Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/154

 having sworn profanely, withdrew himself as quickly as he could. Then was great haste made on our part also and before long we were dressed in point; for I took out a fine habit I had of crimson velvet, well laced and purfled: and my three guests had, as I have said vestments of murry and tawny plush, so that we were, all four of us, right gallant and brave and fit for Uske on the Portreeve's holy-day. So one after another stamped down the stairs, and felt his way in the dim twilight along the passages and stumbled into the parlor; here was a fire burning, the shutters closed, and six tapers lighted, for us to see our breakfast, on which we fell solemnly and earnestly to work and passed around a tankard of the Brown Nut. And outside we heard the cocks singing lauds, with festal antiphons and ruling of the quire; for by Clemendy they had a house under a Chanticleer and sub-chanticleer and lived together as virtuously as could be expected. And when we had done with cup and platter we sallied forth and got into the saddle, just as the sun rose above Kemeys and Wentwood and flung his light right over the great round hills that are in the west. Then the horns began to play before the porch at Clemendy; a rousing melody they made with tarantaras and magistral flourishes; full pompously and gorgeously we rode out at the gate, doffed our feathers to the church and turned up the road to Uske. But for all our clamour I heard a full rich voice swelling up from the village—"What bird is this, I pray thee tell me, That carolleth so loud at dawning, O dear mother" and in