ace in my hapless country?

where are the steadings, and orchards, and vineyards, which made

france fair? where are the cities which made her great? from

providence to burgundy we are beset by every prowling hireling in

christendom, who rend and tear the country which you have left

too weak to guard her own marches. is it not a by-word that a

man may ride all day in that unhappy land without seeing thatch

upon roof or hearing the crow of cock? does not one fair kingdom

content you, that you should strive so for this other one which

has no love for you? pardieu! a true frenchman's words may well

be bitter, for bitter is his lot and bitter his thoughts as he

rides through his thrice unhappy country."

"sir knight," said the prince, "you speak like a brave man, and

our cousin of france is happy in having a cavalier who is so fit

to uphold his cause either with tongue or with sword. but if you

think such evil of us, how comes it that you have trusted

yourselves to us without warranty or safe-conduct?"

"because i knew that you would be here, sire. had the man who

sits upon your right been ruler of this land, i had indeed

thought twice before i looked to him for aught that was knightly

or generous." with a soldierly salute, he wheeled round his

horse, and, galloping down the lists, disappeared amid the dense

crowd of footmen and of horsemen who were streaming away from the

scene of the tournament.

"the insolent villain!" cried pedro, glaring furiously after him.

"i have seen a man's tongue torn from his jaws for less. would

it not be well even now, edward, to send horsemen to hale him

back? bethink you that it may be one of the royal house of

france, or at least some knight whose loss would be a heavy blow

to his master. sir william felton, you are well mounted, gallop

after the caitiff, i pray you."

"do so, sir william," said the prince," and give him this purse

of a hundred nobles as a sign of the respect which i bear for

him; for, by st. george! he has served his master this day even

as i would wish liegeman of mine to serve me." so saying, the

prince turned his back upon the king of spain, and springing upon

his horse, rode slowly homewards to the abbey of saint andrew's.

chapter xxv.

how sir nigel wrote to twynham castle.

on the morning after the jousting, when alleyne edricson went, as

was his custom, into his master's chamber to wait upon him in his

dressing and to curl his hair, he found him already up and very

busily at work. he sat at a table by the window, a deerhound on

one side of him and a lurcher on the other, his feet tucked away

under the trestle on which he sat, and his tongue in his cheek,

with the air of a man who is much perplexed. a sheet of vellum

lay upon the board in front of him, and he held a pen in his

hand, with which he had been scribbling in a rude schoolboy hand.

so many were the blots, however, and so numerous the scratches

and erasures, that he had at last given it up in despair, and

sat with his single uncovered eye cocked upwards at the ceiling,

as one who waits upon inspiration.

"by saint paul!" he cried, as alleyne entered, "you are the man

who will stand by me in this matter. i have been in sore need of

you, alleyne."

"god be with you, my fair lord!" the squire answered. "i trust

that you have taken no hurt from all that you have gone through

yesterday."

"nay; i feel the fresher for it, alleyne. it has eased my

joints, which were somewhat stiff from these years of peace. i

trust, alleyne, that thou didst very carefully note and mark the

bearing and carriage of this knight of france; for it is time,

now when you are young, that you should see all that is best, and

mould your own actions in accordance. this was a man from whom

much honor might be gained, and i have seldom met any one for

whom i have conceived so much love and esteem. could i but learn

his name, i should send you to him with my cartel, that we might

have further occasion to watch his goodly feats of arms."

"it is said, my fair lord, that none know his name save only the

lord chandos, and that he is under vow not to speak it. so ran

the gossip at the squires' table."

"be he who he might, he was a very hardy gentleman. but i have a

task here, alleyne, which is harder to me than aught that was set

before me yesterday."

"can i help you, my lord?"

"that indeed you can. i have been writing my greetings to my

sweet wife; for i hear that a messenger goes from the prince to

southampton within the week, and he would gladly take a packet

for me. i pray you, alleyne, to cast your eyes upon what i have

written, and see it they are such words as my lady will

understand. my fingers, as you can see, are more used to iron

and leather than to the drawing of strokes and turning of

letters. what then?