[Illustration: GUY AYLMER SAVES THE KING'S LIFE AT THE BATTLE OFAGINCOURT. ]

AT AGINCOURT

BYG. A. HENTY

PREFACE

The long and bloody feud between the houses of Orleans and Burgundy--whichfor many years devastated France, caused a prodigious destruction of lifeand property, and was not even relaxed in the presence of a common enemy--is very fully recorded in the pages of Monstrellet and other contemporaryhistorians. I have here only attempted to relate the events of the earlyportion of the struggle--from its commencement up to the astonishingvictory of Agincourt, won by a handful of Englishmen over the chivalry ofFrance. Here the two factions, with the exception of the Duke of Burgundyhimself, laid aside their differences for the moment, only to renew themwhile France still lay prostrate at the feet of the English conqueror. 

At this distance of time, even with all the records at one's disposal, itis difficult to say which party was most to blame in this disastrous civilwar, a war which did more to cripple the power of France than was everaccomplished by English arms. Unquestionably Burgundy was the first toenter upon the struggle, but the terrible vengeance taken by theArmagnacs, --as the Orleanists came to be called, --for the murderscommitted by the mob of Paris in alliance with him, was of almostunexampled atrocity in civil war, and was mainly responsible for theterrible acts of cruelty afterwards perpetrated upon each other by bothparties. I hope some day to devote another volume to the story of thisdesperate and unnatural struggle. 

G. A. HENTY. 

CONTENTS

 I. A FEUDAL CASTLE

 II. TROUBLES IN FRANCE

 III. A SIEGE

 IV. A FATAL ACCIDENT

 V. HOSTAGES

 VI. IN PARIS

 VII. IN THE STREETS OF PARIS

 VIII. A RIOT

 IX. A STOUT DEFENCE

 X. AFTER THE FRAY

 XI. DANGER THREATENED

 XII. IN HIDING

 XIII. THE MASTERS OF PARIS

 XIV. PLANNING MASSACRE

 XV. A RESCUE

 XVI. THE ESCAPE

 XVII. A LONG PAUSE

XVIII. KATARINA

 XIX. AGINCOURT

 XX. PENSHURST

ILLUSTRATIONS

GUY AYLMER SAVES THE KING'S LIFE AT THE BATTLE OF AGINCOURT. 

GUY HAS HIS HEAD BOUND UP AFTER A BOUT AT QUARTER-STAFF. 

"THE TWO MEN WHO LIT THE ALARM FIRES RODE INTO THE CASTLE. "

"SIR EUSTACE GAVE A LOUD CRY, FOR LYING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIR WAS THEFORM OF HIS SON. "

THE LADY MARGARET MAKES HER OBEISANCE TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY. 

GUY AND LONG TOM COME TO THE RESCUE OF COUNT CHARLES. 

"TOM'S BOW TWANGED, AND THE ARROW STRUCK THE HORSEMAN UNDER THE ARM-PIT. "

"THE KING EXTENDED HIS HAND TO GUY, WHO WENT ON ONE KNEE TO KISS IT. "

"WELL, COMRADE, " SAID SIMON, "I SUPPOSE YOU ARE THE MAN I WAS TOLD WOULDCOME TO-NIGHT?"

"GUY DELIVERED A SLASHING BLOW ON THE BUTCHER'S CHEEK, AND DASHED PASTHIM. "

GUY WELCOMES THE COUNT OF MONTEPONE AND HIS DAUGHTER TO VILLEROY. 

"KATARINA SWEPT A DEEP CURTSEY, AND WENT OFF WITH A MERRY LAUGH. "

AT AGINCOURT

CHAPTER I

A FEUDAL CASTLE

"And is it true that our lord and lady sail next week for their estate inFrance?"

"Ay, it is true enough, and more is the pity; it was a sad day for us allwhen the king gave the hand of his ward, our lady, to this baron ofArtois. "

"They say she was willing enough, Peter. "

"Ay, ay, all say she loved him, and, being a favourite with the queen, shegot her to ask the king to accede to the knight's suit; and no wonder, heis as proper a man as eyes can want to look on--tall and stately, and theysay brave. His father and grandfather both were Edward's men, and heldtheir castle for us; his father was a great friend of the Black Prince, and he, too, took a wife from England. Since then things have not gonewell with us in France, and they say that our lord has had difficulty inkeeping clear of the quarrels that are always going on out there betweenthe great French lords; and, seeing that we have but little power inArtois, he has to hold himself discreetly, and to keep aloof as far as hecan from the strife there, and bide his time until the king sends an armyto win back his own again. But I doubt not that, although our lady'swishes and the queen's favour may have gone some way with him, the kingthought more of the advantage of keeping this French noble, --whose fathershave always been faithful vassals of the crown, and who was himselfEnglish on his mother's side, --faithful to us, ready for the time when theroyal banner will flutter in the wind again, and blood will flow as it didat Cressy and Poitiers. 

"The example of a good knight like Sir Eustace taking the field for uswith his retainers might lead others to follow his example; besides, therewere several suitors for our lady's hand, and, by giving her to thisFrench baron, there would be less offence and heart-burning than if he hadchosen one among her English suitors. And, indeed, I know not that we havesuffered much from its being so; it is true that our lord and lady livemuch on their estates abroad, but at least they are here part of theirtime, and their castellan does not press us more heavily during theirabsence than does our lord when at home. "

"He is a goodly knight, is Sir Aylmer, a just man and kindly, and, being acousin of our lady's, they do wisely and well in placing all things in hishands during their absence. "

"Ay, we have nought to grumble at, for we might have done worse if we hadhad an English lord for our master, who might have called us into thefield when he chose, and have pressed us to the utmost of his rightswhenever he needed money. "

The speakers were a man and woman, who were standing looking on at a partyof men practising at the butts on the village green at Summerley, one ofthe hamlets on the estates of Sir Eustace de Villeroy, in Hampshire. 

"Well shot!" the man exclaimed, as an archer pierced a white wand at adistance of eighty yards. "They are good shots all, and if our lord andlady have fears of troubles in France, they do right well in taking a bandof rare archers with them. There are but five-and-twenty of them, but theyare all of the best. When they offered prizes here a month since for thebowmen of Hants and Sussex and Dorset, methought they had some good reasonwhy they should give such high prizes as to bring hither the best men fromall three counties, and we were all proud that four of our own men shouldhave held their own so well in such company, and especially that Tom, themiller's son, should have beaten the best of them. He is captain of theband, you know, but almost all the others shoot nigh as well; there is notone of them who cannot send an arrow straight into the face of a foe at ahundred and twenty yards. There were some others as good who would fainhave been of the party, but our lady said she would take no married men, and she was right. They go for five years certain, and methinks a manfights all the better when he knows there is no one in England praying forhis return, and that if he falls, there is no widow or children to bewailhis loss. There are as many stout men-at-arms going too; so the Castle ofVilleroy will be a hard nut for anyone to crack, for I hear they can put ahundred and fifty of their vassals there in the field. "

"We shall miss Sir Aylmer's son Guy, " the woman said; "he is ever down atthe village green when there are sports going on. There is not one of hisage who can send an arrow so straight to the mark, and not many of themen; and he can hold his own with a quarter-staff too. "

"Ay, dame; he is a stout lad, and a hearty one. They say that at thecastle he is ever practising with arms, and that though scarce sixteen hecan wield a sword and heavy battle-axe as well as any man-at-arms there. "

"He is gentle too, " the woman said. "Since his mother's death he oftencomes down with wine and other goodies if anyone is ill, and he speaks assoftly as a girl. There is not one on the estate but has a good word forhim, nor doubts that he will grow up as worthy a knight as his father, though gentler perhaps in his manner, and less grave in face, for he wasever a merry lad. Since the death of his lady mother two years ago he hasgone about sadly, still of late he has gotten over his loss somewhat, andhe can laugh heartily again. I wonder his father can bear to part withhim. "

"Sir Eustace knows well enough that he cannot always keep the boy by hisside, dame; and that if a falcon is to soar well, he must try his wingsearly. He goes as page, does he not?"

"Ay, but more, methinks, as companion to young Henry, who has, they say, been sickly from a child, and, though better now, has scarce the making ofa stalwart knight in him. His young brother Charles is a sturdy littlechap, and bids fair to take after his father; and little Lady Agnes, whocomes between them, is full of fire and spirit. 

"Yes; methinks Guy will have a pleasant time of it out there; that is, ifthere are no fresh troubles. I doubt not that in two or three years hewill be one of our lord's esquires, and if he has a chance of displayinghis courage and skill, may be back among us a dubbed knight before manyyears have passed over our heads. France is a rare place for gaininghonours, and so it may well be, for I see not that we gain much else byour king's possessions there. "

"There was plenty of spoil brought over, dame, after Cressy and Poitiers. "

"Ay, but it soon goes; easy come, easy go, you know; and though they saythat each man that fought there brought home a goodly share of spoil, Iwill warrant me the best part went down their throats ere many months hadpassed. "

"'Tis ever so, dame; but I agree with you, and deem that it would bebetter for England if we did not hold a foot of ground in France, and ifEnglish kings and nobles were content to live quietly among their people. We have spent more money than ever we made in these wars, and even wereour kings to become indeed, as they claim, kings of France as well asEngland, the ill would be much greater, as far as I can see, for us all. Still there may be things, dame, that we country folks don't understand, and I suppose that it must be so, else Parliament would not be so willingto vote money always when the kings want it for wars with France. The warsin France don't affect us as much as those with Scotland and Wales. Whenour kings go to France to fight they take with them only such as arewilling to go, men-at-arms and archers; but when we have troubles such astook place but five or six years ago, when Douglas and Percy and the Welshall joined against us, then the lords call out their vassals and thesheriffs the militia of the county, and we have to go to fight willy-nilly. Our lord had a hundred of us with him to fight for the king atShrewsbury. Nigh thirty never came back again. That is worse than theFrench wars, dame. "

"Don't I know it, for wasn't my second boy one of those who never cameback. Ay, ay, they had better be fighting in France, perhaps, for thatlets out the hot blood that might otherwise bring on fighting at home. "

"That is so, dame, things are all for the best, though one does not alwayssee it. "

A week later all the tenantry gathered in front of the castle to wish God-speed to their lord and lady, and to watch the following by which theywere accompanied. First there passed half a dozen mounted men-at-arms, whowere to accompany the party but half a day's march and then to return withSir Aylmer. Next to these rode Sir Eustace and Lady Margaret, still abeautiful woman, a worthy mate of her noble-looking husband. On her otherside rode Sir Aylmer; then came John Harpen, Sir Eustace's esquire; besidewhom trotted Agnes, a bright, merry-faced girl of twelve. Guy rode withthe two boys; then came twenty-four men-at-arms, many of whom had foughtwell and stoutly at Shrewsbury; while Tom, the miller's son, or, as he wasgenerally called, Long Tom, strode along at the head of twenty-fourbowmen, each of whom carried the long English bow and quiver full ofcloth-yard arrows, and, in addition, a heavy axe at his leathern girdle. 

