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ebook download (Original PDF) Student Workbook for Carpentry, Third Canadian Edition all chapter
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Student Workbook
for use with
Prepared by
FLOYD VOGT
and KIM WOODMAN
Unit 24: Ceiling Finish
Chapter 75 Suspended Ceilings ........................................................... 281
Chapter 76 Ceiling Tile ......................................................................... 285
Unit 25: Interior Doors and Door Frames
Chapter 77 Description of Interior Doors............................................... 287
Chapter 78 Installation of Interior Doors and Door Frames .................. 291
Unit 26: Interior Trim
Chapter 79 Description and Application of Moulding ............................ 295
Chapter 80 Application of Door Casings, Base,
and Window Trim ............................................................... 299
Unit 27: Stair Finish
Chapter 81 Laying Out Open and Closed Staircases ........................... 303
Chapter 82 Finishing Open and Closed Staircases .............................. 307
Chapter 83 Installing Balustrades ......................................................... 311
Unit 28: Finish Floors
Chapter 84 Description of Wood Finish Floors ..................................... 315
Chapter 85 Laying Wood Finish Floor................................................... 317
Chapter 86 Underlayment and Resilient Tile. ....................................... 321
Unit 29: Cabinets and Countertops
Chapter 87 Description and Installation of
Manufactured Cabinets ...................................................... 325
Chapter 88 Countertop and Cabinet Construction ................................ 329
Section 4: Building for Success............................................................ 333
vi NEL
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Preface
This workbook is designed to accompany Carpentry, • Sketching Exercises provide an opportunity for
Third Canadian Edition, and is intended to provide you to practise identifying key print symbols.
you, the student, with a wide variety of activities to • Discussion Questions get you thinking! Potential
reinforce the important topics introduced in your scenarios are presented to encourage you to
textbook. Each chapter includes a set of corresponding practise your creativity and problem-solving
questions and exercises that will help you successfully skills.
accomplish the course content, including the following: • Four Building for Success Exercises accompany
• Multiple Choice Questions highlight key concepts each section of chapters and units and provide
and help you prepare for quizzes and exams. practical advice about developing key initiatives
• Completion Questions allow you to practise and traits for advancing in the construction
learning key terms and definitions for industry—the promotion of safety, effective
communicating on the jobsite. communication, solid teamwork, and quality
• Identification Exercises help you to appropriately workmanship.
identify components of wood products and After reading each chapter in Carpentry, it is advisable
carpentry procedures. to practise the questions and exercises included in the
• Math Problem-Solving Exercises provide word corresponding chapter. If need be, refer back to your
problems containing various situations where Carpentry text until you are confident that you have
math skills are critical to the accurate completion mastered the material. Remember, practice makes
of a job. perfect!
TOOLS AND
MATERIALS
Unit 1: Wood and Lumber
Chapter 1 Wood
Chapter 2 Lumber
Unit 2: Engineered Panels
Chapter 3 Structural (Rated) Panels
Chapter 4 Non-Structural Panels
Unit 3: Engineered Wood Products
Chapter 5 Laminated Veneer Lumber and Cross-Laminated Timbers
Chapter 6 Parallel Strand and Laminated Strand Lumber
Chapter 7 Engineered Joists: Open Joist TRIFORCE®
Chapter 8 Glue-Laminated Lumber and Wood I-Joists
Unit 4: Fasteners
Chapter 9 Nails, Screws, and Bolts
Chapter 10 Anchors and Adhesives
Unit 5: Hand Tools
Chapter 11 Layout Tools
Chapter 12 Boring and Cutting Tools
Chapter 13 Fastening and Dismantling Tools
Unit 6: Portable Power Tools
Chapter 14 Saws, Drills, and Drivers
Chapter 15 Planes, Routers, Sanders, and Plate Joiners
Chapter 16 Fastening Tools
Unit 7: Stationary Power Tools
Chapter 17 Circular Saw Blades
Chapter 18 Radial Arm and Mitre Saws
Chapter 19 Table Saws and Other Stationary Power Tools
Unit 8: Architectural Plans and Building Codes
Chapter 20 Understanding Architectural Plans
Chapter 21 Floor Plans
Chapter 22 Sections and Elevations
Chapter 23 Plot and Foundation Plans
Chapter 24 Building Codes and Zoning Regulations
Building for Success
NEL 1
Copyright 2017 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Copyright 2017 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Name ________________________________________________________ Date __________________________
1 Wood
Multiple Choice
Write the letter for the best answer on the line next to the number of the sentence.
