"There," he said, smiling at the girl who had followed behind him, "I
will lock her in with you and take the key, that I may make sure of
two such uncertain charges."
But the girl had deftly extracted the key even as she passed in after
him, and as the bolts shot from within she cried: "I thank you right
courteously, Lord William, but mine apothecary, fearing that the air
of this isle of Thrieve might not agree with me, bade me ever to sleep
with the key of the door under my pillow. Against fevers and quinsies,
cold iron is a sovereign specific."
And for all his wounded heart, Earl William smiled at the girl's
sauciness as he went slowly back to his chamber, taking, in spite of
his earldom, pains to pass his mother's door on tiptoe.
CHAPTER VII
THE DOUGLAS MUSTER
The day of the great weapon-showing broke fair and clear after the
storm of the night. The windows of heaven had had all their panes
cleaned, and even after it was daylight the brighter stars
appeared--only, however, to wink out again when the sun arose and
shone on the wet fields, coming forth rejoicing like a bridegroom from
his chamber.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73