Chapter 21 - Page 2

which travelled continually to and fro, and kept a
guard upon all the entrances of the house, lit upon a little
procession entering by the main gate and crossing the court in an
oblique direction. Two ladies, muffled in thick furs, led the way,
and were followed by a pair of waiting-women and four stout men-at-
arms. The next moment they had disappeared within the house; and
Dick, slipping through the crowd of loiterers in the shed, was
already giving hot pursuit.

"The taller of these twain was Lady Brackley," he thought; "and
where Lady Brackley is, Joan will not be far."

At the door of the house the four men-at-arms had ceased to follow,
and the ladies were now mounting the stairway of polished oak,
under no better escort than that of the two waiting-women. Dick
followed close behind. It was already the dusk of the day; and in
the house the darkness of the night had almost come. On the stair-
landings, torches flared in iron holders; down the long, tapestried
corridors, a lamp burned by every door. And where the door stood
open, Dick could look in upon arras-covered walls and rush-
bescattered floors, glowing in the light of the wood fires.

Two floors were passed, and at every landing the younger and
shorter of the two ladies had looked back keenly at the monk. He,
keeping his eyes lowered, and affecting the demure manners that
suited his disguise, had but seen her once, and was unaware that he
had attracted her attention. And now, on the third floor, the
party separated, the younger lady continuing to ascend alone, the
other, followed by the waiting-maids, descending the corridor to
the right.

Dick mounted with a swift foot, and holding to the corner, thrust
forth his head and followed the three women with his eyes. Without
turning or looking behind them, they continued to descend the
corridor.

"It is right well," thought Dick. "Let me but know my Lady
Brackley's chamber, and it will go hard an I find not Dame Hatch
upon an errand."

And just then a hand was laid upon his shoulder, and, with a bound
and a choked cry, he turned to grapple his assailant.

He was somewhat abashed to find, in the person whom he had so
roughly seized, the short young lady in the furs. She, on her
part, was shocked and terrified beyond expression, and hung
trembling in his grasp.

"Madam," said Dick, releasing her, "I cry you a thousand pardons;
but I have no eyes behind, and, by the mass, I could not tell ye
were a maid."

The girl continued to look at him, but, by this time, terror began
to be succeeded by surprise, and surprise by suspicion. Dick, who
could read these changes on her face, became alarmed for his own
safety in that hostile house.