those abstruse and mystical sciences in which Adam was engaged.