loaf of bread, a nipperkin of milk, and a rind of cheese. "Eat," said I,
"and think it's rabbit-stew." I made her take all the milk, but shared the
bread and cheese. Troy went on falling steadily meanwhile, and when we had
finished our scanty nuncheon I once more led the way, and we passed out
into the little yard behind the schoolhouse, and gained the playground,
the outer boundary of which was the town wall, here some twelve feet high
and in a fair state of preservation. Many generations of schoolboys had
cut and worn a series of big notches on each side of the wall, and by long
practice I could run up and down in a trice to fetch ball or tipcat which
had been knocked over.

From the bridge at the Hanyards onwards, Mistress Waynflete had always
acted promptly and exactly to my wish. I felt a boor, and was in truth a
boor, in comparison with her. Brocton's 'yokel blood' gibe had put murder
into my blows, but it had truth enough in it to make it rankle like a
poisoned arrow. Yet here was this wonder-woman, trustful as a child and
meeker than a milkmaid. My work was new, but at any rate I had sometimes
dreamed that I could do a man's work when I got my chance, and I had limbs
of leather and steel to do it with. My thoughts, however, were newer
still, and had no background of daydreams to stand against. Moreover,
things had gone with such a rush that I had had no time to shake and sift
them into order. At the foot of that wall all I knew, and that but dimly,
was that there were thoughts that made a man's work the one thing worth
living for.

"Get your breath, madam," said I. "You want it all now, and there's no
need to hurry."

She leaned easily against the wall, and peered round to make out her
surroundings. The only result could be to give her the impression that she