Behind these were some servitors leading horses carrying provisions forthe journey, and valises with the clothes of Sir Eustace, his wife, andchildren, and a heavy cart drawn by four strong horses with the bundles ofextra garments for the men-at-arms and archers, and several large sheavesof spare arrows. The men-at-arms wore iron caps, as also breast and backpieces. On the shoulders and arms of their leathern jerkins iron ringswere sewn thickly, forming a sort of chain armour, while permittingperfect freedom of the limbs. The archers also wore steel caps, which, like those of the men-at-arms, came low down on the neck and temples. Theyhad on tough leathern frocks, girded in at the waist, and falling to theknee; some of them had also iron rings sewn on the shoulders. Englisharchers were often clad in green cloth, but Sir Eustace had furnished thegarments, and had chosen leather, both as being far more durable, and asoffering a certain amount of defence. 

The frocks were sleeveless, and each man wore cloth sleeves of a colouraccording to his fancy. The band was in all respects a well-appointed one. As Sir Eustace wished to avoid exciting comment among his neighbours, hehad abstained from taking a larger body of men; and it was partly for thisreason that he had decided not to dress the archers in green. But everyman had been carefully picked; the men-at-arms were all powerful fellowswho had seen service; the archers were little inferior in physique, forstrength as well as skill was required in archery, and in choosing the menSir Eustace had, when there was no great difference in point of skill, selected the most powerful among those who were willing to take servicewith him. 

Guy enjoyed the two days' ride to Southampton greatly. It was the firsttime that he had been away from home, and his spirits were high at thusstarting on a career that would, he hoped, bring him fame and honour. Henry and his brother and sister were also in good glee, although thejourney was no novelty to them, for they had made it twice previously. Beyond liking change, as was natural at their age, they cared not whetherthey were at their English or at their French home, as they spoke bothlanguages with equal fluency, and their life at one castle differed butlittle from that at the other. 

Embarking at Portsmouth in a ship that was carrying military stores toCalais, they coasted along the shores of Sussex and of Kent as far asDungeness, and then made across to Calais. It was early in April, theweather was exceptionally favourable, and they encountered no rough seaswhatever. On the way Sir Eustace related to Guy and his sons the eventsthat had taken place in France, and had led up to the civil war that wasraging so furiously there. 

"In 1392, the King of France being seized with madness, the Dukes ofBurgundy and Orleans in a very short time wrested the power of the statefrom the hands of his faithful councillors, the Constable de Clisson, LaRiviere, and others. De Clisson retired to his estate and castle atMontelhery, the two others were seized and thrown into prison. De Clissonwas prosecuted before Parliament as a false and wicked traitor; but theking, acting on the advice of Orleans, who had not then broken with theDukes of Burgundy and Berri, had, after La Riviere and another had been inprison for a year, stopped the prosecution, and restored their estates tothem. Until 1402 the Dukes of Burgundy and Berri were all-powerful, and in1396 a great number of knights and nobles, led by John, Count of Nevers, the eldest son of the Duke of Burgundy, went to the assistance of the Kingof Hungary, which country was being invaded by the Turks. They were, however, on the 28th of September, utterly defeated. The greater portionof them were killed; Nevers and the rest were ransomed and brought home. 

"In 1402 the king, influenced by his wife, Isobel, and his brother, theDuke of Orleans, who were on terms of the closest alliance, placed theentire government in the hands of the latter, who at once began to abuseit to such an extent, by imposing enormous taxes upon the clergy and thepeople, that he paved the way for the return of his uncle of Burgundy topower. On the 27th of April, 1404, Philip the Bold of Burgundy died. Hewas undoubtedly ambitious, but he was also valiant and able, and he hadthe good of France at heart. He was succeeded by his son John, called theFearless, from the bravery that he had displayed in the unfortunateHungarian campaign. The change was disastrous for France. John was violentand utterly unscrupulous, and capable of any deed to gratify either hispassions, jealousies, or hatreds. At first he cloaked his designs againstOrleans by an appearance of friendship, paid him a visit at his castlenear Vincennes, where he was at the time lying ill. When he recovered, thetwo princes went to mass together, dined at their uncle's, the Duke ofBerri, and together entered Paris; and the Parisians fondly hoped thatthere was an end of the rivalry that had done so much harm. It was, however, but a very short time afterwards that, on the 23d of November, 1407, as the Duke of Orleans was returning from having dined with thequeen, and was riding with only two esquires and four or five men on footcarrying torches, twenty armed men sprang out from behind a house andrushed upon him. 

"'I am the Duke of Orleans, ' the prince cried; but they hurled him fromhis mule, and as he tried to rise to his feet one blow struck off the handhe raised to protect his head, other blows rained down upon him from axeand sword, and in less than a minute the duke lay dead. The Duke ofBurgundy at first affected grief and indignation, but at the council thenext day he boldly avowed that Orleans had been killed by his orders. Heat once took horse and rode to the frontier of Flanders, which he reachedsafely, though hotly chased by a party of the Duke of Orleans' knights. The duke's widow, who was in the country at the time, hastened up to Pariswith her children, and appealed for justice to the king, who declared thathe regarded the deed done to his brother as done to himself. The Dukes ofBerri and Bourbon, the Constable and Chancellor, all assured her that sheshould have justice; but there was no force that could hope to cope withthat which Burgundy could bring into the field, and when, two monthslater, Burgundy entered Paris at the head of a thousand men-at-arms, noattempt was made at resistance, and the murderer was received withacclamations by the fickle populace. 

"The king at the time was suffering from one of his terrible fits ofinsanity, but a great assembly was held, at which princes, councillors, lords, doctors of law, and prominent citizens were present. A monk of theCordeliers, named John Petit, then spoke for five hours in justificationof the duke, and the result was that the poor insane king was induced tosign letters cancelling the penalty of the crime. For four months the dukeremained absolute master of Paris, disposing of all posts and honours, andsparing no efforts to render himself popular with the burghers. A seriousrebellion breaking out at Liege, and the troops sent against the townbeing repulsed, he was obliged to leave Paris to put down the revolt. Assoon as he had left, the queen and the partisans of Orleans prepared totake advantage of his absence, and two months later Queen Isobel marchedwith the dauphin, now some thirteen years old, from Melun with threethousand men. 

"The Parisians received her with applause, and as soon as she had taken upher quarters at the Louvre, the Dukes of Berri, Bourbon, and Brittany, theConstable, and all the great officers of the court rallied round her. Twodays later the Duchess of Orleans arrived with a long train of mourningcoaches. A great assembly was held, and the king's advocate announced tothem the intention of the king to confer the government upon the queenduring his illness, and produced a document signed by the king to thateffect. The Duchess of Orleans then came forward, and kneeling before thedauphin, begged for justice for the death of her husband, and that shemight be granted an opportunity of refuting the calumnies that John Petithad heaped on the memory of her husband. A week later another greatassembly was held, and the justification of the duke was read, refutingall these imputations, and the duchess's advocate demanded that the dukeshould be forced to make public reparation, and then to be exiled fortwenty years. The dauphin replied that he and all the princes of bloodroyal present held that the charges against the Duke of Orleans had beenamply refuted, and that the demands with reference to the Duke of Burgundyshould be provided for in course of justice. 

"Scarcely had the assembly broken up when it became known that Burgundyand his army was on the way back to Paris. Resistance was out of thequestion; therefore, taking the young dauphin with her, and accompanied byall the members of the royal family, the queen retired to Tours. Burgundy, unscrupulous as he was, finding that although he might remain master ofParis, he could not hope to rule France, except when acting under thepretence of the king's authority, soon sent an embassy to Tours toendeavour to arrange matters. He was able to effect this with the lessdifficulty, that the Duchess of Orleans had just died from grief at herhusband's death, and at the hopelessness of obtaining vengeance on hismurderer. The queen was won to the cause of Burgundy by secret proposalssubmitted to her for a close league between them, and in March a treatywas concluded, and a meeting took place at Chartres, at which the duke, the king, the queen, the royal princes, and the young Duke of Orleans andhis adherents were present. 

"The king declared that he pardoned the duke, and the princes of Orleansconsented to obey his orders and to lay aside all hatred and thoughts ofvengeance, and shortly afterwards Paris welcomed with shouts of joy thereturn of the king and queen and the apparent reconciliation of allparties. But the truce was a brief one; for the princes and adherents ofOrleans might bend before circumstances at the moment, but their feelingswere unchanged. 

"A head of the party was needed, and the young duke married the daughterof Count Bernard d'Armagnac, one of the most powerful and ambitious noblesof the south of France, who at once, --in concert with the Dukes of Berriand Brittany and other lords, --put himself at the head of the Orleansparty. On the 10th of July, 1411, the three princes of Orleans sent a longletter to the king, complaining that no reparation whatever had been madefor the murder of their father, and begging him that, as what was done atChartres was contrary to every principle of law, equity, reason, andjustice, the case should be reopened again. They also made complaintsagainst the Duke of Burgundy for his conduct and abuse of power. 

"As the king was surrounded by Burgundy's creatures no favourable replywas returned, and a formal challenge or declaration of war was, on the18th of July, sent by the princes to the Duke of Burgundy, and bothparties began at once to make preparation for war. 

"Now for my own view of this quarrel. King Henry sent for me a year since, and asked for whom I should hold my castle if Orleans and Burgundy came toblows, adding that Burgundy would be viewed by him with most favour. 

"'My father and grandfather ever fought faithfully in the service ofEngland, ' I said; 'but for years past now, the line betwixt your majesty'spossessions and those of France has been drawn in, and my estates andCastle of Villeroy now lie beyond the line, and I am therefore a vassal ofFrance as well as of your majesty. It being known to all men that evenbefore I became Lord of Summerley, on my marriage with your majesty'sward, Mistress Margaret, I, like my father, held myself to be the liegeman of the King of England. I am therefore viewed with much hostility bymy neighbours, and right gladly would they seize upon any excuse to laycomplaint against me before the king, in order that I might be deprived ofmy fief and castle. 