______ 1. The carpenter must understand the nature and characteristics of wood to ___________.
A. protect it from decay
B. select it for the appropriate use
C. work it with the proper tools
D. all of the above
______ 2. Wood resists the flow of heat energy ______ times better than brick and ______ times better than
concrete of equal thickness.
A. 6, 10
B. 6, 14
C. 10, 12
D. 14, 6
______ 4. The natural substance that holds wood’s many hollow cells together is called
___________.
A. pith
B. cambium layer
C. lignin
D. sapwood
______ 6. The central part of the tree that is usually darker in colour is called the ___________.
A. sapwood
B. heartwood
C. springwood
D. medullary rays
______ 7. Wood growth that is rapid and takes place in the ___________ is usually light in colour
and rather porous.
A. spring
B. summer
C. fall
D. winter
NEL 3
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may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
______ 8. Periods of fast or slow growth can be determined by ___________ of the tree.
A. counting the annual rings
B. measuring the height
C. studying the width of the annual rings
D. measuring the circumference
Completion
Complete each sentence by inserting the best answer on the line near the number.
________________ 7. The ___________ of cedar, cypress, and redwood are extremely resistant to decay.
________________ 8. Open-grained lumber has large ___________ that show tiny openings
or pores in the surface.
________________ 10. The best way to learn the different types of wood is by ___________ with them.
4 NEL
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may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Identification: Cross-Section of Wood
Identify each term, and write the letter of the best answer on the line next to each number.
______ 1. pith
______ 2. sapwood
______ 5. heartwood
______ 7. bark
NEL 5
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may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Math Problem-Solving
Solve the following math problems.
___________ 1. A logger signs a contract with a homeowner to cut trees from her property. If 17 ash, 36 cherry,
21 fir, 45 hemlock, 75 maple, and 3 oak trees are cut, what is the total number of trees?
6 NEL
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may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Name ________________________________________________________ Date __________________________
2 Lumber
Multiple Choice
Write the letter for the best answer on the line next to the number of the sentence.
______ 1. The process of restacking lumber in a way that allows air to circulate uses
pieces known as ___________.
A. blocking
B. spacers
C. stickers
D. stackers
______ 2. The best appearing side of a piece of lumber is its ___________ side.
A. face
B. visage
C. veneer
D. select
______ 4. Cracked ceilings, sticking doors, squeaking floors, and many other problems can
occur from using ___________ lumber.
A. recycled
B. green
C. seasoned
D. quarter-sawed
______ 6. Wood has reached its___________ when all of the free water is gone.
A. equilibrium moisture content
B. stabilization point
C. fibre-saturation point
D. dehydration point
______ 7. Lumber that is under 2 (51 mm) thick has the classification of ___________.
A. timbers
B. boards
C. dimensional
D. joists
NEL 7
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may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
______ 8. Dimension lumber is in the following category: ___________
A. under 2 (51 mm) thick
B. 2–4 (51 mm–102 mm) thick
C. 5 (127 mm) and thicker
D. open-grained only
______ 9. The best grade of hardwood as established by the National Hardwood Association is
___________.
A. select
B. first and seconds
C. No. 1 commons
D. choice
______ 10. Parallel cracks between the annual rings in wood that are sometimes caused by
storm damage are known as ___________.
A. shakes
B. crooks
C. checks
D. cups
Completion
Complete each sentence by inserting the best answer on the line near the number.
________________ 3. The ___________ uses a great amount of skill in determining the most
efficient and conservative way to cut a log.
