By the time they had finished, snowflakes—­an early autumn storm—­ were drifting against the shutter, and a black cloud was lowering over the hills.  Hob foretold a heavy fall of snow, and called on Hal to help him and Piers fold the flock more securely, sleepy Watch and his old long-haired collie mother rising at the same call.  Lady Anne sprang up at the same time, insisting that she must go and help to feed the poor sheep, but she was withheld, much against her will, by Mother Dolly, though she persisted that snow was nothing to her, and it was a fine jest to be out of the reach of the Sisters, who mewed her up in a cell, like a messan dog.  However, she was much amused by watching, and thinking she assisted in, Mother Dolly’s preparations for ewe milk cheese-making; and by-and-by Hal came in, shaking the snow off the sheepskin he had worn over his leathern coat.  Hob had sent him in, as the weather was too bad for him, and he and Anne crouched on opposite sides of the wide hearth as he dried and warmed himself, and cosseted the cat which Anne had tried to caress, but which showed a decided preference for the older friend.

‘Our Baudrons at Greystone loves me better than that,’ said Anne.  ‘She will come to me sooner than even to Sister Scholastica!’

‘My Tib came with us when we came here.  Ay, Tib! purr thy best!’ as he held his fingers over her, and she rubbed her smooth head against him.

‘Can she leap?  Baudrons leaps like a horse in the tilt-yard.’

’Cannot she!  There, my lady pussy, show what thou canst do to please the demoiselle,’ and he held his arms forward with clasped hands, so that the grey cat might spring over them, and Lady Anne cried out with delight.

Again and again the performance was repeated, and pussy was induced to dance after a string dangled before her, to roll over and play in apparent ecstasy with a flake of wool, as if it were a mouse, and Watch joined in the game in full amity.  Mother Dolly, busy with her distaff, looked on, not displeased, except when she had to guard her spindle from the kitten’s pranks, but she was less happy when the children began to talk.

‘You have seen a tilt-yard?’

‘Yea, indeed,’ he answered dreamily.  ’The poor squire was hurt—­I did not like it!  It is gruesome.’

’Oh, no!  It is a noble sport!  I loved our tilt-yard at Bletso.  Two knights could gallop at one another in the lists, as if they were out hunting.  Oh! to hear the lances ring against the shields made one’s heart leap up!  Where was yours?’

Here Dolly interrupted hastily, ’Hal, lad, gang out to the shed and bring in some more sods of turf.  The fire is getting low.’

‘Here’s a store, mother—­I need not go out,’ said Hal, passing to a pile in the corner.  ‘It is too dark for thee to see it.’

‘But where was your castle?’ continued the girl.  ’I am sure you have lived in a castle.’