Mistress Margery | Page 8

signification of which became apparent when the
ladies presented themselves in the banqueting-hall. Sir Geoffrey was
already there, conversing with his guests. Margery expected to find
Lord Marnell similar to his cousin, Sir Ralph Marston, whom she
already knew, and who was a pleasant, gentlemanly man of about forty
years of age, always joking with everybody, and full of fun. But she did
not expect what she now saw.
The great man from London, who sat in a large oak-chair in the hall,
was a great man in all corporeal senses. He was very tall, and stout in
proportion; an older man than his cousin Sir Ralph, perhaps ten or
fifteen years older; and there was something in his face which made
Margery drop her eyes in an instant. It was a very curious face. The
upper part--the eyes and forehead--was finely-formed, and showed at
least an average amount of intellect; but from the nose downward the
form and expression of the features were suggestive only of the
animal,--a brutal, sensual, repelling look. Margery, who had looked for
the great man from London with girlish curiosity, suddenly felt an
unconquerable and causeless dislike to him swell up in her heart, a
something which she could neither define nor account for, that made
her wish to avoid sitting near him, and turn her eyes away whenever his
were directed towards her.
Sir Geoffrey presented his wife and daughter to Lord Marnell, and Sir
Ralph came forward with a cordial greeting; after which they took their
seats at table, for Richard Pynson was already bringing in the "farsure
of hare," and Mistress Katherine following with the pottage. The
occupants of the high table, on the dais, consisted of Sir Geoffrey and

Dame Lovell, Lord Marnell, Sir Ralph Marston, Margery, Richard
Pynson, Mistress Katherine, and Friar Andrew Rous, Sir Geoffrey's
chaplain. The maids sat at the second table, and the farm-servants at a
third, lower down the hall. Sir Ralph, as usual, was full of fun, and
spared nobody, keeping the whole table in a roar of laughter, excepting
Lord Marnell, who neither laughed at his cousin's jokes, nor offered
any observations of his own, being wholly occupied with the discussion
of the various dishes as they were presented to him, and consuming,
according to the joint testimony of Dame Lovell and Friar Andrew after
the feast, "enough to last seven men for a week." When dinner was over,
and "the tables lifted," the company gathered round the fire, and
proceeded to make themselves comfortable. Sir Ralph sang songs, and
told funny anecdotes, and cracked jokes with the young people; while
Lord Marnell, in conversation with Sir Geoffrey, showed that the
promise of neither half of his face was entirely unfulfilled, by proving
himself a shrewd observer, and not a bad talker. In the midst of this
conversation, Sir Ralph, turning round to Sir Geoffrey, inquired if he
had heard anything of a certain sermon that had been preached the day
before at Bostock Church.
"I heard of it," answered he, "but I heard it not. Some of mine,
methinks, heard the same. Madge, wentest not thou thereto?"
"Ay, good father, I went with Master Pynson."
"Ah!" said Sir Ralph. "I went not, for the which I now grieve, the more
as my good cousin telleth me that Master Sastre is accounted a great
one by some--but these seem not of the best."
"Misconceive me not, fair cousin," said Lord Marnell. "It is only the
Lollards that think well of the man, and thou wottest that Holy Church
looketh not kindly on their evil doings. That ill priest, John Wycliffe,
who is accounted their leader, hath done more hurt to the faith than any
heretic these many years."
"Thou art but ill affected unto them, I trow," said Sir Ralph, jokingly.
"Ill affected!" exclaimed Lord Marnell, bringing down his hand

violently upon the arm of his chair, with a blow which made Margery
start. "I cry you mercy, fair mistress--but if I knew of any among my
kin or meynie [Household retinue] that leaned that way--ay, were it
mine own sister, the Prioress of Kennington--I tell thee, Ralph, I would
have her up before the King's Grace's council, and well whipped!"
Margery shuddered slightly. Sir Ralph leaned back in his chair, and
laughed heartily.
"Well said, fair cousin mine! But I pray thee, tell me what doctrines
hold these men, that thou wouldst have them all up afore the King's
Grace's council, and well whipped?"
"All manner of evil!" answered Lord Marnell, wrathfully. "They hold,
as I hear, that the blessed Sacrament of the Altar is in no wise the true
body of Christ, but only a piece of bread blessed by the priest, and to be
eaten in memory of His death; for the