KENILWORTH - Penn State University

Kenilworthsaid Wayland, unable longer to suppress his mortification anduneasiness. “Had the false loon, Giles Gosling, but told meplainly two days since that I was to reckon nought upon him,I had shifted better for myself. But your hosts have such a customof promising whatever is called for that it is not till thesteed is to be shod you find they are out of iron. Had I butknown, I could have made twenty shifts; nay, for that matter,and in so good a cause, I would have thought little to haveprigged a prancer from the next common—it had but beensending back the brute to the headborough. The farcy and thefounders confound every horse in the stables of the Black Bear!”The lady endeavoured to comfort her guide, observing thatthe dawn would enable him to make more speed.“True, madam,” he replied; “but then it will enable otherfolk to take note of us, and that may prove an ill beginning ofour journey. I had not cared a spark from anvil about thematter had we been further advanced on our way. But thisBerkshire has been notoriously haunted, ever since I knew thecountry, with that sort of malicious elves who sit up late andrise early for no other purpose than to pry into other folk’saffairs. I have been endangered by them ere now. But do notfear,” he added, “good madam; for wit, meeting with opportunity,will not miss to find a salve for every sore.”The alarms of her guide made more impression on theCountess’s mind than the comfort which he judged fit toadminister along with it. She looked anxiously around her.and as the shadows withdrew from the landscape, and theheightening glow of the eastern sky promised the speedy riseof the sun, expected at every turn that the increasing lightwould expose them to the view of the vengeful pursuers, orpresent some dangerous and insurmountable obstacle to theprosecution of their journey. Wayland Smith perceived heruneasiness, and, displeased with himself for having given hercause of alarm, strode on with affected alacrity, now talkingto the horse as one expert in the language of the stable, nowwhistling to himself low and interrupted snatches of tunes,and now assuring the lady there was no danger, while at thesame time he looked sharply around to see that there wasnothing in sight which might give the lie to his words whilethey were issuing from his mouth. Thus did they journey on,until an unexpected incident gave them the means of continuingtheir pilgrimage with more speed and convenience.284