"'This I would fain hold always for your majesty; and, seeing how it issituated but a few miles across the frontier, it is, I would humbly submitto you, of importance to your majesty that it should be held by onefaithful to you--since its possession in the hands of an enemy wouldgreatly hinder any English army marching out from Calais to the invasionof France. It is a place of some strength now; but were it in French handsit might be made very much stronger, and would cost much time and loss ofmen to besiege. At present your majesty is in alliance with Burgundy, butnone can say how the war will go, or what changes will take place; andshould the Orleanists gain the upper hand, they will be quick to takeadvantage of my having fought for Burgundy, and would confiscate myestates and hand them over to one who might be hostile to England, andpledged to make the castle a stronghold that would greatly hinder and barthe advance of an English army upon Paris. Therefore, Sire, I would, notfor my own sake but for the sake of your majesty's self and yoursuccessors, pray you to let me for a while remain quietly at Summerleyuntil the course of events in France is determined. '

"The king was pleased to see the force of what I urged. As far as I hadinclinations in the case, they were towards the cause, not of Burgundyhimself, whose murder of Orleans was alike treacherous and indefensible, but of his cause, seeing that Flanders is wholly under his authority, andthat in Artois he is well-nigh paramount at present. On the other hand, Amiens and Ponthieu, which lie but a short distance to the south of me, are strongly Orleanist, and I have therefore every motive for standingaloof. So far the fortune of war has been so changeable that one cannotsay that the chances incline towards one faction more than the other. Eventhe Church has failed to bring about the end of the troubles. TheOrleanists have been formally placed under interdicts, and cursed by book, bell, and candle. The king's commands have been laid upon all to put asidetheir quarrels, but both the ban of the Church and the king's commandshave been ineffectual. I am as anxious as ever to abstain from taking anypart in the trouble, the more so as the alliance between our king andBurgundy has cooled somewhat. But I have received such urgent prayers frommy vassals at Villeroy to come among them, since they are now beingplundered by both parties, that I feel it is time for me to take up myabode there. When the king stayed at Winchester, a month since, I laid thematter before him. He was pleased to say that what I had urged a year agohad turned out to be as I foretold, and that he would give me leave to goover and establish myself at Villeroy, and to hold myself aloof from bothparties until the matter should further ripen. What will come of it Icannot say. The English king seemed to me to be ailing, and I fear that itmay not be long before young Henry comes to the throne. He is a wild youngprince, but has already shown himself in the Northern war to be full ofspirit and courage, and methinks that when he comes to the throne he willnot long observe the peaceful policy of his father, but that we shall seethe royal standard once again spread to the winds of France. "

"But, Sir Eustace, " Guy said, when he had concluded, "how do these mattersaffect you? I thought that by the treaty the west part of Artois wasEnglish. "

"Ay, lad, it was so settled; but at that time the strength of France hadbeen broken at Poitiers, and the Black Prince and his army were so fearedthat his terms were willingly accepted in order to secure peace. Much hashappened since then: war has been constantly going on, sometimes hotly, sometimes sluggishly; France has had her own troubles, and as the Englishkings have been more pacific, and England has become weary of bearing theheavy expenses of the war, the treaty has become a dead letter. Gascony, in which province Armagnac is the greatest lord, is altogether lost toEngland, as is the greater part of Guienne. A great proportion of thepeople there were always bitterly opposed to the change, and, as you know, even in the time of the Black Prince himself there were great rebellionsand troubles; since then town after town and castle after castle hasdeclared for France, and no real efforts have ever been made by theEnglish to win them back again. I, who in England am an English baron, and--so long as things go on as at present--a French noble while inFrance, am in a perilous position between my two Suzerains. Were anEnglish army to land, I should join them, for I still hold myself to be avassal of the king of England, as we have been for three generations. Asto the French disputes, I fear that sooner or later I shall have todeclare in favour of one party or the other, for it will be difficult tostand altogether aloof from these conflicts, because all men, at least allmen of condition, are well-nigh forced to take one side or the other. Theplea that I am a baron of England will be of no avail, for both sideswould turn against me and be glad of an excuse for pillaging andconfiscating my estate. At present, then, I must regard myself solely as aFrench noble, for Villeroy has passed into the hands of France, just asfor a while it passed into the hands of England, and if this war goes onwe shall have to take a side. "

"And to which side do your thoughts incline, Sir Eustace, if I may askyou?"

"I love not either side, Guy, and would fain, if it could be so, that mysword should remain in its sheath. I fear that I shall have to go withBurgundy, for he is all-powerful in Artois; but had I been altogether freeto choose, I should have sided with Orleans. In the first place, it iscertain that the last duke was foully murdered by Burgundy, who therebylaid the foundation for the present troubles. There were jealousiesbefore, as there have always been between the great nobles, but that actforced almost all to take sides. The Dukes of Berri and Brittany, who hadbeen of the party of the late Duke of Burgundy, were driven by this foulact of his son to range themselves with Orleans. Armagnac is very powerfulin the south, Berri's dukedom is in the north, that of Orleans to thenorth-east. Burgundy's strength lies in his own dukedom, --which has everbeen all but independent of France, --in Flanders, in Artois, and in Paris;thus, generally, it is the north and east of France against the south andwest. This is broadly the case, but in a civil war provinces andcountships, neighbours, ay, and families, become split up into factions, as interest, or family ties, or the desire to increase an estate byannexing another next to it, may influence the minds of men. 

"So long as it is but a war between the great dukes and princes of Francewe smaller men may hope to hold aloof, but, as it goes on, and evil deedsare done on both sides, men's passions become heated, the spirit spreadsuntil every man's hand is against his neighbour, and he who joins notagainst one or the other finds both ready to oppress and rob him. I shouldnot have cared to bring out an English following with me had we beenforced to march any distance through France; but as Villeroy is but a fewmiles from the frontier, and of that distance well-nigh half is through myown estates, we can reach the castle almost unnoticed. Once there, thefact that I have strengthened my garrison will keep me from attack, foreither party would be chary in attacking one who can defend himselfstoutly. I was minded to leave your lady and the two younger children inEngland, but in truth she begged so hard to accompany me that I could notsay her nay. "

The Castle of Villeroy was somewhat larger than the one in which Guy hadbeen born and brought up. The plan, however, was very similar: there wasthe central keep, but, whereas at home this was the dwelling-house of thefamily, it was here used as a storehouse, and the apartments of the countand countess were in the range of buildings that formed an inner courtround the keep. In point of luxury the French were in advance of theEnglish, and they had already begun to combine comfort with strength intheir buildings. The apartments struck Guy as being wonderfully spaciousin comparison to those with which he was accustomed. On the ground floorof one side of the square was the banqueting-hall. Its walls weredecorated with arms and armour, the joists that supported the floor abovewere carved, the windows large and spacious, for, looking as they did intothe inner court, there was no occasion for their being mere loopholes. Above the banqueting-hall was a room where Lady Margaret sat with hermaids engaged in working at tapestry; here the priest gave such slightinstruction as was then considered necessary to Agnes and Charles; Henryhad already passed out of his hands. 

Next to this room was the knight's sleeping apartment, or closet as it wasthen called, a room which would now be considered of ridiculouslystraitened dimensions; and close to it were the still smaller closets ofthe children. Beyond were a series of guest-chambers. Another side of thecourt-yard contained the apartments of the castellan, Jean Bouvard, asturdy soldier of long experience, and those of the other officers of thehousehold; the other two sides were occupied by the chapel, the kitchens, and the offices of the servants and retainers. All these rooms wereloopholed on the side looking into the outer court. This was considerablywider and more extensive than the one surrounding the keep. Here were thestables, storehouses for grain and forage, and a building, just erected, for the lodging of the English garrison. All these buildings stood againstthe outer wall, so that they would afford no shelter to an enemy who hadobtained possession of the first defences and was making an attack againstthe second line. The outer wall was twelve feet in thickness, and thirtyfeet above the court; outside the height was considerably greater, asthere was a moat faced with stone fifteen feet deep entirely surroundingit, and containing seven or eight feet of water. 

Walls ran half across the outer court, and, from the end of these, lightwooden bridges formed a communication with the wall of the inner court, sothat in the event of the outer wall being stormed or the gates beingcarried by assault, the defenders could retire to the inner defences. Theends of these bridges rested upon irons projecting from the wall, and soarranged that they could be instantly withdrawn when the last of thedefenders had crossed over, when the bridges would at once fall into thecourt-yard below. The inner wall was twelve feet higher than the outerone, and, like it, was provided with a crenellated battlement four feethigh; there were projecting turrets at each corner, and one in the middleof each side. 

The keep rose twenty feet higher than the wall of the inner court. Thelower portions of the cross walls of the outer court were carried on asfar as the inner wall, thereby dividing the space into four; strong gatesgave communication from one to the other. Into these could be driven thecattle of the tenantry, and one of them contained a number of huts inwhich the tenants themselves would be lodged. The court-yard facing theentrance was the largest of the areas into which the space between theouter and inner walls was divided, extending the whole width between theouter walls. Here the military exercises were carried on. Along the wall, at each side of the gate, were a range of stables for the use of thehorses of guests, with rooms over them for the use of their retainers. There was a strong exterior work defending the approach to the drawbridgeon the other side of the moat, and in all respects the castle was wellappointed, and to Guy it seemed almost impossible that it could be carriedby assault, however numerous the foe. 

CHAPTER II

TROUBLES IN FRANCE

As soon as it was heard that the lord and lady had returned, the vassalsof Villeroy came in to pay their respects, and presents of fowls, game, and provisions of all kinds poured in. The table in the banqueting-hallwas bountifully spread, casks of wine broached, and all who came receivedentertainment. As French was still spoken a good deal at the English courtand among the nobles and barons, and was considered part of the necessaryeducation of all persons of gentle blood, Guy, who had always used it inhis conversation with his father, had no difficulty in performing his dutyof seeing that the wants of all who came were well attended to. In a fewdays guests of higher degree came in, the knights and barons of that partof the province; a few of these expressed surprise at the height of thesturdy men-at-arms and archers loitering about the court-yard. Sir Eustacealways answered any remarks made on the subject by saying, "Yes, DameMargaret and I thought that instead of keeping all our retainers doingnothing in our castle in England, where there is at present no usewhatever for their services, we might as well bring a couple of score ofthem over here. I have no wish to take part in any of the troubles thatseem likely to disturb France, but there is never any saying what mayhappen, and at any rate it costs no more to feed these men here than inEngland. "

The English archers and men-at-arms were well satisfied with theirquarters and food, and were soon on good terms with their Frenchassociates. The garrison, before their arrival, had consisted of fiftymen-at-arms, and although these had no means of communicating verballywith the new arrivals, they were not long in striking up such acquaintanceas could be gained by friendly gestures and the clinking of wine-cups. Their quarters were beside those of the English, and the whole of the men-at-arms daily performed their exercises in the court-yard together, underthe command of the castellan, while the archers marched out across thedrawbridge and practised shooting at some butts pitched there. To theFrench men-at-arms their performances appeared astounding. The French hadnever taken to archery, but the cross-bow was in use among them, and halfof the French men-at-arms had been trained in the use of this weapon, which was considered more valuable in the case of sieges than of warfarein the field. While they were able to send their bolts as far as thebowmen could shoot their arrows, there was no comparison whatever in pointof accuracy, and the archers could discharge a score of arrows while thecross-bowmen were winding up their weapons. 

