Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/301

 the actual fighting of the night had not been hard upon any of the garrison except those captured in the tower and the bowmen, all slept heavily after the withdrawal of the besiegers. They were exhausted by anxiety and watching, for that day—beginning with the arrival of Luke's lying letter and ending with the taking of the two towers—was the most exciting they had passed. Even after all the rest were asleep, Lady Mortimer and a few of her tire-women were awake and at a service in their chapel, praying for the support of Heaven in the coming struggle. Because so much has been said of the men and their work, it must not be supposed that during the siege the women of the castle did not do their part. But in that day women did women's work, content to leave men the fighting and planning for which they were better fitted by nature. The women found enough to busy them in caring for the wounded and in feeding the hungry. They worked hard 273