nearly noon
Surely it must be nigh upon the hour for dinner . Our sport has whet the edge of appetite , and I would fain hear what the missive was which yon knave brought with him . Our father will doubtless tell us at the table . '' It was indeed nearly noon , and mistress and maids alike relinquished their tasks to prepare for the meal which was the chiefest of the day , though the supper was nothing to be despised . The long table in the great banqueting hall was a goodly sight to see when the dinner was spread , and the retainers of the better sort and some amongst the upper servants sat down with the master and his family to partake of the good cheer . At one end of the long board sat the knight and his lady side by side ; to their right were the three boys , the young monk , and Warbel the armourer , who now held a post of some importance in the house . Opposite to these were other gentlemen-at-arms and their sons , who were resident at Chad ; and at the lower end of the table , below the great silver salt cellars , sat the seneschal , the lowlier retainers , and certain trusted servants who held responsible positions at Chad .