"_Pardieu_, master page, " Jean Bouvard said one day as he stood withGuy watching the shooting of the archers, "I no longer wonder at the wayin which you English defeated us at Cressy and Poitiers. I have heard frommy father, who fought at Poitiers, how terrible was the rain of arrowsthat was poured upon our knights when they charged up the hill against theEnglish, but I had never thought that men could shoot with such skill andstrength. It was but yesterday that I set my men-at-arms to try and bendone of these English bows, and not one of them could draw an arrowanywhere near the head with all their efforts; while these men seem to doso with the greatest ease, and the speed with which they can shoot offarrow after arrow well-nigh passes belief. That tall fellow, who is theirchief, but now sent twenty arrows into a space no greater than a hand's-breadth, at a hundred and twenty yards, and that so quickly that he scarceseemed to take time to aim at all, and the others are well-nigh asskilful. Yesterday I put up a breastplate such as is worn by our men-at-arms and asked them to shoot at it at eighty yards. They fired a volleytogether at it. It was riddled like a colander; not one of the five-and-twenty arrows had failed to pierce it. "

"Ay, at that distance, Captain, an English archer of fair skill could notmiss it, and it needs Milan armour, and that of the best, to keep outtheir arrows. "

"By our Lady, " the captain remarked, "I should be sorry to attack a castledefended by them, and our lord has done well indeed to bring them overwith him. Your men-at-arms are stalwart fellows. My own men feel well-nighabashed when they see how these men take up a stone that they themselvescan with difficulty lift from the ground, and hurl it twenty yards away;and they whirl their heavy axes round their heads as if they were reeds. "

"They are all picked men, " Guy said with a laugh. "You must not take itthat all Englishmen are of equal strength, though no doubt Sir Eustacecould have gathered five hundred as strong had he wished it. "

"If that be so, " the captain said, "I can well believe that if France andEngland meet again on a field of battle France shall be beaten as she wasbefore. However, there is one comfort, we shall not be among the defeated;for our lord, and his father and his grandfather before, him, have everbeen with England, and Sir Eustace, having an English wife and mother, andbeing a vassal of the English crown for his estates in England, willassuredly take their part in case of a quarrel. Of course, at present wehold ourselves to be neutrals, and though our lord's leanings towardsEngland give some umbrage to his neighbours, their enmity finds noexpression, since for years now there has been no righting to speak ofbetween the two nations. How it will be if Orleans and Burgundy come toblows I know not; but if they do so, methinks our lord will have todeclare for one or the other, or he may have both upon him. A man withbroad estates, on which many cast covetous eyes, can scarce standaltogether aloof. However, if Villeroy is attacked, methinks that with thefollowing Sir Eustace has brought with him across the sea even Burgundyhimself will find that it would cost him so dearly to capture the castlethat it were best left alone. "

"How about the vassals?"

"They will fight for their lord, " Jean Bouvard answered confidently. "Yousee their fathers and grandfathers fought under the Black Prince, and itis natural that their leanings should be on that side. Then they know thatthere is no better lord in all Artois than Sir Eustace, and his dame hasmade herself much beloved among them all. There is no fear that they willdisobey our lord's orders whatever they be, and will fight as he bidsthem, for Orleans or Burgundy, England or France. He has never exercisedto the full his rights of seigneur; he has never called upon them fortheir full quota of work; no man has even been hung on his estate for twogenerations save for crime committed; no vassal's daughter has ever beencarried into the castle. I tell you there is not a man for over fiftymiles round who does not envy the vassals of Villeroy, and this would be ahappy land indeed were all lords like ours. Were we to hoist the flag onthe keep and fire a gun, every man on the estate would muster here beforesunset, and would march against the King of France himself did Sir Eustaceorder them to do so. "

"In that case what force could we put on the walls, Captain?"

"Two hundred men besides the garrison, and we have provisions stored awayin the keep sufficient for them and their women and children for a threemonths' siege. Sir Eustace gave me orders yesterday to procure wood of thekind used for arrows, and to lay in a great store of it; also to set thesmiths to work to make arrow-heads. I asked him how many, and he said, 'Let them go on at it until further orders. I should like a storesufficient at least for a hundred rounds for each of these Englisharchers, and if we had double that it would be all the better. They canmake their own arrows if they have suitable wood. ' It seemed to me thattwo hundred rounds was beyond all necessity, but now when I see that thesemen can shoot nigh twenty rounds a minute, I can well understand that agreat supply for them is needful. "

The time passed very pleasantly at Villeroy. Sometimes Guy rode with hislord and lady when they went out hawking or paid visits to neighbouringcastles. Regularly every day they practised for two hours in arms, andalthough well instructed before, Guy gained much additional skill from theteaching of Jean Bouvard, who was a famous swordsman. The latter wassurprised at finding that the page was able to draw the English bows aswell as the archers, and that, although inferior to Long Tom and three orfour of the best shots, he was quite as good a marksman as the majority. Moreover, though of gentle blood he would join with the men in their boutsof quarter-staff, and took no more heed of a broken head than they did. 

[Illustration: GUY HAS HIS HEAD BOUND UP AFTER A BOUT AT QUARTER-STAFF. ]

"_Pardieu_, master page, " he said one day when Guy came in from thecourt-yard to have his head, which was streaming with blood, bound up, "our French pages would marvel indeed if they saw you. They all practisein arms as you do, save with the shooting; but they would consider itwould demean them sorely to join in such rough sports with theirinferiors, or to run the risk of getting their beauty spoiled by a roughblow. No wonder your knights strike so mightily in battle when they areaccustomed to strike so heavily in sport. I saw one of your men-at-armsyesterday bury his axe to the very head in a block of oak; he wagered astoup of wine that no two of my men-at-arms would get the axe out, and hewon fairly, for indeed it took four of the knaves at the handle to tug itout, and then indeed it needed all their strength. No armour ever forgedcould have withstood such a blow; it-would have cracked both the casqueand the skull inside like egg-shells. It seemed to me that a thousand suchmen, with as many archers, could march through France from end to end, ifthey kept well together, and were well supplied with meat and drink by theway--they would need that, for they are as good trenchermen as they arefighters, and indeed each man amongst them eats as much as three of myfellows. "

"Yes, they want to be well fed, " Guy laughed, "and they are rarely pleasedwith the provision that you make for them; surely not one of them ever fedso well before. "

"Food does not cost much, " the captain said; "we have herds of our ownwhich run half wild on the low ground near the river, which our lordsalways keep in hand for their own uses, and they multiply so fast thatthey are all the better for thinning; we sell a few occasionally, but theyare so wild that it scarce pays the trouble of driving them to the nearestmarket, and we are always ready to grant permission to any of the vassals, whose cattle have not done as well as usual, to go out and kill one or twofor meat. "

"I hear from the Governor of Calais, " Sir Eustace said, when he returnedfrom a visit to that town, "that a truce has been agreed upon betweenEngland and France for a year; it is France who asked for it, I suppose. Both parties here wanted to be able to fight it out without interference. Here, in Artois, where the Burgundians are most numerous, they willprofit, as they will have no fear of England trying to regain some of herlost territory, while in the south it will leave Armagnac and his friendsequally free from English incursions from Guienne. "

"And how will it affect us, Eustace?" his wife asked. 

"That I have not been able fully to determine. At any rate they will haveno excuse for attacking us upon the ground that we are partly English, andwholly so in feeling; but upon the other hand, if we are attacked eitherby Burgundians or Orleanists, we cannot hope, as we should have donebefore, for aid from Calais, lying as we do some fifteen miles beyond thefrontier. Amiens has already declared for Burgundy, in spite of the factthat a royal proclamation has been issued, and sent to every town andbailiwick through France, strictly commanding all persons whatsoever notto interfere, or in any manner to assist the Dukes of Orleans or Burgundyin their quarrels with each other. I hear that the Duke of Burgundy hasseized Roye, Nesle, and Ham, and a number of other places, and that bothparties are fortifying all their towns. They say, too, that there is newsthat the king has again been seized with one of his fits of madness. However, that matters little. He has of late been a tool in the hands ofBurgundy, and the royal signature has no weight one way or the other. However, now that hostilities have begun, we must lose no time, for at anymoment one party or the other may make a sudden attack upon us. Burgundyand Orleans may quarrel, but it is not for love of one or the other thatmost of the nobles will join in the fray, but merely because it offersthem an opportunity for pillaging and plundering, and for paying off oldscores against neighbours. Guy, bid John Harpen come hither. "

When the esquire entered, Sir Eustace went on:

"Take two men-at-arms, John, and ride round to all the tenants. Warn themthat there are plundering bands about, and that either the Burgundians orthe Orleanists may swoop down upon us any day. Tell them that they hadbetter send in here all their valuables, and at any rate the best of theircattle and horses, and to have everything prepared for bringing in theirwives and families and the rest of their herds at a moment's notice. Youcan say that if they like they can at once send their wives and familiesin, with such store of grain and forage as they can transport; the morethe better. If the plunderers come, so much the more is saved fromdestruction; if we are besieged, so much the more food have we here. Thosewho do not send in their families would do well to keep a cart with twostrong horses ready day and night, so that no time would be lost when theyget the signal. We shall fire a gun, hoist the flag, and light a bonfireon the keep, so that they may see the smoke by day or the fire by night. Tell Jean Bouvard to come to me. "

"There is trouble afoot, Jean, and at any moment we may be attacked. Placetwo men-at-arms on each of the roads to St. Omer, St. Pol, and Bethune. Post them yourself at the highest points you can find near our boundary. By each have a pile of faggots, well smeared with pitch, and have anotherpile ready on the keep, and a watch always stationed there. He is to lightit at once when he sees smoke or fire from either of the three points. Letthe men at the outposts be relieved every four hours. They must, ofcourse, be mounted. Let one of the two remain by the faggots, and let theother ride three or four miles in advance, and so post himself as to see along distance down the road. 

