True Heroism by Charlotte Maria Tucker

AFTER a drive of less than two miles, the boys arrived at Anderdon Hull, and received a kindly welcome from Sir Hugh. They looked with some awe and reverence on his tall, commanding figure; there was something in his quick, decisive manner which impressed the minds of his young guests, who, though they had often seen him before, had not hitherto had an opportunity of conversing with him. His fine hall was hung with banners, and adorned with old weapons and armour; and when Sir Hugh pointed out arquebus and halberd, and talked of his ancestors, and the battles in which they had fought, Willy silently decided in his own mind that, Cœur de Lion must have looked like Sir Hugh.

A good deal of fear was, however, mixed with his admiration; he had too frequent occasion to remark at dinner how his host's good-humoured expression could in a moment change; the knight was domineering with the servants, impatient and irritable, while the least opposition made his dark eye flash, and the colour mount up even to his forehead. Tom was more attracted by Ned Moncton, the son of Sir Hugh, a slight, elegant youth, with less fire than his father, but a dry, sarcastic manner about him, which made the smile of the one almost as much to be feared as the frown of the other.