Grisly Grisell

aith? O wher

e, Henry V

ain, for as she rode into the Castle of York she heard the Earl's hearty voi

r stained to all sorts of colours, in which rust predominated, and a face all brown and red except for the grizzled eyebr

y. "I have been taking my lad to be bred up in the Duke of York'

aughter for a son," and he was leading the way towards Grisell, who had just dismounted from her pony, and stood by it, tremb

y of Salisbury had bestowed he

a strange Abbess into Wilton, and what must she do but send down her Proctor to treat the poor nunnery as it were a sponge, and spite of all my Lady

o serve him," observed Sir William, and Warwick laughed as befitt

save to put her in such keeping as she could, and send

as nails, will not hear of a maid without a dower, and yonder mansworn fellow Copeland casts her off like an old glove! Let us look at you, wench! Ha! Face is unsightly enough, but thou wilt not be a badly-made woman. Take heart, what's thy name-Grisell? May be there's luck for thee still, though it be h

im on his homeward way the next morning at six o'clock. Her brother Robert had been sent in charge of some of the Duke of York's retainers, to join his household as a page, though they had missed him on the route, and the Lord of Whitburn was anxious to get home aga

e Gresford had been kind to her, it had been merely the attending to the needs of a char

our Grisly Grisell," and a smothered laugh, and in fact "Grisly Grisell" continued to be her name among the free-spoken people of the north. The Earl broke off, bowed to her, and saw that she was provided, breaking into his conversation with the Baron, evidently much to the impatience of the latter; and again the polite noble came down to the door with her, and placed her on her palfrey, bidding her a kind farewell

er seemed to recollect that she needed any more care than his rough followers, and once or twice he and all his people rode off headlong over the fell at sight of a stag roused by one of their great deer-hounds. Then Cuthbert Ridley kept beside her, and when the ground became too rough for a New Forest pony and a hand unaccustomed to northern

e northern dialect could be understood by the wri

" responded Grisell

"Why, my lady would be among the foremost, in at the de

to gentle nuns, she shuddered a little

lord comes up with us," answered Ridley. "Or you

cken for her shelter, and presently even brought her a branch or two of whortle-berries. She fel

rom Herring Dick's house, how you used to run after the dogs like a kitten

am! Had he not a white

blaze sur

ll? I did not see him i

oat with my dagger-though it went to my heart, for his good old eyes looked at me like Christians, and my lord told me I was a fool for my pains, for the

very unlike the experien

rse than her bite, and what she will not bear with is the seeming cowed before her. S

r Bernard?" then ask

es, with sores breaking out on him; though there's a honeycomb-stone from Roker over his bed. My lord took out all the retainers to lay hold on Crooked Nan, but she got scent of it no doubt, for Jack of Burhill took his oath that he had seen a mu

capacities for mischief. She asked what nunneries were near, and was disappointed to find nothing w

eard in time enough for her to spring up and be mounted again before he ca

We must mount you better. Ho! Cuthb

erself on the fells," muttered the sq

y lassies here," growled her father. "Look you, Ridley, that hor

l church tower and some wretched hovels round it. The Lord of Whitburn halted, and blew his bugle with the peculiar note that signified his own return, then all rode down to the old peel, the outline

to Grisell, accustomed to the widespread courts of the great castles and abbeys of the south, the circuit of outbuildings seem

stood the tall, gaunt figure of the lady, grayer, thinner, more haggard than when Grisell had last s

goes it?" shouted the Baro

e cannot hold your stirrup," said the mother.

ing if the Beauforts put it about that the King has recovered as much wit as ever he had. So I e'en sent Rob on with him, and came back

and it was Cuthbert Ridley who helped her off her horse,

nun w

mind me! Here, wench! I have brought

Bernard screamed, "Ugsome wench, send her away!" threw his arms

ded much since I saw thee last. They that marred thee had

g up his head from his father's shoulder for another glimpse,

e else would. "She is your sister, and you must be a fond brother to her, for an ill-nurtured

"Take her away. I hate her.

e," commanded the mother, alarmed by h

rs, tried to comfort her in his rough way. "'Tis the petted bairn's way, you see, mistress-and my lady has

towards whom her heart was yearning. Even the two women-servants there were, no more looked at her askance, as they took her to a seat in the hall, and consulted where my lady wo

armour, and dried her

ir greeting to give t

p on a cloak; I have done so for many nights. Only let me be no burthen. Show me where I can go

on them! Go off, and make the chamber ready, or I'll find a scourge for you. And as to my lady

ere at Wilton or some nunnery, where my looks would be pardone

well, and likewise the hall and kitchen-which were the dwelling and sleeping places of the men of the household, excepting Cuthbert Ridley, who being of gentle blood, would sit above

omen-servants-Bell and Madge-were wives to the cook and the castle smith, so the place had been disused and made a receptacle for drying fish, fruit, and the like. T

er narrow window, it seemed to her dism