"If he sees a force advancing he must gallop back at full speed to hiscomrade, and light the fire. Have a gun always loaded on the keep, andhave a brazier burning hard by, with an iron in it, so that the piece maybe fired the instant smoke is seen. It might be two or three minutesbefore the beacon would give out smoke enough to be noticed, and everyminute may be of the greatest importance to the vassals. As soon as youreturn from setting the posts see that everything is in readiness here. Imyself will make sure that the drawbridge works easily and the portcullisruns freely in its groove. I have already sent off John Harpen to warn thetenants, and doubtless many of them will be in this afternoon. Send Pierrewith four men, and tell them to drive up a number of the cattle from themarshes. They need not trouble to hunt them all up today. Let them bringthe principal herd, the others we will fetch in to-morrow, or let themrange where they are until we have further news. "

In a few minutes the castle resounded with the din of preparations underthe superintendence of Sir Eustace. The men-at-arms and archers carried upstones from the great pile that had been collected in the court-yard inreadiness, to the various points on the walls that would be most exposedto assault. Others were employed in fixing barricades in the court-yard atthe rear for the reception of the herd of half-wild cattle. The water wasturned from the little rivulet running down to the Somme into the moat. Two or three bullocks were killed to furnish food for the fugitives whomight come in, and straw was laid down thickly in the sheds that would beoccupied by them. Machines for casting heavy stones were taken from thestorehouse and carried up to the walls, and set up there. Large stonetroughs placed in the court-yard were filled with water, and beforenightfall everything was in readiness. 

As Sir Eustace had anticipated, most of the vassals whose farms lay at adistance from the castle came in with their wives and families in thecourse of the afternoon, bringing carts laden with their household goods, and a considerable number of horses and cattle. Lady Margaret herself sawthat they were established as comfortably as possible in the sheds, whichwere large enough to contain all the women and children on the estate. Asfor the men, no such provision was necessary, as at this time of the yearthey could sleep in the open air. Guy was busy all day seeing that theorders of his lord were carried out, and especially watching theoperations of putting the ballistas and catapults together on the walls. Cannon, though now in use, had by no means superseded these machines, forthey were cumbrous and clumsy, and could only be fired at considerableintervals, and their aim was by no means accurate or their rangeextensive, as the charge of powder that could be used in them wascomparatively small, and the powder itself ill-made and defective instrength. 

Guy was struck with the difference of demeanour between the men-at-armsand archers, especially among the English contingent, and that of thefugitives who poured in. What was a terrible blow to the latter was thecause of a scarce concealed gratification among the former. The two monthsthat had been spent at the castle had, to the English, been a somewhatmonotonous time, and the prospect of active service and of the giving andtaking of blows made their blood course more rapidly through their veins. It was the prospect of fighting rather than of pay that had attracted themto the service of Sir Eustace. Then, as for a century previous and untilquite modern days, Frenchmen were regarded as the natural foes of England, and however large a force an English king wished to collect for service inFrance, he had never any difficulty whatever in obtaining the number heasked for, and they were ready cheerfully to give battle whatever the oddsagainst them. The English archer's confidence in himself and his skill wasindeed supreme. Before the shafts of his forefathers the flower of theFrench chivalry had gone down like rushes before a scythe, and from beinga mere accessory to a battle the English archers had become the backboneof the force. Their skill, in fact, had revolutionized warfare, had brokenthe power of cavalry, and had added to the dignity and value of infantry, who had become, as they have ever since continued to be, the prime factorin warfare. Consequently the English archers and men-at-arms went abouttheir work of preparation with a zest and cheerfulness that showed theirsatisfaction in it. 

"Why, Tom, " Guy said to the tall leader of the archers, "you look aspleased as if it were a feast rather than a fray for which you werepreparing. "

"And so I feel, Master Guy. For what have I been practising with the bowsince I was eight years old but that I might, when the time came, send anarrow straight through the bars of a French vizor? In faith, I began tothink that I should never have an opportunity of exercising my skill onanything more worthy than a target or peeled wand. Since our kings havegiven up leading armies across the sea, there was no way but to takeservice with our lord when I heard that he wanted a small company ofarchers for the defence of his castle over here, and since we have come ithas seemed to us all that we were taking pay and food under falsepretences, and that we might as well have stopped at home where, at least, we can compete in all honour and good temper against men as good asourselves, and with the certainty of winning a few silver pennies, to saynothing of plaudits from the onlookers. 'Tis with our people as with theknights of old; if they win in a tournament they take the armour of thevanquished, the prize from the Queen of Beauty, and many a glance ofadmiration from bright eyes. It is the same with us; for there is not anEnglish maid but would choose an archer who stands straight and firm, andcan carry off a prize when in good company, to a hind who thinks of naughtbut delving the soil and tending the herd. "

Guy laughed. "I suppose it is the same, when you put it so, Long Tom; butthere will be none of your English maids to watch your prowess here. "

"No, Master Guy; but here we shall fight for our own satisfaction, andprove to ourselves that we are as good men as our fathers were. I knownaught of this quarrel. Had Sir Eustace taken us into the field to fightfor one or other of these factions concerning which we know nothing, weshould doubtless have done our duty and fought manfully. But we are allglad that here we are doing what we came for; we are going to defend thecastle against Frenchmen of some sort or other who would do ill to ourlord and lady, and we shall fight right heartily and joyfully, and shouldstill do so were it the mad king of France himself who marched against us. Besides, master, we should be less than men if we did not feel for thefrightened women and children who, having done no wrong, and caring naughtfor these factions, are forced to flee from their homes for their lives;so we shall strike in just as we should strike in were we to come upon aband of robbers ill-treating a woman at home. .. . Think you that they willcome, master?" he added eagerly. 

"That I cannot say surely, Tom; but Sir Eustace has news that theBurgundians have already seized several towns and placed garrisons there, and that armed bands are traversing the country, burning and pillaging. Whether they will feel strong enough to make an attack on this castle Iknow not, but belike they will do so, for Sir Eustace, belonging as hedoes, and as his fathers have done before him, to the English party, neither of the others will feel any good-will towards him, and some of hisneighbours may well be glad to take advantage of this troubled time toendeavour to despoil him of his castle and possessions. "

"They will want to have good teeth to crack this nut, Master Guy--goodteeth and strong; and methinks that those who come to pluck the feathersmay well go back without their own. We have a rare store of shafts ready, and they will find that their cross-bowmen are of little use againstpicked English archers, even though there be but twenty-five of us inall. "

"You know very well, Long Tom, that you would have come over here whetherthere was any chance of your drawing your bow on a Frenchman or not. "

"That is true enough, Master Guy. Our lady wanted some bowmen, and I, whohave been born and bred on the estate, was of course bound to go with her. Then you see, Master Guy, haven't I taught you to use the bow and thequarter-staff, and carried you on my shoulder many a score of times whenyou were a little lad and I was a big boy? It would not have been naturalfor you to have gone out with a chance of getting into a fight without mybeing there to draw a shaft when you needed it. Why, Ruth Gregory, whosesworn bachelor you know I am, would have cried shame on me if I hadlingered behind. I told her that if I stayed it would be for her sake, andyou should have seen how she flouted me, saying that she would have notall lout hiding behind her petticoats, and that if I stayed, it shouldnot be as her man. And now I must be off to my supper, or I shall findthat there is not a morsel left for me. "

The gates of the castle were closed that night, but it was not considerednecessary to lower the drawbridge. Two sentries were posted at the workbeyond the moat, and one above the gate, besides the watcher at the top ofthe keep. The next day things were got into better order. More barricadeswere erected for the separation of the cattle; a portion was set aside forhorses. The provisions brought in from the farms were stored away in themagazines. The women and children began to settle down more comfortably intheir sheds. The best of the horses and cattle were removed into the innercourt-yard. The boys were set drawing water and filling the troughs, whilesome of the farm men were told off to carry the fodder to the animals, most of which, however, were for the time turned out to graze near thecastle. Many of the men who had come in had returned to their work on thefarms. During the day waggons continued to arrive with stores of grain andforage; boys and girls drove in flocks of geese and turkeys and largenumbers of ducks and hens, until the yard in which the sheds were wascrowded with them. By nightfall every preparation was complete, and evenJean Bouvard himself could find nothing further to suggest. 

"If they are coming, " he said to Sir Eustace, "the sooner they come thebetter, my lord; we have done all that we can do, and had best get it overwithout more ado. "

"I still hope that no one will come, Bouvard, but I agree with you, thatif it is to come the sooner the better. But there is no saying, it may beto-morrow, it may be months before we are disturbed. Still, in a war likethis, it is likely that all will try and get as much as they can asquickly as possible, for at any moment it may suit Burgundy and Orleans topatch up their quarrel again. Burgundy is astute and cunning, and if hesees that the Orleans princes with Armagnac and the Duke of Bourbon arelikely to get the best of it, he will use the king and queen to interveneand stop the fighting. Seeing that this may be so, the rogues who havetheir eye on their neighbours' goods and possessions will, you may besure, lose no time in stretching out their hands for them. "

A week later came the news that Sir Clugnet de Brabant, who styled himselfAdmiral of France, had gathered two thousand men from the Orleanistgarrisons and, with scaling-ladders and other warlike machines, hadattacked the town of Rethel. The inhabitants had, however, notice of theircoming, and resisted so stoutly that the Orleanists had been forced toretreat, and had then divided into two parties, each of whom had scouredthe country, making prisoners all whom they met, firing the villages anddriving off the cattle, and then returned to the town of Ham and to thevarious garrisons from which they had been drawn. Some of the tenants hadreturned to their farms, but when the news spread they again took refugein the castle. It was probable that Artois, where almost all the townswere held by the Burgundian party, would be the next object of attack. TheOrleanists remained quiet for eight days only, then the news came thatthey had moved out again from Ham eight thousand strong, and were marchingwest. 

Two days later several fugitives from the country round arrived at thecastle with news that the Orleanists were advancing against Bapaume, andthe next morning they heard that they had, after a fierce fight, won theirway to the gate of the town. The Burgundian garrison had then sallied outand at first met with success, but had been obliged to retreat within thewalls again. The Orleanists, however, considering the place too strong tobe captured without a long siege, which might be interrupted by aBurgundian force from Flanders, had drawn off from the place, but werestill marching north burning and plundering. 

