"Therefore, in order that our little bird might try her wings, regain
her seat and mastery of a horse, and rid herself of a first painful
stiffness, I persuaded the Reverend Mother to grant the nuns a Play
Day, in honour of my visit, promising to send them my white palfrey,
suitably caparisoned, in safe charge of a good lay-brother, so that all
nuns who pleased, might ride in the river meadow. You would not think
it," said the Bishop, with a smile, "but the White Ladies dearly love
such sport, when it is lawful. They have an aged ass which they
gleefully mount in turns, on Play Days, in the courtyard and in the
meadow. Therefore riding is not altogether strange to them, although
my palfrey, Iconoklastes, is somewhat of an advance upon their mild
ass, Sheba."
The Knight's sad face had brightened at mention of the beasts.
"Wherefore 'Iconoklastes'?" he asked, with interest. It struck him as
a curious name for a palfrey.
"Because," replied the Bishop, "soon after I had bought him he trampled
to ruin, in a fit of misplaced merriment, some flower beds on which I
had spent much precious time and care, and of which I was inordinately
fond."
"Brute," said the Knight, puzzled, but unwilling to admit it.
"Methinks I should have named him 'Devil,' for the doing of such
diabolic mischief."
"Nay," said the Bishop, gently. "The Devil would have spared my flower
beds. They were a snare unto me."
"And wherefore 'Sheba'?" queried the Knight.
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