“Well, have a care you demean yourself as a cavaliero should,” saith he. “Tell her she is the fairest maid in all the realm, and you shall die o’ despair an’ you get not a glance from her sweet eyes.”
“Nay, I’ll leave that for you,” saith Milly.
“Good. I will do mine utmost to mind it the next opportunity,” quoth Robin.
So, with mirth, come we up to Dilston Hall.
My Lord was within, said the old serving-man, and so likewise were Mistress Jane and Mistress Cicely: so he led us across the hall, that is set with divers coloured stones, of a fashion they have in Italy, and into a pleasant chamber, where Mistress Cicely was sat at her frame a-work, and rose up right lovingly to welcome us. Mistress Jane, said she, was in the garden: but my Lord come in the next minute, and was right pleasant unto us after his sad and bashful fashion, for never saw I a man like him, as bashful as any maid. Then Mistress Jane come anon, and bare us—to wit, Milisent and me—away to her own chamber, where she gave us sweet cakes and muscadel; and Mistress Cicely came too. And a jolly time should we have had, had it not come into Mistress Cicely’s head to ask at us if it were true that Blanche Lewthwaite was gone away with some gallant. I had need to say Ay, for Milisent kept her mouth close shut.
“And who were he?” quoth Mistress Jane. I answered that so far as we heard he had passed by divers names, all about this vicinage: but the name whereby he had called himself at Mere Lea (which is Master Lewthwaite’s) was Everett.
“I warrant you, Jane,” saith Mistress Cicely, “’tis the same Everett Farmer Benson was so wroth with, for making up to his Margaret. He said if ever he came nigh his house again, he should go thence with a bullet more than he brought. A man past his youth, was he, Edith, with fair shining hair—no grey in it—and mighty sweet spoken?”
“Ay, that is he,” said I, “or I mistake, Madam.”
“Dear heart, but what an ill one must he be!” quoth Mistress Jane. “Why he made old Nanny’s grand-daughter Doll reckon he meant to wed her, and promised to give her a silver chain for her neck this next Sunday!”
All this while sat Milisent still and spake never a word. I gat discourse turned so soon as ever I might. Then after a little while went we down to hall, and good mirth was had of the young gentlewomen with Robin and me: but all the while Milisent very still, so that at last Mistress Cicely noted it, and asked her if her head ached. She said ay: and she looked like it. So, soon after came we thence, and crossed the lake again, and so home. Milly yet very silent all the even: not as though she sulked, as of late, but rather as though she meditated right sadly.