"It is likely enough that they will come this way, " Sir Eustace said as heand Jean Bouvard talked the matter over. "Assuredly Arras will be toostrong for them to attempt. The straight line would take them to St. Pol, but the castle there is a very strong one also. They may sack and burnAvesne and Auvigni, and then, avoiding both St. Pol and Arras, marchbetween them to Pernes, which is large enough to give them much plunder, but has no force that could resist them. As Pernes is but four miles away, their next call may be here. "

"But why should they attack us, Sir Eustace? for here, too, they mightreckon upon more hard blows than plunder. "

"It will depend upon whom they have with them, " Sir Eustace replied. "Theysay that our neighbour Hugh de Fruges went south ten days ago to join theDuke of Bourbon; his castle is but a small place, and as most of Artois isBurgundian he might be afraid he might be captured. He has never borne megood-will, and might well persuade the duke that were my castle andestates in his possession he might do good service to the cause; and that, moreover, standing as we do within twelve miles of the English frontier, its possession might be very valuable to him should the Orleanists everhave occasion to call in the aid of England, or to oppose their advanceshould the Burgundians take that step. "

"Surely neither of these factions will do that, Sir Eustace. "

"Why not, Bouvard? Every time that English armies have passed into Francethey have done it at the invitation of French nobles who have embroiledthemselves with their kings. Burgundy and Orleans, Bourbon and Brittany, each fights for his own hand, and cares little for France as a whole. Theymay be vassals of the Valois, but they regard themselves as being nearly, if not altogether, their equals, and are always ready to league themselveswith each other, or if it needs be with the English, against the throne. "

At nine o'clock on the following evening Sir Eustace and his family werestartled by the report of the gun on the keep, and, running out, saw thesignal-fire beginning to blaze up. 

"Above there!" Sir Eustace shouted, "where is the alarm?"

"A fire has just blazed up on the road to St. Pol, " the warder replied. 

"Blow your horn, then, loudly and urgently. "

The news that the Orleanists were marching north from Bapaume had causedthe greater portion of the farmers to come in on the previous day, and ina short time those who were nearest to the castle, and who hadconsequently delayed as long as possible, began to arrive. The garrisonwere already under arms, and had taken the places assigned to them on thewalls. All the tenants had brought their arms in with them, and were nowdrawn up in the court-yard, where a large bonfire, that had been for somedays in readiness, was now blazing. The new-comers, after turning theirhorses into the inclosure with those already there, joined them. All hadbeen acquainted with the share they were to bear should the place bebesieged. They were to be divided into two parties, one of which was to beon duty on the walls with the garrison, the other to be held in reserve, and was--every six hours when matters were quiet--to relieve the party onthe walls, or, when an attack took place, to be under arms and ready tohasten to any spot where its aid was required. The men were now inspectedby Sir Eustace, additional arms were served out from the armoury to thosewhose equipment was insufficient, and they were then dismissed to jointheir wives and families until called to the walls. 

[Illustration: "THE TWO MEN WHO LIT THE ALARM FIRES RODE INTO THECASTLE. "]

CHAPTER III

A SIEGE

The two men who had lit the alarm fires had already ridden in. Theyreported that they had, just as it became dark, seen flames rising from avillage three miles from them, and that the man in advance had riddenforward until near enough to see that a great body of men were issuingfrom the village in the direction of the castle. 

Ten of the English men-at-arms, and as many French, were now posted in theoutwork at the head of the drawbridge under the command of Jean Bouvard. Sir Eustace placed himself with his squire on the wall above the gate, andfour men were stationed at the chains of the drawbridge in readiness tohoist it should the order be given. The English archers were on the wallbeside Sir Eustace, as their arrows commanded the ground beyond theoutwork. Half an hour after the first alarm was given the tale of thetenants was found to be complete, and the guards on the other two roadshad also ridden in. Guy, to his great satisfaction, had been ordered bySir Eustace to don his armour and to take his place beside him. 

It was upwards of an hour before a body of horsemen could be heardapproaching. They came at a leisurely pace, for the bonfire on the roadand that on the keep had apprised them that their hope of taking thecastle by surprise had been frustrated by the disobedience of some oftheir men, who, in defiance of the strictest orders to the contrary, hadset fire to several houses in the village after having plundered them. SirEustace, accompanied by his esquire and Guy, descended from the wall andcrossed the drawbridge to the outwork. As soon as the horsemen came withinbow-shot of the castle they lighted some torches, and three knights, preceded by a trooper carrying a white flag, and two others with torches, came towards the work. When within fifty yards of the postern they halted. 

"Is Sieur Eustace de Villeroy present?"

"I am here, " Sir Eustace replied, and at his order two men with torchestook their place one on each side of him. "Who are you that approach mycastle in armed force?"

"I am Sir Clugnet de Brabant, Admiral of France. These are Sir ManessierGuieret and Sir Hugh de Fruges, and we come in the name of the Duke ofOrleans to summon you to admit a garrison of his highness's troops. "

"I am neither for Orleans nor for Burgundy, " Sir Eustace replied. "I am asimple knight, holding my castle and estate as a vassal of the crown, andam ready to obey the orders of the king, --and of him only when he is in acondition of mind to give such orders. Until then I shall hold my castle, and will admit no garrison whether of Orleans or of Burgundy. "

"We hold you to be but a false vassal of the crown, and we are told thatat heart you are an enemy to France and devoted to England. "

"I am a vassal of England for the estates of my wife in that country, " SirEustace said; "and as at present there is a truce between the two nations, I can serve here the King of France as faithfully as if, in England, Ishould serve the King of England. "

"Nevertheless, Sir Eustace, you will have to receive a garrison ofOrleans. I have at my back eight thousand men, and if you compel me tostorm this hold of yours I warn you that all within its walls will be putto the sword. "

"Thanks for your warning, Sir Knight; and I on my part warn you that, eight thousand though you be, I shall resist you to the death, and thatyou will not carry eight thousand away. As for Sir Hugh de Fruges, I givehim my open defiance. I know it is to him that I owe this raid; and if hebe man enough, I challenge him to meet me in the morning on fair groundoutside this postern, with lance and battle-axe, to fight to the death. Ifhe conquers, my castle shall be surrendered to him, upon promise of goodtreatment and a safe-conduct to depart where they will for all within it;but if I slay him, you must give me your knightly oath that you and yourfollowing will depart forthwith. "

"The conditions would be hardly fair, Sir Eustace, " Sir Clugnet said; "andthough I doubt not that Sir Hugh would gladly accept them, I cannot permithim to do so. I have brought some eight thousand men here to capture thiscastle, and hold it for the Duke of Orleans, and I see not why I shouldmarch away with them because you may perchance prove a better fighter thanSir Hugh. I am ready, however, to give a safe-conduct to all within thewalls if you will surrender. "

"That will I not do, Sir Clugnet. I hold this castle neither for Burgundynor Orleans, and am ready to give pledge that I will not draw sword foreither of these princes; but if that will not content you, you must eventake my castle if you can, and I give you fair warning that it will costyou dear. "

"Then adieu, Sir Knight, until to-morrow morning, when we will talk inother fashion. "

"So be it, " Sir Eustace replied, "you will not find me backward inreturning any courtesies you may pay me. "

The knights turned away with their torch-bearers. 

"Keep a close watch to-night, Bouvard, " Sir Eustace said. "Mark you whatthe knight said, --adieu till the morning. Had I to deal with a loyalgentleman I could have slept soundly, but with these adventurers it isdifferent. It may be that he truly does not intend to attack till morning, but it is more likely that he used the words in order to throw us off ourguard. "

"We will keep close ward, Sir Eustace. All the men-at-arms have theircross-bows, and though I say not that they can shoot like these Englisharchers, they can shoot straight enough to do good work should thosefellows attempt in force to cross the small moat and attack the gate. Butif they come, methinks it will be but to try if we are wakeful; 'tis nolight thing to attack even an outwork like this, with this loop from themoat surrounding it, without previous examination of the ground andreconnoitring of the castle. "

"They would not attempt to attack the fortress itself, " Sir Eustace said;"but if they could seize this outwork by surprise it would mightily aidthem in their attack on the fortress; at any rate I will send down fivearchers, and if any of the enemy crawl up to see how wide the water ishere, and how the attempt had best be made, I warrant that they will notreturn if the archers can but get a sight of them. Post half your men onthe wall, and let the others sleep; change them every two hours--we wantno sleepy heads in the morning. "

By this time the confused sound of a large number of men marching could bemade out, and a quarter of an hour later three or four cottages, some fivehundred yards away, were fired, and an angry murmur broke from the men asthe flames shot up. After sending down the five archers, Sir Eustacereturned to his post over the main gate, "Get cressets and torches in readiness to light if they attack thepostern, " Sir Eustace said; "we must have light to see how things go, sothat we may hoist the drawbridge as soon as our men are upon it, shouldthe enemy get the better of them. Be sure that one is not left behind; itwere better that half a dozen of the enemy set foot on the drawbridge thanthat one of our brave fellows should be sacrificed. "

"I should think that there is no fear of their attacking until thoseflames have burnt down; we should see them against the light, " John Harpensaid. 

"No, there is no fear of their attacking; but the fire would be ofadvantage if any men were crawling up to spy. Of course they would notcross the slope in a line with the fire, but would work along on eitherside, reckoning, and with reason, that as our men would have the light intheir eyes they would be all the less likely to make out objects crawlingalong in the shade by the side of the moat. Plant half a dozen bowmen atintervals on the wall, Tom, and tell them to keep a shrewd eye on theground near the moat, and if they see aught moving there to try it with anarrow. "

There was shouting and noise up by the burning cottages, where the enemywere feasting on the spoils they had taken, and drinking from the wine-barrels that had been brought with them in carts from the last villagethat they had plundered. 

 "I wish we were somewhat stronger, or they somewhat weaker, " Sir Eustacesaid; "were it so, we would make a sally, and give the knaves a sharplesson, but with only two hundred men against their eight thousand itwould be madness to try it; we might slay a good many, but might lose ascore before we were back in the castle, and it would be a heavy loss tous. "

"I was thinking that myself, Sir Eustace, " his esquire said. "That is theworst of being on the defence; one sees such chances but cannot availone's self of them. "

In the castle everything was quiet, and all those not on duty were alreadyasleep. Along the wall watchers stood at short intervals peering into thedarkness, but the main body there were also stretched on the wall withtheir arms by their side until required to be up and doing. Now that SirEustace was himself at the gate his esquire went round the walls at shortintervals to be sure that the men on watch were vigilant. Presently a loudcry was heard from the corner of the moat away to the right. 