________________ 4. When lumber is first cut from the log it is called ___________ lumber.
________________ 5. The heavy weight of green lumber is due to its high ___________ content.
________________ 6. The low form of plant life that causes wood to decay is known as ___________.
________________ 7. Wood with a moisture content of below ___________ percent will not decay.
________________ 8. Lumber used for framing should not have a moisture content over
___________ percent.
________________ 9. Lumber used for interior finish should not have a moisture content over
___________ percent.
________________ 10. ___________ moisture content occurs when the moisture content of the
lumber is the same as the surrounding air.
________________ 11. S4S means the lumber was surfaced on ___________ sides.
________________ 12. Crooks, bows, twists, and cups are classified as ___________.
8 NEL
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Identification: Cut Lumber
Identify each term, and write the letter of the best answer on the line next to each number.
______ 1. crook
______ 2. quarter-sawed
______ 3. twist
______ 4. cup
______ 5. check
______ 6. bow
______ 7. plain-sawed
Math Problem-Solving
Solve the following math problems.
___________ 1. If one 2 × 6 × 10 (38 mm × 140 mm × 3.05 m) board weighs 35 pounds (15.9 kg), how
many pounds will 50 boards weigh?
___________ 2. One person can stack and sticker 222 boards in one hour. How long will it take
to stack and sticker 3330 boards?
___________ 3. How many board feet of wood are there in 4 boards that are 1 × 6 × 12 (19 mm ×
140 mm × 3.66 m) long?
___________ 4. How many board feet of wood are there in 750 boards that are 2 × 10 × 16 (38 mm ×
235 mm × 4.88 m)?
___________ 5. How many 1 × 12 × 10 (19 mm × 286 mm × 3.05 m) boards are there in 1000 board feet?
NEL 9
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Discussion
Write your answer(s) on the lines below.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Describe some of the factors one must keep in mind when properly storing lumber on the jobsite.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
10 NEL
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may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Name ________________________________________________________ Date __________________________
______ 4. The American Plywood Association is concerned with quality supervision and testing of
___________.
A. waferboards
B. composites
C. oriented strand board
D. all of the above
______ 6. Douglas fir and southern pine are classified in the ____________ strength grade.
A. plugged C
B. group 1
C. 303
D. 32/16
NEL 11
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may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
______ 8. The left-hand number in a span rating denotes the maximum recommended support spacing
when the panel is used for ____________.
A. roof sheathing
B. subflooring
C. siding
D. underlayment
Completion
Complete each sentence by inserting the best answer on the line near the number.
________________ 1. The ____________ is the largest trade association that tests the quality of plywood
and other engineered panels.
________________ 2. The sheets of veneer that are bonded together to form plywood are also known as
____________.
________________ 3. Specially selected logs mounted on a huge lathe are known as ____________ logs.
________________ 4. The highest appearance quality of a panel veneer is designated by the letter _____.
________________ 5. Panels with a ______ grade or better are always sanded smooth.
________________ 6. V-groove, channel groove, striated, brushed, and rough-sawed are all special
surfaces used in the manufacture of ____________.
________________ 7. Most panels manufactured with oriented strands or wafers are known as ____________.
Matching
Write the letter for the best answer on the line near the number to which it corresponds.
______ 3. exposure 1 C. cross-laminated, layered plies glued and bonded under pressure
______ 5. exterior E. term used to describe the layers or plies of engineered panel
______ 8. grade stamp H. assures the product has met quality and performance
requirements
12 NEL
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Identification: Label Information
Identify each term, and write the letter of the best answer on the line next to each number.
______ 1. thickness
NEL 13
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may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Math Problem-Solving
Solve the following math problems.
___________ 1. Each sheet of plywood measures 4′ × 8′ (122 cm × 244 cm). How many square feet (and
square metres) will 24 sheets cover?
___________ 2. What is the average thickness of a ply in a piece of 1⁄2′′ (12.5 cm) plywood if it is
constructed with 4 plies?
___________ 3. One board weighs 2 pounds per foot (2.98 kg per metre) and a 3⁄4-ton truck is able to carry
1500 pounds (680.4 kg). How many boards 12′ (3.66 m) long can the truck carry?
