WHAT MYLES remembered of Falworth loomed great and grand and big,as things do in the memory of childhood, but even memory couldnot make Falworth the equal of Devlen Castle, when, as he andDiccon Bowman rode out of Devlentown across the great, rude stonebridge that spanned the river, he first saw, rising above thecrowns of the trees, those huge hoary walls, and the steep roofsand chimneys clustered thickly together, like the roofs andchimneys of a town.
The castle was built upon a plateau-like rise of ground, whichwas enclosed by the outer wall. It was surrounded on three sidesby a loop-like bend of the river, and on the fourth was protectedby a deep, broad, artificial moat, almost as wide as the streamfrom which it was fed. The road from the town wound for a littledistance along by the edge of this moat. As Myles and the oldbowman galloped by, with the answering echo of their horses'
hoof-beats rattling back from the smooth stone face of the walls,the lad looked up, wondering at the height and strength of thegreat ancient fortress. In his air-castle building Myles hadpictured the Earl receiving him as the son of his one-timecomrade in arms--receiving him, perhaps, with somewhat of therustic warmth that he knew at Crosbey-Dale; but now, as he staredat those massive walls from below, and realized his owninsignificance and the greatness of this great Earl, he felt thefirst keen, helpless ache of homesickness shoot through hisbreast, and his heart yearned for Crosbey-Holt again.
Then they thundered across the bridge that spanned the moat, andthrough the dark shadows of the great gaping gate-way, andDiccon, bidding him stay for a moment, rode forward to bespeakthe gate-keeper.
The gate-keeper gave the two in charge of one of the men-at-armswho were lounging upon a bench in the archway, who in turn gavethem into the care of one of the house-servants in the outercourt-yard. So, having been passed from one to another, andhaving answered many questions, Myles in due time found himselfin the outer waiting-room sitting beside Diccon Bowman upon awooden bench that stood along the wall under the great arch of aglazed window.
For a while the poor country lad sat stupidly bewildered. He wasaware of people coming and going; he was aware of talk andlaughter sounding around him; but he thought of nothing but hisaching homesickness and the oppression of his utter littleness inthe busy life of this great castle.
Meantime old Diccon Bowman was staring about him with hugeinterest, every now and then nudging his young master, callinghis attention now to this and now to that, until at last the ladbegan to awaken somewhat from his despondency to the thingsaround. Besides those servants and others who came and went, anda knot of six or eight men-at-arms with bills and pole-axes, whostood at the farther door-way talking together in low tones, nowand then broken by a stifled laugh, was a group of four youngsquires, who lounged upon a bench beside a door-way hidden by anarras, and upon them Myles's eyes lit with a sudden interest.
Three of the four were about his own age, one was a year or twoolder, and all four were dressed in the black-and-yellow uniformof the house of Beaumont.
Myles plucked the bowman by the sleeve. "Be they squires,Diccon?" said he, nodding towards the door.