"Go and see what is doing, Guy, " Sir Eustace said, "and bring me news. "

Guy ran along to the angle of the wall. Here one of the archers wasposted. 

"What is it, Dickon?"

"A man crept up to that corner opposite, Master Guy. I could not havesworn to him, it is so pesky dark, but I thought there was somethingmoving there and shot almost at a venture, for I could scarce see the endof my arrow; but it hit there or thereabouts, for I heard him shout. Amoment later he was on his feet and running. I could see him more plainlythen, so I shot again, and over he went. I fancy that in the morning youwill see my arrow sticking up somewhere between his shoulder-blades, though there is no saying precisely, for a nicety of shooting is not to belooked for in the dark, "

"You have done very well, Dickon. Keep your eyes open; we may be surethere are more than one of these fellows about. "

Guy hurried back with the news. 

"That is good, " said Sir Eustace, "and it was just as well that the archerdid not kill him outright with his first arrow, the cry will show any ofhis comrades who may be about that they had best keep their distance fromthe walls. "

A minute's silence followed, and then Long Tom said, "There is another hashad his lesson, Sir Eustace. I heard a bow twang across there, and asthere was no cry you may be sure that the shaft sped straight, and thatthe man had no time to utter one. "

"He may have been missed altogether, Tom. "

"Missed altogether! no indeed, Sir Eustace, there is no fear of that. There is not one of the men on the wall who would miss a man whose figurehe could make out at fifty yards' distance, and they would scarce see themuntil they were as close as that. No, my lord, I would wager a month's paythat when morning dawns there is a dead man lying somewhere in front ofthe outwork. "

"Now, Guy, you had best go up to your room and lie down until daylight, "Sir Eustace said. "There will be naught doing to-night, and unless I ammistaken, we shall be busy from sunrise till sunset. I shall myself liedown for a couple of hours presently, and then send John Harpen to resttill daylight. Long Tom, see that you yourself and all your men take ashort sleep by turns; we shall need your eyes to be open above all othersto-morrow. "

Guy promptly obeyed the order. Dame Margaret was still up. 

"Is everything quiet, Guy?" she asked as she entered, "So quiet, my lady, that Sir Eustace has ordered me to bed, and he saidthat he himself should come down for a short sleep presently. Two spieswho crawled up have been slain by the archers. Sir Eustace is sure that noattack will be made before morning. "

Then he went into his little room and threw himself onto his pallet. During the first few minutes he lifted his head several times fancyingthat he heard noises; then he fell into a sound sleep and did not awakeuntil the day dawned. 

In a few minutes Guy was on the wall. The night had passed quietly; so faras was known no fresh attempt at reconnoitring the works had been made, and as the moon had risen soon after he had gone to bed there was reasonto believe that the fact that the two spies had not returned was so stronga proof of the vigilance of the garrison, that the enemy had been contentto wait until morning. Just as the sun rose the three knights who hadsummoned the castle on the preceding evening appeared on the brow of theopposite slope, accompanied by a body of men-at-arms, and rode slowlyround the castle. From time to time they halted, and were evidentlyengaged in a discussion as to the point at which it could be bestattacked. 

"Shall I shoot, my lord?" Long Tom asked. "They are some two hundred andfifty yards away, but from this height methinks that I could reach them. "

"It would be useless, " Sir Eustace said; "you could hit them, I doubt not, but you would not pierce their armour at this distance, and it is as wellthat they should not know how far our bows will carry until we are sure ofdoing execution when we shoot; besides I would rather that they began thefight. The quarrel is not one of my seeking, and I will leave it to themto open the ball. It is true that they did so last night by sending theirspies here, but we have balanced that account. Moreover, if they are toattack, the sooner the better. They may have gained news from Sir Hugh ofthe coming here of the English archers and the men-at-arms, but if theyhave not done so we shall have a rare surprise in store for them. "

After the knights had made a circuit of the castle they retired, andpresently a dense mass of men appeared from behind the brow on which thecottages they had burned had stood. 

"They have bundles of faggots, Sir Eustace!" Guy exclaimed. 

"So they have, Guy! Your eye is a good one. It seemed to me that theoutline was a strange one, but doubtless it is as you say--that each manhas a faggot on his shoulder. It is evident that they intend, in the firstplace, to assault the postern, and have brought the faggots to fill up theditch. "

Then he turned to the gunners at the cannon. 

"Lay your pieces so as to bear on them when they come half-way down thehill, " he said, "and shoot when they are fairly in the line of fire. Takethe same orders, Guy, to the men working the ballistas and mangonels onthe wall. Tell them not to loose their machines until after the guns arefired. If the fellows take to flight, tell them not to waste theirmissiles; if they advance, let them be sure that they are well withinrange before they shoot. "

With loud shouts the enemy came down the slope. When they were half-waydown the two guns roared out, and their shot ploughed two lanes in thecrowded body. There was a movement of retreat, but the three knights andseveral others threw themselves in front, waving their swords andshouting, and the Orleanists rallied and moved forward, but at a muchslower pace than before. They had gone but a short distance when thearrows of the archers in the outwork and the bolts of the cross-bowsworked by the men-at-arms there, began to fall among them. So true was theaim of the archers that scarce a shaft was wasted. At the distance atwhich they were shooting they did not aim at the knights, whose vizors andcoats of mail could not have been pierced, but shot at the commonalty, whose faces and throats were for the most part unprotected. Man after manfell, and the cross-bow bolts also told heavily upon the crowd. They hadcome down but a short distance farther when Long Tom, and the archers withhim on the wall, began to send their arrows thick and fast, and themachines hurled heavy stones with tremendous force among them. A momentlater the French broke and fled up the slope again, leaving some fifty oftheir number stretched on the ground. The knights followed more slowly. When they reached the crest a group of them gathered around Sir Clugnet deBrabant. 

"By my faith, " the latter said bitterly, "we have reckoned without ourhost, Sir Knights. We came to shear, but in good sooth we seem more likelyto go back shorn. Truly those knaves shoot marvellously; scarce an arrowwent astray. "

"As I mentioned to you, Sir Clugnet, " Sir Hugh de Fruges said, "SirEustace brought with him from England five-and-twenty bowmen, and I heardtell from men who had seen them trying their skill at targets that theywere in no wise inferior to those with whom we have before had to deal toour cost. "

"Truly ye did so, Sir Hugh; but the matter made no impression upon mymind, except as a proof that the knight's inclinations were still withEngland, and that it were well that his castle were placed in betterkeeping; but in truth these fellows shoot marvellously, both for strengthand trueness of aim. I marked as we came back that of the men we passedlying there, nigh all those who had been struck with arrows were hit inthe face or throat, and yet the distance must have been over a hundred andfifty yards. "

"I can answer for the force, " one of the others said, "for a shaft struckme fairly on the chest, and hurled me to the ground as if it had been theshock of a lance, and it is well my mail was of the best work of Milan;but nevertheless the arrow broke two of the links; if the distance hadbeen shorter, I doubt not that it would have slain me. Well, what shall wedo next, gentlemen? For very shame we cannot with eight thousand men marchaway having accomplished nothing. The question is, where shall our nextattack be delivered?"

"Methinks, " another knight said, "we delivered our attack too rashly. HadI known that there were English archers there I should have advisedwaiting until nightfall, and I think that it would be best to do so now. If we take our fellows up while there is light they will suffer so muchfrom the stings of these wasps that they will soon lose heart. The knavesshoot not only straight and strong, but they shoot so fast that though, asyou say, there may be but twenty-five of them, the air seemed full ofarrows, and had you told us that there were two hundred archers shooting, I should have thought the estimate a reasonable one. "

They stood for some time discussing the best method of attack, and as soonas they had settled upon it the men were told to scatter. Some were to goto the farmhouses, and bring up any hides that might be stored there, andto fetch all the hurdles they could lay hands upon; a portion were to goto the woods and cut timber for making mantlets and cover, while twothousand were to remain under arms in case the garrison should make asortie. 

Within the castle all were in high spirits at the easy repulse of thefirst attack. 

"Sir Clugnet must have learned from Sir Hugh of my having English archersand men-at-arms here, " Sir Eustace said to his lieutenant, "and yet headvanced as carelessly and confidently as if he had been attacking a placedefended only by fat Flemish burghers; however, he has had his lesson, andas it is said he is a good knight, he will doubtless profit by it, and weshall hear no more of him till after the sun has set. Run up to the top ofthe keep, Guy, and bring me back news what they are doing. "

In a few minutes the lad returned. "There are two or three thousand ofthem, my lord, drawn up in a body beyond the crest; the rest of them arescattering in various directions. "

"That is as I expected, " Sir Eustace remarked; "they have gone to preparematerials for a regular attack. It may be delivered to-night, or may bedelayed for a day or two; however, we shall be ready for them. JeanBouvard, do you go round the walls and tell all, save a few as sentries, to retire until the watchman blows his horn to warn us if they seem to begathering for an attack; and do you, Long Tom, give the same orders toyour archers. There is no use wasting the men's strength till the workbegins in earnest. If Sir Clugnet is wise he will march away at once. Hewould need heavy machines and cannon to make a breach in our walls, andeven had he an abundance of them it would take him some time to do so. Ifhe tries again, you may be sure that it will be the work of Sir Hugh deFruges, who has no doubt a lively interest in the matter. He is a cleverfellow, and will no doubt do his best to work on the feelings of the otherknights by representing that it would be disgraceful for so large a forceto abandon the enterprise merely because a first hasty attack, deliveredwithout preparation, had been repulsed. The fact that they have made socareful an examination of the castle would seem in itself to show thatthey intended to renew the attempt in another form if the first onsetfailed, and, moreover, the scattering of the force afterwards while theknights still remained with a large body here points in the samedirection. "

Guy on descending from the keep joined Sir Eustace and his wife in theirapartments. 

"The lad has borne himself bravely, " Sir Eustace said approvingly to hiswife; "he was standing beside me when their shot was bringing down thedust round our ears, and he neither started nor flinched, though in truthit was far from pleasant, especially as we had nothing to do but to lookon. It may be next time we shall have sterner fighting, and I doubt notthat he will bear himself well. "

"Could I not come up and carry your messages, father?" Henry asked; "I amnot strong like Guy, but I could do that. "

"He is too young for it yet, Eustace, " Dame Margaret broke in. 

