“But they were so pretty!” Margery said. She did not mind talking for a little while now, for there were no more painted scenes to look at, and she scarcely understood the speech which followed the command for “cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth” to come into existence.
In a moment however, her attention was again arrested, for the curtains were drawn, the pageant was pulled away, and, before it had disappeared, a new one, the third, had come into sight.
“This is the Cardmakers’ play,” said Giles, consulting his pageant book. “It is about God the Father creating Adam and Eve.”
“Cardmakers?” Margery asked, rather puzzled at the name. As a country child she did not know all the trades of the town guilds.
“They are the people who make the cards for the wool to be combed on, before it is made up into stuffs, you know,” Giles told her.
“Then comes the Fullers’ play,” he went on, reading from the book, “God forbidding Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of Life. Afterwards the Coopers do Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; and the serpent deceiving them with apples; and God speaking to them and cursing the serpent, and with a sword driving them out of Paradise.”
“Come, children! you must be hungry!” called Mistress Harpham at this moment. “Come and have something to eat.”
Margery turned reluctantly from the window, where, on the scaffolding, the third play was just beginning; and her aunt laughed.
“Bless the child! You can’t sit looking at the pageants all day without food!” she exclaimed. “There are plenty more of ’em in all conscience. Come along now. Giles will have to go when he’s eaten something. He must soon be starting for his play.”
By this time all of the guests were seated at trestle-tables, which had been placed at the back of the room and spread with all sorts of food. There were huge joints, and fat capons, and plenty of ale, to which the guests did ample justice.