What hast thou done to disoblige her and occasion thy
dismissal?"

"Nothing to speak of," said Adam Woodcock,



THE ABBOT 235

answering for the boy — "a foolish quarrel with me,
which was more foolishly told over again to my
honoured lady, cost the poor hoy his place. For my
part, I will say freely, that I was wrong from beginning
to end, except about the washing of the eyases meat.
There I stand to it that I was right."

With that, the good-natured falconer repeated to his
master the whole history of the squabble which had
brought Eoland Grasme into disgrace with his mistress,
but in a manner so favourable for the page, that Sir
Halbert could not but suspect his generous motive.