___________ 5. What is the percent moisture content if 3 ounces (85 g) of water is removed from a wood
block with a dry weight of 14 ounces (397 g)?
14 NEL
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may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Name ________________________________________________________ Date __________________________
4 Non-Structural Panels
Multiple Choice
Write the letter for the best answer on the line next to the number of the sentence.
______ 7. To protect exterior softboard wall sheathing from moisture during construction, it is
impregnated with ___________.
A. lignin
B. asphalt
C. oil
D. creosote
NEL 15
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was determined to be upsides with them, for the way she had jilted
me.
In the meanwhile my mother, that never, when she had a turn in
hand, alloo’t the grass to grow in her path, invited Miss Betty Græme
to stay a week with us; the which, as her father’s family were in a
straitened circumstance, she was glad to accept; and being come, and
her mother with her, I could discern a confabbing atween the twa
auld leddies—Mrs Græme shaking the head of scrupulosity, and my
mother laying down the law and the gospel;—all denoting a matter-
o’-money plot for me and Miss Betty.
At last it came to pass, on the morning of the third day, that Miss
Betty did not rise to take her breakfast with us, but was indisposed;
and when she came to her dinner, her een were bleared and
begrutten. After dinner, however, my mother that day put down,
what wasna common with her housewifery, a bottle o’ port in a
decanter, instead o’ the gardevin for toddy, and made Miss Betty
drink a glass to mak her better, and me to drink three, saying, “Faint
heart never won fair leddy.” Upon the whilk hint I took another
myself, and drank a toast for better acquaintance with Miss Betty.
Then the twa matrons raise to leave the room, and Miss Betty was
rising too; but her mother laid her hand upon her shouther, and said
—
“It’s our lot, my dear, and we maun bear with it.”
Thus it came to pass that I and Miss Betty were left by ourselves in
a very comical situation.
There was silence for a space of time between us; at last she drew a
deep sigh, and I responded, to the best o’ my ability, with another.
Then she took out her pocket-napkin, and began to wipe her eyes.
This is something like serious courting, thocht I to myself, for sighs
and tears are the food of love; but I wasna yet just ready to greet;
hoosever, I likewise took up my pocket-napkin, and made a sign of
sympathy by blowing my nose, and then I said—
“Miss Betty Græme, how would ye like to be Leddy of Auldbiggins,
under my mother?”
“Oh, heavens!” cried she, in a voice that gart me a’ dinnle; and she
burst into a passion of tears—the whilk to see so affectit me that I
couldna help greeting too; the sight whereof made her rise and walk
the room like a dementit bedlamite.
I was terrified, for her agitation wasna like the raptures I expectit;
but I rose from my seat, and going round to the other side of the
table where she was pacing the floor, I followed her, and pulling her
by the skirt, said, in a gallant way, to raise her spirits—
“Miss Betty Græme, will ye sit doon on my knee?”
I’ll ne’er forget the look she gied for answer; but it raised my
courage, and I said, “E’en’s ye like, Meg Dorts”—and with a flourish
o’ my heel, I left her to tune her pipes alane. This did the business, as
I thocht; for though I saw her no more that night, yet the next
morning she came to breakfast a subdued woman, and my mother,
before the week was out, began to make preparations for the
wedding.
But, lo and behold! one afternoon, as Miss Betty and me were
taking a walk, at her own request, on the high road, by came a whisky
with a young man in it, that had been a penny-clerk to her father,
and before you could say, hey cockolorum! she was up in the gig, and
doon at his side, and aff and away like the dust in a whirlwind.
