Page:A C Doyle - The White Company.djvu/170

142 after him the very words which had fallen from his lips. But when it came to and astrolabe, the counting of figures and reckoning of epicycles, away would go her thoughts to horse and hound, and a vacant eye and listless face would warn the teacher that he had lost his hold upon his scholar. Then he had but to bring out the old romance book from the priory, with befingered cover of sheep-skin and gold letters upon a purple ground, to entice her wayward mind back to the paths of learning.

At times, too, when the wild fit was upon her, she would break into pertness and rebel openly against Alleyne's gentle firmness. Yet he would jog quietly on with his teachings, taking no heed to her mutiny, until suddenly she would be conquered by his patience, and break into self-revilings a hundred times stronger than her fault demanded. It chanced however that, on one of these mornings when the evil mood was upon her, Agatha the young tirewoman, thinking to please her mistress, began also to toss her head and make tart rejoinder to the teacher's questions. In an instant the Lady Maude had turned upon her two blazing eyes and a face which was blanched with anger.

'You would dare!' said she. 'You would dare!'

The frightened tirewoman tried to excuse herself. 'But, my fair lady,' she stammered, 'what have I done? I have said no more than I heard.'

'You would dare!' repeated the lady in a choking voice. 'You, a graceless baggage, a foolish lack-brain, with no thought above the hemming of shifts! And he so kindly and hendy and ong-suffering! You would—ha, you may well flee the room!'

She had spoken with a rising voice, and a clasping and opening of her long white fingers, so that it was no marvel that ere the speech was over the skirts of Agatha were whisking round the door and the click of her sobs to be heard dying swiftly away down the corridor.

Alleyne stared open-eyed at this tigress who had sprung so suddenly to his rescue. 'There is no need for such