Three fat bucks had been brought in from the forest yester-eve, when the knight and his sons had returned from hunting.

The venison had to be prepared, and a part of it dried and salted down for winter use; whilst of course a great batch of pies and pasties must be put in hand, so that the most should be made of the meat whilst it was still fresh.
When that matter had been settled, there were the live creatures to visit--the calves in their stalls, the rows of milch kine, and the great piggery, where porkers of every kind and colour were tumbling about in great excitement awaiting their morning meal.

The mistress of the house generally saw the pigs fed each day, to insure their having food proper to them, and not the offal and foul remnants that idle servants loved to give and they to eat were not some supervision exercised.

The care of dogs and horses the lady left to her husband and sons, but the cows, the pigs, and the poultry she always looked after herself.
Her daily task accomplished, she returned to the still room, prepared for a long morning over her conserves.

It was but half-past nine now; for the breakfast hour in baronial houses was seven all the year round, and today had been half-an-hour earlier on account of the press of work incident to the harvesting of the cherry crop.