For a little time there was a pause of deep silence, during whichthe fluttering leaves came drifting down from the broken arborabove.
It was the Lady Anne who first spoke. "Who art thou, and whencecomest thou?" said she, tremulously.
Then Myles gathered himself up sheepishly. "My name is MylesFalworth," said he, "and I am one of the squires of the body.""Oh! aye!" said the Lady Alice, suddenly. "Me thought I knew thyface. Art thou not the young man that I have seen in LordGeorge's train?""Yes, lady," said Myles, wrapping and twining a piece of thebroken vine in and out among his fingers. "Lord George hath oftenhad me of late about his person.""And what dost thou do here, sirrah?" said Lady Anne, angrily.
"How darest thou come so into our garden?""I meant not to come as I did," said Myles, clumsily, and with aface hot and red. "But I slipped over the top of the wall andfell hastily into the garden. Truly, lady, I meant ye no harm orfright thereby."He looked so drolly abashed as he stood before them, with hisclothes torn and soiled from the fall, his face red, and his eyesdowncast, all the while industriously twisting the piece ofclematis in and around his fingers, that Lady Anne'shalf-frightened anger could not last. She and her cousinexchanged glances, and smiled at one another.
"But," said she at last, trying to draw her pretty brows togetherinto a frown, "tell me; why didst thou seek to climb the wall?""I came to seek a ball," said Myles, "which I struck over hitherfrom the court beyond.""And wouldst thou come into our privy garden for no better reasonthan to find a ball?" said the young lady.
"Nay," said Myles; "it was not so much to find the ball, but, ingood sooth, I did truly strike it harder than need be, and so,gin I lost the ball, I could do no less than come and find itagain, else our sport is done for the day. So it was I camehither."The two young ladies had by now recovered from their fright. TheLady Anne slyly nudged her cousin with her elbow, and the youngercould not suppress a half-nervous laugh. Myles heard it, and felthis face grow hotter and redder than ever.
"Nay," said Lady Anne, "I do believe Master Giles--""My name be'st Myles," corrected Myles.
"Very well, then, Master Myles, I say I do believe that thoumeanest no harm in coming hither; ne'theless it was ill of theeso to do. An my father should find thee here, he would have theeshrewdly punished for such trespassing. Dost thou not know thatno one is permitted to enter this place--no, not even my uncleGeorge? One fellow who came hither to steal apples once had hisears shaven close to his head, and not more than a year ago oneof the cook's men who climbed the wall early one morning was shotby the watchman.""Aye," said Myles, "I knew of him who was shot, and it did gosomewhat against my stomach to venture, knowing what had happedto him. Ne'theless, an I gat not the ball, how were we to playmore to-day at the trap?""Marry, thou art a bold fellow, I do believe me," said the younglady, "and sin thou hast come in the face of such peril to getthy ball, thou shalt not go away empty. Whither didst thou strikeit?""Over yonder by the cherry-tree," said Myles, jerking his head inthat direction. "An I may go get it, I will trouble ye no more."As he spoke he made a motion to leave them.
"Stay!" said the Lady Anne, hastily; "remain where thou art. Anthou cross the open, some one may haply see thee from the house,and will give the alarm, and thou wilt be lost. I will go get thyball."And so she left Myles and her cousin, crossing the little plotsof grass and skirting the rosebushes to the cherry-tree.
When Myles found himself alone with Lady Alice, he knew not whereto look or what to do, but twisted the piece of clematis which hestill held in and out more industriously than ever.
Lady Alice watched him with dancing eyes for a little while.
"Haply thou wilt spoil that poor vine," said she by-and-by,breaking the silence and laughing, then turning suddenly seriousagain. "Didst thou hurt thyself by thy fall?""Nay," said Myles, looking up, "such a fall as that was no greatmatter. Many and many a time I have had worse.""Hast thou so?" said the Lady Alice. "Thou didst fright meparlously, and my coz likewise."Myles hesitated for a moment, and then blurted out, "Thereat Igrieve, for thee I would not fright for all the world."The young lady laughed and blushed. "All the world is a greatmatter," said she.
"Yea," said he, "it is a great matter; but it is a greater matterto fright thee, and so I would not do it for that, and more."The young lady laughed again, but she did not say anythingfurther, and a space of silence fell so long that by-and-by sheforced herself to say, "My cousin findeth not the ballpresently.""Nay," said Myles, briefly, and then again neither spoke, untilby-and-by the Lady Anne came, bringing the ball. Myles felt agreat sense of relief at that coming, and yet was somehow sorry.
Then he took the ball, and knew enough to bow his acknowledgmentin a manner neither ill nor awkward.
"Didst thou hurt thyself?" asked Lady Anne.
