A Brother To Dragons and Other Old-time Tales

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[Illustration: Cover: A Brother to Dragons]

A BROTHER TO DRAGONS

AND

_OTHER OLD-TIME TALES_

BY AMELIE RIVES

NEW YORK HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE 1888

_All rights reserved._

=Dedicated=

WITH GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE

THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH

MY FIRST EDITOR

PREFACE.

OF the tales published in this volume, "A Brother to Dragons" appeared in the _Atlantic Monthly_ for March, 1886; "The Farrier Lass o' Piping Pebworth" in _Lippincott's Magazine_ for July, 1887; and "Nurse Crumpet tells the Story" in _Harper's Magazine_ for September, 1887.

AMELIE RIVES.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

A BROTHER TO DRAGONS 1

THE FARRIER LASS O' PIPING PEBWORTH 82

NURSE CRUMPET TELLS THE STORY 168

A BROTHER TO DRAGONS.

IN the year of grace, 1586, on the last day of the month of May, to all who may chance to read this narrative, these:

I will first be at the pains of stating that had it not been for Marian I had never indited these or any other papers, true or false. Secondly, that the facts herein set down be true facts; none the less true that they are strange. I will furthermore explain that Marian is the Christian name of my lawful wife, and that our surname is Butter.

My wife had nursed the Lady Margaret from the moment of her birth; and here I must make another digression. The Lady Margaret was the twin sister of the then Lord of Amhurste, Lord Robert, and my lady and his lordship had quarrelled--Marian saith, with a great cause, but I cannot herein forbear also expressing my opinion, which is to the effect that for that quarrel there was neither cause, justice, nor reason. Therefore, before those who may chance to read these words, I will lay bare the facts pertaining to the said quarrel.

It concerned the family ghost, which ghost was said to haunt a certain blue chamber in the east wing of the castle. Now I myself had never gainsaid these reports; for although I do not believe in ghosts, I have a certain respect for them, as they have never offered me any affront, either by appearing to me or otherwise maltreating me. But Marian, who like many of her sex seemed to consort naturally with banshees, bogies, apparitions, and the like, declared to me that at several different and equally inconvenient times this ghost had presented

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