I was very angry to be sae jiltit a second time, but it wasna with an
anger like the anger I suffered for what I met with at the hands of
Annie Daisie. It was a real passion. I ran hame like a clap o’ thunder,
and raged and rampaged till Mrs Græme was out of the house, bag
and baggage. My mother thought I was gane wud, and stood and
lookit at me, and didna daur to say nay to my commands. Whereas,
the thocht o’ the usage I had gotten frae Annie Daisie bred a heart-
sickness of humiliation, and I surely think that if she had not carried
her scorn o’ me sae far as to prefer a bare farmer lad like John
Lounlans, I had hae sank into a decline, and sought the grave with a
broken heart. But her marrying him roused my corruption, and was
as souring to the milk of my nature. I could hae forgiven her the
watering; and had she gotten a gentleman of family, I would not have
been overly miscontented; but to think, after the offer she had from a
man of my degree, that she should take up with a tiller of the ground,
a hewer of wood and a drawer of water, was gall and wormwood.
Truly, it was nothing less than a kithing of the evil spirit of the
democraws that sae withered the green bay-trees of the world, when
I was made a captain in the volunteers, by order of the Lord
Lieutenant, ’cause, as his lordship said, of my stake in the country.
—“The Last of the Lairds.”
THOMAS THE RHYMER:
AN ANCIENT FAIRY LEGEND.
Chapter I.
In one of those frequent incursions which the Scottish Borderers
used to make into the sister territory, it was the misfortune of Sir
John Douglas, a gallant and distinguished warrior, to be taken
prisoner by Richard de Mowbray, who, to a naturally proud and
vindictive temper, added a bitter and irreconcilable hatred to that
branch of the house of Douglas to which his prisoner belonged.
Instead of treating the brave and noble youth with that courtesy
which the law of arms and the manners of the times authorised, he
loaded his limbs with fetters, and threw him into one of the deepest
dungeons of his baronial castle of Holme Cultrum. Earl de Mowbray,
his father, was then at the English court, in attendance on his
sovereign, so that he had none to gainsay his authority, but yielded,
without hesitation or restraint, to every impulse of his passions. To
what lengths the savage cruelty of his temper might have led him in
practising against the life of his youthful prisoner is not known, for
he was also summoned to London to assist in the stormy councils of
that distracted period.
Meanwhile, Douglas lay on the floor of his dungeon, loaded with
fetters, and expecting every hour to be led out to die. No murmur
escaped his lips. He waited patiently till the fatal message arrived,
only regretting that it had not pleased Heaven to suffer him to die
sword in hand, like his brave ancestors. “Yes!” he exclaimed, as he
raised his stately and warlike form from the ground, and clashing his
fettered hands together, while his dark eye shot fire; “yes! let false
tyrannical Mowbray come with all his ruffian band—let them give me
death by sword or by cord—my cheek shall not blanch, nor my look
quail before them. As a Douglas I have lived, as a Douglas I shall
die!” But the expected summons came not. Day after day passed on
in sullen monotony, more trying to a brave mind than even the
prospect of suffering. No sound broke in on the silence around him,
but the daily visit of a veteran man-at-arms, who brought him his
scanty meal. No entreaties could induce this man to speak, so that
the unfortunate prisoner could only guess at his probable fate.
Sometimes despondency, in spite of his better reason, would steal
over his mind. “Shall I never again see my noble, my widowed
mother? my innocent, playful sister?—never again wander through
the green woods of Drumlanrig, or hunt the deer on its lordly
domain? Shall my sight never again be greeted by the green earth or
cheerful sun? Will these hateful walls enclose me till damp and
famine destroy me, and my withered limbs be left in this charnel-
house, a monument of the cruelty and unceasing hatred of De
Mowbray?”
Seven long weeks had rolled tediously along when the prisoner was
surprised by his allowance being brought by a stranger in the dress of
a Cumbrian peasant. Eagerly, rapidly he questioned the man
respecting Mowbray, his intentions, and why he had been so long left
without being allowed to name a ransom. The peasant told him of De
Mowbray’s absence, and added that, as there was to be a general
invasion of Scotland, all the men-at-arms had been marched away
that morning to join their companions, except the warders, by whom
he had been ordered to bring food to the prisoner. Joy now thrilled
through the heart and frame of the youthful warrior, but he had still
enough of caution left to make no further inquiries, but allow his new
jailer to depart without exciting his suspicions too early.
