the

brave and worthy bertrand de guesclin hath ridden into france to

the duke of anjou, and purposes to take back with him great

levies from picardy and brittany. we hold bertrand in high

esteem, for he has oft before been at great pains to furnish us

with an honorable encounter. what think you of it, my worthy

captal? he took you at cocherel, and, by my soul i you will have

the chance now to pay that score."

the gascon warrior winced a little at the allusion, nor were his

countrymen around him better pleased, for on the only occasion

when they had encountered the arms of france without english aid

they had met with a heavy defeat.

"there are some who say, sire," said the burly de clisson, "that

the score is already overpaid, for that without gascon help

bertrand had not been taken at auray, nor had king john been

overborne at poictiers."

"by heaven! but this is too much," cried an english nobleman.

"methinks that gascony is too small a cock to crow so lustily."

"the smaller cock, my lord audley, may have the longer spur,"

remarked the captal de buch.

"may have its comb clipped if it make over-much noise," broke in

an englishman.

"by our lady of rocamadour!" cried the lord of mucident, "this is

more than i can abide. sir john charnell, you shall answer to me

for those words!"

"freely, my lord, and when you will," returned the englishman

carelessly.

"my lord de clisson," cried lord audley, "you look some, what

fixedly in my direction. by god's soul! i should be right glad

to go further into the matter with you."

"and you, my lord of pommers," said sir nigel, pushing his way to

the front, "it is in my mind that we might break a lance in

gentle and honorable debate over the question."

for a moment a dozen challenges flashed backwards and forwards at

this sudden bursting of the cloud which had lowered so long

between the knights of the two nations. furious and

gesticulating the gascons, white and cold and sneering the

english, while the prince with a half smile glanced from one

party to the other, like a man who loved to dwell upon a fiery

scene, and yet dreaded least the mischief go so far that he might

find it beyond his control.

"friends, friends!" he cried at last, "this quarrel must go no

further. the man shall answer to me, be he gascon or english,

who carries it beyond this room. i have overmuch need for your

swords that you should turn them upon each other. sir john

charnell, lord audley, you do not doubt the courage of our

friends of gascony?"

"not i, sire," lord audley answered. "i have seen them fight too

often not to know that they are very hardy and valiant

gentlemen."

"and so say i," quoth the other englishman; "but, certes, there

is no fear of our forgetting it while they have a tongue in their

heads."

"nay, sir john," said the prince reprovingly, "all peoples have

their own use and customs. there are some who might call us cold

and dull and silent. but you hear, my lords of gascony, that

these gentlemen had no thought to throw a slur upon your honor or

your valor, so let all anger fade from your mind. clisson,

captal, de pommers, i have your word?"

"we are your subjects, sire," said the gascon barons, though with

no very good grace. "your words are our law."

"then shall we bury all cause of unkindness in a flagon of

malvoisie," said the prince, cheerily. "ho, there! the doors of

the banquet-hall! i have been over long from my sweet spouse but

i shall be back with you anon. let the sewers serve and the

minstrels play, while we drain a cup to the brave days that are

before us in the south!" he turned away, accompanied by the two

monarchs, while the rest of the company, with many a compressed

lip and menacing eye, filed slowly through the side-door to the

great chamber in which the royal tables were set forth.

chapter xx.

how alleyne won his place in an honorable guild.

whilst the prince's council was sitting, alleyne and ford had

remained in the outer hall, where they were soon surrounded by a

noisy group of young englishmen of their own rank, all eager to

hear the latest news from england.

"how is it with the old man at windsor?" asked one.

"and how with the good queen philippa?"

"and how with dame alice perrers?" cried a third.

"the devil take your tongue, wat!" shouted a tall young man,

seizing the last speaker by the collar and giving him an

admonitory shake. "the prince would take your head off for those

words."

"by god's coif! wat would miss it but little," said another. "it

is as empty as a beggar's wallet."

"as empty as an english squire, coz," cried the first speaker.

"what a devil has become of the maitre-destables and his sewers?

they have not put forth the trestles yet."

"mon dieu! if a man could eat himself in