Eleanor had spent the greater part of the afternoon helping her mother get out the sets of tapestries reserved for holiday occasions, among them some which had been kept for this very hall.  Not all were the work of the lady herself.  Some were woven and embroidered by her maids under her direction, others were gifts from friends, and the superb piece which hung above the dais and represented the marriage of Ulysses and Penelope had been woven in Saumur and was the gift of the King.  The chairs of state with their ebony or ivory footstools were placed, the candles in the sconces, the rushes and sweet herbs had been strewn upon the floor.  Even the holiday meats and pastries were cooked or made ready for cooking.  Until after Twelfth Night the only work done would be the necessary duties of each day.

There was shouting and laughter in the courtyard.  In came most of the boys and young men of the place, bearing the great Yule log into the hall.  Collet the maid, who had just come in with her mistress, bearing the Yule candle, was sent to get the charred remnant of last year’s log.  Both log and candle would burn through the twelve holidays without being quite consumed, and the bit that was left would be saved to light next year’s fires.  These familiar homely ceremonies were not for the stately untouched newness of the banquet-room.

Supper was but just over, and the roasted crab-apples were spluttering in the bowls of brown ale, when the mummers came, capering in their very best fashion and habited in antic robes whose pattern—­if not the costume itself—­had come down from past generations.  These actors were village clowns who had seen such pageants in their boyhood, and they played their rude drama as they had seen it then, with perhaps a new song or two and a few speeches to tickle the ears of the new audience.  All the household and many of the villagers crowded in after them to look and laugh and make remarks more or less humorous about the performance.  The lord of the castle and his family disposed themselves to give their countenance to the merrymaking, and Sir Walter ordered the steward to see that the players had a good supper.  He himself would distribute some money among them when the time came.  Then they would go on to give the play wherever else they could hope for an audience.

The drama was supposed to be founded on the life of Saint George, but no one could say with truth that it was very much like the legend.  First came a herald tooting on a cow-horn, to proclaim the entrance of the champion, who was Clement the carpenter mounted on a hobby-horse and armed with wooden sword and painted buckler.  There was much giggling and whispering among the maids, directed at the demure black-eyed Madelon, of the still-room.  This may have been a reason why Saint George stumbled so desperately over his rather long speech.  His challenge was at last finished, and then was heard a discordant clashing of tambourines and horse-bells, supposed to indicate Saracen music.  In cantered a turbaned Turk on another hobby,—­ black this time—­and in another long speech very smoothly delivered defied the saint to mortal combat.  There was more tittering, for Tom the blacksmith was also an admirer of that minx Madelon.  The fight was a very lively one, and Saint George had some trouble in holding his own.