Part 18 (1/2)

Come then!”

And Meg laid hands on the white sheet, and calmly began to pull it down.

”Oh, stay, Meg! Thou shalt stifle me,” said the Turk, in Agatha's voice.

”Ay, I thought you'd somewhat to do wi' 't, my damsel; it were like you.

Have you driven anybody else out o' her seven senses beside me wi' yon foolery?”

”You've kept in seventy senses,” pouted Agatha, releasing herself from the last corner of her ghostly drapery. ”Meg, you're a spoil-sport.”

”My dame shall con you but poor thanks, Mistress Agatha, if you travail folks o' this fas.h.i.+on while she tarrieth hence. Mistress Amphillis, too! Marry, I thought--”

”I tarried here to lessen the mischief,” said Amphillis.

”It wasn't thee I meant to fright,” said Agatha, with a pout. ”I thought Father Jordan was a-coming; it was he I wanted. Never blame Amphillis; she's nigh as bad as thou.”

”Mistress Amphillis, I ask your pardon. Mistress Agatha, you're a bad un. 'Tis a burning shame to harry a good old man like Father Jordan.

Thee hie to thy bed, and do no more mischief, thou false hussy! I'll tell my dame of thy fine doings when she cometh home; I will, so!”

”Now, Meg, dear, sweet Meg, don't, and I'll--”

”You'll get you abed and 'bide quiet. I'm neither dear nor sweet; I'm a cook-maid, and you're a young damsel with a fortin, and you'd neither 'sweet' nor 'dear' me without you were wanting somewhat of me.

Forsooth, they'll win a fortin that weds wi' the like of you! Get abed, thou magpie!”

And Meg was heard muttering to herself as she mounted the upper stairs to the attic chamber, which she shared with Joan and Kate.

Note 1. Understood. The word _understand_ was then restricted to an original idea; _conceive_ was used in the sense of understanding another person.

Note 2. The term ”middle earth” arose from the belief then held, that the earth was in the midst of the universe, equidistant from Heaven above it and from h.e.l.l beneath.

CHAPTER TEN.

NIGHT ALARMS.

”Oh let me feel Thee near me,-- The world is very near: I see the sights that dazzle, The tempting sounds I hear; My foes are ever near me, Around me and within; But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer, And save my soul from sin.”

John E. Bode.

”Phyllis, thou wilt lie in my Lady's pallet, tonight,” said Perrote, as she let her into their own chamber. Amphillis looked rather alarmed.

She had never yet been appointed to that responsible office. But it was not her nature to protest against superior orders; and she quietly gathered up such toilet articles as she required, and prepared to obey.

”You know your duty?” said Perrote, interrogatively. ”You first help your Lady abed, and then hie abed yourself, in the dark, as silently and hastefully as may be. There is no more to do, without she call in the night, till her _lever_, for which you must be ready, and have a care not to arouse her till she wake and summon you, without the hour grow exceeding late, when you may lawfully make some little bruit to wake her after a gentle fas.h.i.+on. Come now.”

Amphillis followed Perrote into the Countess's room.

They found her standing by the window, as she often was at night, for the sunset and the evening lights had a great attraction for her. She turned her head as they entered.

”At last, Perrote!” she said. ”In good sooth, but I began to think thou hadst forgot me, like everybody else in earth and heaven.”