Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/241

Rh you know when you grant me admittance, for I have come by stealth and would be glad to hide myself with you."

"In truth, you are the Lady Amabel," exclaimed the goodman, "but what masquerade or mumming"

"Have you not heard that the Count de Ferrers has come with his men to take our castle?" she asked, as he opened the door, and admitted her to the cottage. "For weeks he has been waging war against us, and he has battered down a good part of our walls, and slain some of our people."

"I had heard something of it," the farmer answered, as he threw a bundle of sticks upon the fire, and blew the embers into life. The light twigs caught, and in a moment the room was bright. Then the farmer turned and gazed curiously at his visitor, who blushed and turned away in confusion.

"We have been so busy harvesting," the farmer went on, "that we knew nothing certain of the stories that came to us. Gaffer Mead of the Mill knew the siege was threatened, for his daughter and her husband left their cottage by the castle to come dwell with him. But we farm-folk are not fond of battlefields, and are glad to remain quiet so long as the soldiery will but leave us to