The lady was ready now to make her examination, and gently removed the rude wrappings the boys had made for themselves.  Edred’s face presented an ugly appearance as these were taken away.  He had a great gash across his brow, which passed dangerously near to the eye, and had laid open the cheek almost as far as the mouth, and knocked out one back tooth.  The knight looked concerned at the magnitude of the damage, and spoke rather sharply to Julian.

“Thou must have a care with these weapons of thine, or thou wilt do thy brother a fatal mischief one of these days.  See, boy, had that blow of thine swerved but the half of an inch, thy brother would have lost the sight of an eye forever—­nay, he might have lost his life; for an injury to the eye oft penetrates to the brain, and then the skill of the leech is of no avail.

“Good wife, is thy skill sufficient for these hurts? or shall we send to seek a surgeon’s aid?”

“Methinks I can do all that is needful.  They are ugly scratches and painful, but not over deep.  The lad will not be scarred, methinks, when the wound is well healed.  See, it looks better already after the bathing.

“Run, Julian, for the roll of lint and the strapping in yon cupboard.

“The boy will be a sorry spectacle for a few short days, but after that I trow he will feel none the worse.”

“It is but a scratch,” said Edred, speaking more freely now, though with a mumbling accent, as though his lips were swollen, which, indeed, one of them was.  “I scarce feel it, now it is bathed.  Do not look so grave anent the matter, my father.”

Sir Oliver, relieved to find matters no worse, went on his way; and Lady Chadgrove proceeded to bind up and plaster the bruised face with the skill and dexterity of which she was mistress.  She had no attention to spare for Julian, or she might have been surprised to note that he secreted for himself a certain amount of the dressing she had used, and looked on very intently whilst she applied the remainder to his brother’s face.

When her ministrations were accomplished, Edred was greatly disguised.  His face was almost entirely swathed in linen, and one eye was completely bandaged up.  Julian laughed aloud as he saw the object presented by his brother; and Edred would have joined in the laugh if he had had free play with his facial muscles.

The mother looked gently scandalized.

“Sure, it is no laughing matter, Julian.  I am not wont to make much of these boyish mischiefs.  Lads must learn to give and to take hard blows as they grow to manhood.  Yet I would that thou wert something more careful.  Thou mightest have killed thy brother, or have caused him life-long injury, today.”

Julian looked grave enough then; but Edred caressed his mother gently, saying: 

“Nay, chide him not.  He is the best of brothers.  It was as much my fault as his.”

And then the pair went away together, and did not pause until they had reached their own room, when they suddenly seized each other by the hand and commenced cutting extraordinary capers, indicative of a secret understanding and triumph.