Josceline went first, and was followed by the stranger,
who every now and then glanced back to speak a reassuring word to his
dog. At the entrance to the ladies' bower Josceline paused. "Thou
mayest, if thou like, lay the dog for a while on a skin by my mother's
fire," he said, and looked inquiringly at his guest.
"That would I be glad to do," was the grateful reply. "See how he
shivers from the loss of blood and the chill air."
For answer Josceline waved his hand toward his mother's parlor, and the
grooms, conveying the dog, obediently entered. For all but Humphrey,
the Saxon serving-man, were accustomed to obey the young heir
unquestioningly. But Humphrey obeyed no one without question. It was
often necessary to convince his rather slow reason and his active and
many superstitions before his obedience could be secured. No one else
in the castle would have dared to take his course, but Humphrey was
thus favored and trusted because he was born a servant in Lord De
Aldithely's father's house, and was ten years older than the mistress
of the castle, whose master was now gone. He had already told Lady De
Aldithely all that he knew of the strange lad, and had advised her,
with his accustomed frankness, to put lad, horse, and hound at once
without the castle walls.
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