Untitled

THE DWARF'S MOTHER. 169
restrain her jealous temper.
But Lancelot never looked
toward her or seemed to listen to her biting words, as
he stood bending over fthoda's chair, waiting for the
answer which she did not know how to make.
At this moment a slight disturbance was heard at
the door, and a woman pressing her way through the
guards came forward, followed timidly by a man dressed
as a common laborer,
and appearing much confused at
finding himself in such a place and company.
tt
I must see the king
! I must speak to our good
Lord Arthur ;
he will see me righted ;
he is father of all
his "
people cried the woman.
!
Arthur, turning toward her, said : " Let her approach.
What would you of the king, dame I "
" Justice, Lord Arthur. That dwarf is my child,
my poor little Hop-o'-my-thumb, and he was stolen away
from me only this morning by Grogoram the Giant, who
surprised him playing in our field beside the river; and
who took him and our two poor cows, with all our
neighbor's cattle, while we ran up and down, not knowing
where to look for child or kine. Edmund our
neighbor came creeping home well-nigh dead with fright
and weariness, and told us how a brave knight of the
king's court had taken the giant prisoner, and with him
our poor little manikin here ;
and how he would carry
them as gifts to the king and queen. Now, O Lord
Arthur, how can any man make gift
of a child whocc