It is well known to those who are conversant with the history of
that period, that, however bitter the animosities of the two nations
were while engaged in actual warfare, yet in times of peace, or even
of truce, the commons lived on friendly terms, and carried on even a
sort of trade in cattle. All this was known to Sir John, who hoped,
through the means of his new attendant, to open a communication
with his retainers, if he could not engage him to let him free, and
become a follower of the Douglas, whose name was alike dreaded in
both nations. But events over which he had no control were even
then working for him, and his deliverance was to come from a
quarter he thought not of.
At the date of this tale, the ladies of rank had few amusements
when compared to those of modern times. Books, even if they could
have been procured, would sometimes not have been valued or
understood, from the very limited education which, in those days,
was allowed to females. Guarded in their inaccessible towers or
castles, their only amusement was listening to the tales of pilgrims,
or the songs of wandering minstrels, both of whom were always
made welcome to the halls of nobles, and whose persons, like those
of heralds, were deemed sacred even among contending parties. To
be present at a tournament was considered as an event of the first
importance, and looked forward to with the highest expectation, and
afterwards formed an era in their lives. When such amusements were
not to be had, a walk on the ramparts, attended by their trusty maid,
was the next resource against the tedium of time. It was during such
a walk as this that Emma, only daughter of Earl Mowbray, addressed
her attendant as follows:—
“Do you think it possible, Edith, that the prisoner, whom my
brother is so solicitous to conceal, can be that noble Douglas of
whom we have heard so much, and about whom Graham, the old
blind minstrel, sung such gallant verses?”
“Indeed, my sweet lady,” replied her attendant, “the prisoner in
yonder dungeon is certainly of the house of Douglas, and, as I think,
the very Sir John of whom we have heard so much.”
“How knowest thou that?” inquired her lady, eagerly.
“I had always my own thoughts of it,” whispered Edith cautiously,
and drawing nearer her mistress; “but since Ralph of Teesdale
succeeded grim old Norman as his keeper, I am almost certain of it.
He knows every Douglas of them, and, from his account, though the
dungeon was dark, he believes it was Sir John who performed such
prodigies of valour at the taking of Alnwick.”
“May Heaven, then, preserve and succour him!” sighed the Lady
Emma, as she clasped her hands together.
Emma De Mowbray, the only daughter of the most powerful and
warlike of the northern earls, was dazzlingly fair, and her very
beautiful features were only relieved from the charge of insipidity on
the first look, by the lustre of her dark blue eyes, which were shaded
by long and beautiful eye-lashes. Her stature was scarcely above the
middle size, but so finely proportioned, that the eye of the beholder
never tired gazing on it. She was only seventeen, and had not yet
been allowed to grace a tournament, her ambitious father having
determined to seclude his northern flower till he could astonish the
Court of England with her charms, and secure for her such an
advantageous settlement as would increase his own power and
resources. Thus had Emma grown up the very child of nature and
tenderness. Shut out from society of every kind, her imagination had
run riot, and her most pleasing hours, when not occupied by
devotional duties, were spent in musing over the romantic legends
which she had heard either from minstrels, or those adventurers who
ofttimes found a home in the castle of a powerful chief, and which
were circulated among the domestics till they reached the ear of their
youthful lady. These feelings had been unconsciously fostered by her
spiritual director, Father Anselm, who, of noble birth himself, had
once been a soldier, and delighted, in the long winter evenings, to
recount the prowess of his youth; and in the tale of other years, often
and often was the noble name of Douglas introduced and dwelt upon
with enthusiastic rapture, as he narrated the chief’s bravery in the
Holy Land. In short, every circumstance combined to feed and excite
the feverish exalted imagination of this untutored child. Had her
mother lived, the sensibilities of her nature had been cherished and
refined, and taught to keep within the bounds of their proper
channel. As it was, they were allowed to run riot, and almost led her
to overstep the limits of that retiring modesty which is so beautiful in
the sex. No sooner, then, had she learnt that Douglas was the captive
of her haughty brother, and perhaps doomed to a lingering or
ignominious death, than she resolved to attempt his escape, be the
consequences what they would. A wild tumultuary feeling took
possession of her mind as she came to this resolution. What would
the liberated object say to her, or how look his thanks? and, oh! if
indeed he proved to be the hero of her day-dreams, how blessed
would she be to have it in her power to be his guardian angel! The
tear of delight trembled in her eye, as she turned from the bartisan of
the castle, and sought the solitude of her chamber.
