The Herd Boy and His Hermit

fair lady,

the cott

e hawthorns blo

rain doth fa

y, curled up with Watch, having yielded his own bed to the strange guest, he was a

ugh stone and thatched with reeds, with large stones to keep the roof down in the high mountain blasts. There was only one room, earthen floored, and with no furniture save a big chest, a rude table, a settle and a few stools, besides the big kettle and a few crocks and wooden bow

, and her black lashes resting on her delicate brunette cheeks, slightly flushed with sleep. Hal could not help

the lassie up before the shepherd comes back, though 'tis amost a pity t

n of mother to son, still less that of mistress to farm

ound on her pillow, put up a hand, rubbed her eyes, and disclosed a pair o

e lamb, where you are full welcom

olding out her hands for the bowl. 'They all left

so when you see him by day-a well-gro

to take me back. This place is not one for me. The Sist

you, but now I would have you up and dressed, ay, and washed, ere he

se out of bed, 'that the Sisters are accountable for me. I am the Lady Anne St. John. My father is a lord in Bedfordshire, but he is gone to the wars in Burgundy, and bestowed me

s attending to her in a way that, if the Lady Anne had known it, was like the

own, into a dyke went my pony, Imp, and not one of them saw! Not Bertram Selby, the Sisters, nor the groom, nor the rabble rout that had come out of Greystone; and before I could get free they were off; and the pony, Imp of Evil that he is, ha

rioress minded her hawks more th

ave better hoods than the Sisters; and as to the Hours, no one ever gets up in the night to say

as a well-grown girl of ten, slender, and bearing herself like one high bred and well trained in deportment; and her face was delicately tinted on an olive skin, with

un and air; and the bow with which he bent before her had something of the rustic l

d, 'when wilt thou take

e; 'meanwhile, ye had best eat your porridge. H

the young lady, and uttered the information that there was a bl

said the damsel. 'They will be in a

coil if they found your

han otherwise. The goodwife shivered, and reached out to close the shutter, and the

y. 'Nay, it is as merry here as at Greystone, with Sister Margaret picking out o

each Latin?' exclaimed

d I should learn whatever became a damsel of h

uld teach me!'

e, she added, 'Say the Benedicite, lad, and fall to.' Then, as he uttered the blessing, she asked the guest whether she preferred ewes' milk or cows' milk, a luxury

t she must go and help to feed the poor sheep, but she was withheld, much against her will, by Mother Dolly, though she persisted that snow was nothing to her, and it was a fine jest to be out of the reach of the Sisters, who mewed her up in a cell, like a messan dog. However, she was much amused by watching, and thinking she assisted in, Mother Dolly's preparations for ewe m

than that,' said Anne. 'She will come to

! purr thy best!' as he held his fingers over h

ons leaps like a hor

demoiselle,' and he held his arms forward with clasped hands, so that t

nt ecstasy with a flake of wool, as if it were a mouse, and Watch joined in the game in full amity. Mother Dolly, busy with her distaff, looked

seen a t

ily. 'The poor squire was hurt-I

d gallop at one another in the lists, as if they were out hunting. Oh! to hear

gang out to the shed and bring in some mo

,' said Hal, passing to a pile in the cor

continued the girl. 'I am sur

y singular pronoun to the more polite, if less grammatical, second person p

we do at home in Bedfordshire, not like these

,' said the lad, looking mu

then?' she cri

hepherd boy, as I

y are you! Come

e from running after him, for the snow was coming down in larger flakes than ever. Nevertheless, when her husband was heard outside she thre

ttingly?' asked th

of gentle blood, and women's wits be sharp and prying, and

never to say, no

an old hogherd weigh against

with thy lords and ladies, woman, thou

f being of gentle bloo

days are over our head! An unlucky chance this same snow, or I shoul

in the storm. Ill for the mai

gruff old shepherd. 'Then were her tongue stilled, and thos

e than thy bite, but I would have thee to know that if aught befall the maid betwee

ee in, wife! Who knows what folly those two may be after while thou art away? Mind

deaf and well-nigh dumb, but I thank God for it now! No fear of perilous

snow, but she was relieved to find Hal marking down on the wide flat hearth-stone, with a bit of charcoal,

that!' she said, 'wi

re of the team has a little foal running beside her'-he made a small spot be

er saw

ks at it. He thinks the only use of the Wain is to find the North Star, up bey

Star do? It would not have helped

Anne! Which way d

hould

sun lie when you

ll; but his astronomy, though eagerly demonstrated, was not likely to have brought her back to Greystone. Still Doll was thankful for the safe subject, as he went on to mark out what he promised that she should see in the winter-

ill up the time by telling them lengthily the old stories and ballads handed down from minstrel to minstrel, from nurse to nurse, and th

maid back in the morning. He sat scowling and silent during supper, and ordered Hal about with sharp sternness, sending him out to attend to the litter of the cattle, before all had finished, and manifestly treated him as the shepherd's boy, the drudge of the house, and