can only say that on the eve of

cadsand, and on the eve of crecy, and on the eve of nogent, i

dreamed of a red cow; and now the dream has come upon me again,

so i am now setting a very keen edge to my blade."

"well said, old war-dog!" cried aylward. "by my hilt! i pray

that your dream may come true, for the prince hath not set us out

here to drink broth or to gather whortleberries. one more fight,

and i am ready to hang up my bow, marry a wife, and take to the

fire corner. but how now, robin? whom is it that you seek?"

"the lord loring craves your attendance in his tent," said a

young archer to alleyne.

the squire rose and proceeded to the pavilion, where he found the

knight seated upon a cushion, with his legs crossed in front of

him and a broad ribbon of parchment laid across his knees, over

which he was poring with frowning brows and pursed lips.

"it came this morning by the prince's messenger," said he, "and

was brought from england by sir john fallislee, who is new come

from sussex. what make you of this upon the outer side?"

"it is fairly and clearly written," alleyne answered, "and it

signifies to sir nigel loring, knight constable of twynham

castle, by the hand of christopher, the servant of god at the

priory of christchurch."

"so i read it," said sir nigel. "now i pray you to read what is

set forth within."

alleyne turned to the letter, and, as his eyes rested upon it,

his face turned pale and a cry of surprise and grief burst from

his lips.

"what then?" asked the knight, peering up at him anxiously.

"there is nought amiss with the lady mary or with the lady

maude?"

"it is my brother--my poor unhappy brother!" cried alleyne, with

his hand to his brow. "he is dead."

"by saint paul! i have never heard that he had shown so much

love for you that you should mourn him so."

"yet he was my brother--the only kith or kin that i had upon

earth. mayhap he had cause to be bitter against me, for his land

was given to the abbey for my upbringing. alas! alas! and i

raised my staff against him when last we met! he has been slain-

-and slain, i fear, amidst crime and violence."

"ha!" said sir nigel. "read on, i pray you."

" 'god be with thee, my honored lord, and have thee in his holy

keeping. the lady loring hath asked me to set down in writing

what hath befallen at twynham, and all that concerns the death of

thy ill neighbor the socman of minstead. for when ye had left

us, this evil man gathered around him all outlaws, villeins, and

masterless men, until they were come to such a force that they

slew and scattered the king's men who went against them. then,

coming forth from the woods, they laid siege to thy castle, and

for two days they girt us in and shot hard against us, with such

numbers as were a marvel to see. yet the lady loring held the

place stoutly, and on the second day the socman was slain--by his

own men, as some think--so that we were delivered from their

hands; for which praise be to all the saints, and more especially

to the holy anselm, upon whose feast it came to pass. the lady

loring, and the lady maude, thy fair daughter, are in good

health; and so also am i, save for an imposthume of the toe-

joint, which hath been sent me for my sins. may all the saints

preserve thee!' "

"it was the vision of the lady tiphaine," said sir nigel, after a

pause. "marked you not how she said that the leader was one with

a yellow beard, and how he fell before the gate. but how came

it, alleyne, that this woman, to whom all things are as crystal,

and who hath not said one word which has not come to pass, was

yet so led astray as to say that your thoughts turned to twynham

castle even more than my own?"

"my fair lord," said alleyne, with a flush on his weather-stained

cheeks, "the lady tiphaine may have spoken sooth when she said

it; for twynham castle is in my heart by day and in my dreams by

night."

"ha!" cried sir nigel, with a sidelong glance.

"yes, my fair lord; for indeed i love your daughter, the lady

maude; and, unworthy as i am, i would give my heart's blood to

serve her."

"by st. paul! edricson," said the knight coldly, arching his

eyebrows, "you aim high in this matter. our blood is very old."

"and mine also is very old," answered the squire.

"and the lady maude is our single child. all our name and lands

centre upon her."

"alas! that i should say it, but i also am now the only

edricson."

"and why have i not heard this from you before, alleyne? in

sooth, i think that you have used me ill."

"nay, my fair lord, say not so; for i know not whether your

daughter loves me, and there is no pledge between us."

sir nigel pondered for a few moments, and then burst out a-

laughing. "by st. paul!" said he, "i know not why i should mix

in the matter; for