It was midnight—the last stroke of the deep-toned castle bell had
been answered by the echoes from the neighbouring hills, when two
shrouded figures stood by the couch of the prisoner. The glare of a
small lantern, carried by one of them, awoke Douglas. He sprung to
his feet as lightly as if the heavy fetters he was loaded with had been
of silk, and in a stern voice told them he was ready. “Be silent and
follow us,” was the reply of one of the muffled visitors. He bowed in
silence, and prepared to leave his dungeon,—not an easy
undertaking, when it is remembered that he was so heavily ironed;
but the care and ingenuity of his conductors obviated as much as
possible even this difficulty; one came on each side, and prevented as
much as possible the fetters from clashing on each other. In this
manner they hurried him on through a long subterraneous passage,
then crossed some courts which seemed overgrown with weeds, and
then entered a chapel, where Douglas could perceive a noble tomb
surrounded by burning tapers. “You must allow yourself to be
blindfolded,” said one of them in a sweet, musical, but suppressed
voice; he did so, and no sooner was the bandage made fast, than he
heard the snap as of a spring, and was immediately led forward. In a
few minutes more he felt he had left the rough stones of the church,
and its chill sepulchral air, for a matted floor and a warmer
atmosphere; the bandage dropped from his eyes, and he found
himself in a small square room, comfortably furnished, with a fire
blazing in the chimney; a second look convinced him he was in the
private room of an ecclesiastic, and that he was alone.
It need not be told the sagacious reader that this escape was the
work of Lady Emma, aided by Father Anselm, and Ralph Teesdale,
who was her foster-brother, and therefore bound to serve her almost
at the risk of his life—so very strong were such ties then considered.
No sooner did Douglas learn from the venerable ecclesiastic to whom
he owed his life and liberty, than he pleaded for an interview with all
the warmth of gratitude which such a boon could inspire.
Recruited by a night of comfortable repose, and refreshed by
wholesome food, our youthful warrior looked more like those of his
name than when stretched on the floor of the dungeon. It was the
evening of the second day after his liberation, while Douglas was
listening to his kind and venerable host’s account of the daring deeds
by which his ancestor, the good Lord James, had been distinguished,
when the door opened, and Lady Emma and her attendant entered.
Instantly sinking on one knee, Sir John poured forth his thanks in
language so courtly, so refined, yet so earnest and heartfelt, that
Lady Emma’s heart beat tumultuously, and her eyes became suffused
with tears.
“Suffer me,” continued Douglas, “to behold the features of her who
has indeed been a guardian angel to the descendant of that house
who never forgave an injury, nor ever, while breath animated them,
forgot a favour.”
Lady Emma slowly raised her veil, and the eyes of the youthful pair
met, and dwelt on each other with mutual admiration. Again the
knight knelt, and, pressing her hand to his lips, vowed that he would
ever approve himself her faithful and devoted champion. The
conversation then took a less agitating turn, and, in another hour,
Lady Emma took her leave of the good father and his interesting
companion, in whose favour she could not conceal that she was
already inspired with the most fervent feelings. Nor did she chide
Edith, who, while she braided the beautiful locks of her mistress,
expatiated on the fine form and manly features of Douglas, and
rejoiced in his escape.
It was now time for Sir John to make some inquiries of Father
Anselm about the state of the country, and if the Scotch had beat
back their assailants in the attack made upon them, and learned, to
his pleasure and surprise, that the enemy were then too much
divided among themselves to think of making reprisals, the whole
force of the kingdom being then gathered together to decide the
claims of York and Lancaster to the crown of England; that Earl
Mowbray and his son, adherents of the queen, were then lying at
York with their retainers, ready to close in battle with the adverse
party. It might be supposed that this intelligence would inspire the