"I think you may have noticed, Master Whitaker, that a certain Mistress Deborah hath manifested a certain favour for a certain person in a certain household." "For thyself, to wit," answered Whitaker; "Lance Outram, thou art the vainest coxcomb----" "Coxcomb ?" said Lance; "why, 'twas but last night the whole family saw her, as one would say, fling herself at my head." "I would she had been a brickbat then, to have broken it, for thy impertinence and conceit," said the steward.
"Well, but do but hearken.

The next morning--that is, this very blessed morning--I thought of going to lodge a buck in the park, judging a bit of venison might be wanted in the larder, after yesterday's wassail; and, as I passed under the nursery window, I did but just look up to see what madam governante was about; and so I saw her, through the casement, whip on her hood and scarf as soon as she had a glimpse of me.
Immediately after I saw the still-room door open, and made sure she was coming through the garden, and so over the breach and down to the park; and so, thought I, 'Aha, Mistress Deb, if you are so ready to dance after my pipe and tabor, I will give you a couranto before you shall come up with me.' And so I went down Ivy-tod Dingle, where the copse is tangled, and the ground swampy, and round by Haxley-bottom, thinking all the while she was following, and laughing in my sleeve at the round I was giving her." "You deserved to be ducked for it," said Whitaker, "for a weather-headed puppy; but what is all this Jack-a-lantern story to Bridgenorth ?" "Why, it was all along of he, man," continued Lance, "that is, of Bridgenorth, that she did not follow me--Gad, I first walked slow, and then stopped, and then turned back a little, and then began to wonder what she had made of herself, and to think I had borne myself something like a jackass in the matter." "That I deny," said Whitaker, "never jackass but would have borne him better--but go on." "Why, turning my face towards the Castle, I went back as if I had my nose bleeding, when just by the Copely thorn, which stands, you know, a flight-short from the postern-gate, I saw Madam Deb in close conference with the enemy." "What enemy ?" said the steward.
"What enemy! why, who but Bridgenorth?
They kept out of sight, and among the copse; but, thought I, it is hard if I cannot stalk you, that have stalked so many bucks.

If so, I had better give my shafts to be pudding pins.

So I cast round the thicket, to watch their waters; and may I never bend crossbow again, if I did not see him give her gold, and squeeze her by the hand!" "And was that all you saw pass between them ?" said the steward.
"Faith, and it was enough to dismount me from my hobby," said Lance.
"What! when I thought I had the prettiest girl in the Castle dancing after my whistle, to find that she gave me the bag to hold, and was smuggling in a corner with a rich old Puritan!" "Credit me, Lance, it is not as thou thinkest," said Whitaker.
"Bridgenorth cares not for these amorous toys, and thou thinkest of nothing else.

But it is fitting our Knight should know that he has met with Deborah in secret, and given her gold; for never Puritan gave gold yet, but it was earnest for some devil's work done, or to be done." "Nay, but," said Lance, "I would not be such a dog-bolt as to go and betray the girl to our master.