"Nay, wife, " the knight said gently, "the lad is not too young for suchservice. There will be little danger in it, for his head will not showover the battlements, and it is well that he should learn to hear withoutfear the whizz of an arrow or the shock of a great stone from a ballista, the clash of arms, and the shouting of men. As he says, he is not yetstrong enough to bear arms, but he will learn to brace his nerves and showa bold front in danger; that is a lesson that cannot be learned too young. Yes, Henry, you shall be my messenger. If they try an assault to-night, you shall put on for the first time the steel cap and breastpiece I hadmade for you in England; there will be no danger of your being hit bycrossbow bolt or arrow, but there may be splinters of stone flying when amissile hits the battlement. Take no arms with you, only your dagger; theywould be useless to you, and would hamper your movements in getting pastthe men on the wall, or in running up and down the steps leading to it. Now you had better lie down; both Guy and myself are going to do so. Atsunset, if no alarm comes before, you will be called. "

"We must not coddle the boy, Margaret, " he said as Guy and Henry went off. "I know that he is not physically strong as yet, and sorry I am that itshould be so, but he might exert himself more than he does, and he is aptto think too much of his ailments. I was glad when he volunteered to dosomething, for it is at least as well that he should be able to stand fireeven if he cannot learn the use of arms; moreover, it may be that afteronce bearing a part in a fray he may incline more warmly to warlikeexercises than he has hitherto done; it may rouse in him a spirit whichhas so far been wanting. I have often thought that it would have beenbetter if Agnes had been the boy and he the girl; she has far more courageand fire than he has. You remember when that savage bull chased them, howshe saw him first over the stile and got tossed over after him for herpains?"

Dame Margaret nodded. "I am not likely to forget it, Eustace, seeing thather arm was broken and I had to nurse her for six weeks. Do you know thatshe was up on the top of the keep while the fighting was going on? Ofcourse I was there myself, and she begged so hard to be allowed to remainwith me that I had not the heart to say her nay. "

"Was Henry there too?"

"Oh, yes; and shouted with the best of them when the enemy fled over thehill. Even Charlie was there, and as excited as either of them. Of course, I had to hold him up sometimes for him to be able to see what was goingon; and he looked rather pale at first, when they opened fire, but he soonplucked up when he saw that their shot did no damage near us. You see heis a strong healthy boy; while Henry has always been weak, although I donot think that he lacks courage. "

"He ought not, wife; he comes from a fighting stock on either side. But Ifear that unless he changes greatly he is cut out rather for a monk than aman-at-arms. And now I will lie down, for you may be sure that I shall notclose an eye to-night. Did you note the banner of Hugh de Fruges with theothers?"

"Yes, and I felt more uncomfortable after seeing it. He is a crafty man, Eustace. "

"He is not a brave one, " the knight said scornfully. "I challenged him tomeet me outside in a fair field, and the craven did not answer me, and SirClugnet had to make speech for him and decline the offer. "

"You will need all your vigilance, Eustace. I trust that every man withinthe walls is faithful to us; but if there be a traitor, be sure that SirHugh will endeavour to plot with him, nay, he may already have done so. "

"They would have no chance of making communication with him were there adozen of them, wife. Long Tom and his comrades will take good care thatnone come near enough for speech. "

The day passed away in perfect quiet. From time to time word came downfrom the look-out that the scattered soldiers were returning laden with agreat quantity of young trees, wattles, and doors. Dame Margaret keptwatch in her room, and allowed no messengers to enter her husband'sapartments. 

"If there be need, I will wake him, " she said; "but he knows well enoughwhat the French have gone for, and there is naught to do until theyadvance to the attack. "

Guy slept but a short time, and as he frequently started up under theimpression that the horn was sounding an alarm, in the afternoon he got upand went down into the courtyard. For some time he wandered about in thequarters occupied by the tenants. These had now settled down; the childrenwere playing about as unconcernedly as if they had been on their fathers'farms; women were washing clothes or preparing the evening meal overlittle charcoal fires. A certain quantity of meat had been served out toeach family, and they were therefore doing better than in their ownhouses, for meat was a luxury seldom touched by the French peasantry. 

Almost all who had entered the castle had brought with them a supply ofherbs and vegetables; these, with a handful or two of coarsely-ground mealboiled into broth, constituted their usual fare, and the addition of aportion of meat afforded them great satisfaction. Some of the men werestill asleep, in preparation for a long night's work; others were standingabout talking in little groups; some were on the walls watching withgloomy faces the smoke wreaths that still rose from what had been theirhomes. Ducks, geese, and hens walked about unconcernedly looking for anystray grains that had passed unnoticed when they had last been fed, and achorus of dissatisfied grunting arose from the pigs that had a large penin the yard next to the huts. These were still smarting under a sense ofinjury excited not only by their removal from their familiar haunts, butby the fact that most of them had been hastily marked by a clipping ofsome kind in the ear in order to enable their owners to distinguish themfrom the others. Boys were carrying buckets of water from a well in thecourt-yard to the troughs for the cattle and horses, and the men-at-armswere cleaning their armour and polishing their steel caps. 

"Well, Tom, I hope we shall get on as well to-night as we did thismorning, " Guy said to the leader of the archers. 

"I hope so, Master Guy, but I would rather fight by day than by night; itis random work when you can neither see your mark nor look straight alongyour arrow. If we had a moon we should do well enough, but on these darknights skill does not go for much; still, I doubt not that we shall give agood account of ourselves, for at any rate we shall be able to make themout before they come to close work. The women have been making a greatstore of torches to-day, and that will help us a bit, though I would thatthey could be planted fifty yards beyond the moat instead of on the walls, for although they will be of some use to us they will be of even more tothe enemy. What think you that their plan will be?"

"I should say that they are intending to march forward covered by mantletsof wattles and hides. They will plant them near the edge of the moat, andthrow up some earthworks to shelter them and their machines; no doubt theywill use the doors they have fetched from all the farmhouses for the samepurpose. "

"The doors will be more to the point, certainly, " the bowman said. "As totheir hides and wattles, at fifty yards I will warrant our arrows gothrough them as if they were paper; but I cannot say as much about stoutoaken doors--that is a target that I have never shot against; I fear thatthe shock would shiver the shafts. The mantlets too would serve them tosome purpose, for we should not know exactly where they were standingbehind them. As for their machines, they cannot have many of them. "

"They had something like a score of waggons with them, Tom; these wouldcarry the beams for half a dozen big ballistas; besides, they have theircannon. "

"I don't make much account of the cannon, " the archer said; "they takepretty nearly an hour to load and fire them, and at that rate, howeverhard a shot may hit, it would be some time before they wrought much damageon the walls. It is the sound more than the danger that makes men afraidof the things, and, for my part, I would not take the trouble of draggingthem about. They are all very well on the walls of a castle, though I seenot that even there they are of great advantage over the old machines. Itis true that they shoot further, but that is of no great use. It is whenthe enemy come to attack that you want to kill them, and at fifty yards Iwould kill more men with my shafts in ten minutes than a cannon would dowith a week's firing. I wonder they trouble to carry them about with them, save that folks are not accustomed to their noise yet, and might opentheir gates when they see them, while they would make a stout defence ifthey had only ballistas and mangonels to deal with. I suppose when theyhave got the shelters close to the moat they will bring up planks to throwacross. "

"Yes, no doubt they will try that, Tom; but the moat is over wide forplanks, and I think it more likely that they will have provided themselveswith sacks, and filled them with earth, so as to make a passage acrosswith them. "

"As to the planks not being long enough, Master Guy, they could get overthat easy enough. They would only have to send three or four swimmersacross the moat, then thrust long beams over for those who had crossed tofix firmly, and then lay short planks across them. "

"So they would, Tom; I did not think of that. Well, at any rate, I expectthey will manage to get across the moat somehow and plant ladders againstthe wall. "

"And we shall chuck them down again, " Tom said. 

"They won't care much for that. But as long as they cannot knock a breachin the walls I warrant that we can hold them. "

CHAPTER IV

A FATAL ACCIDENT

As soon as the sun had set, the defenders gathered on the walls. Fires hadalready been lighted there and cauldrons of water and pitch suspended overthem, and sacks of quicklime placed in readiness to be emptied; greatpiles of stone were placed at short intervals. 

"As long as they attack at only one or two places, " Sir Eustace said tohis wife, "I am quite confident that we shall repulse them. If they attackat a dozen they may succeed, as we should only have a couple of archersand six or seven men-at-arms at each point, besides a score or so of thevassals. I have no doubt that these will fight stoutly, for the sight oftheir burning homes has roused them, and each man is longing to get a blowat those who have wrought them so much damage. Still, thirty men are but asmall party to beat back an assault by hundreds. However, if they carrythe outside wall they will have the second to deal with, and there weshall stand much thicker together, and they cannot attack from manypoints, while if we are driven into the keep, we shall be stronger still. Have you seen that the women and children are ready to retire into thekeep as soon as the assault begins?"

"I have been round myself and given orders, " Dame Margaret said. "I havetold them that the inner gate will be closed as soon as fighting begins, and that those who do not come in before that must remain outside, or elsemount to the walls and cross the bridges, for that on no account will thegates be opened again. "

"That is well, Margaret. I am now about to station two men-at-arms on theinner wall at the end of each of the three bridges, so that they may beready on the instant to turn the catches and let the bridges fall behindour men as they rush across. The tenants have already driven as many moreof their best horses and cattle into the inner court as can find standingroom, so that their loss may be as small as possible. If the outer wall iscarried, I have no great fear that the second wall will be taken; theplunderers who form the mass of Sir Clugnet's force will have had enoughand more than enough of fighting by the time that they capture the outerone. Whatever happens, do not show yourself on the walls to-night, and seethat the children do not leave their beds; you can do naught, and will seebut little in the dark. To-morrow morning, wife, I will leave you free togo among the soldiers and give them encouragement as may be needed, butfor to-night, I pray you stir not out. I will send Henry from time to timeto let you know how matters go. "

Rapidly the men gathered on the walls; each had had his post assigned tohim, and when Sir Eustace made a tour of inspection he was glad to see howconfidently each man bore himself, and how well prepared to give the enemya warm reception. As soon as it became dark, the outwork on the other sideof the moat was abandoned, the defenders called into the castle, and thedrawbridge raised, for it was evident to Sir Eustace that although itmight be maintained in daylight, by the aid of the archers on the wall, itcould not resist an attack by overwhelming numbers when deprived of thatassistance. Sir Eustace, after inspecting the men's arms, ordered allthose on the walls, with the exception of a few who were to remain onwatch, to sit down with their backs against the battlement, and tomaintain an absolute silence. 

"It is by sound rather than sight that we shall be able to judge of theirmovements, " he said. "All sitting down may sleep, if it so pleases them, till they are roused. "

The sentries were ten in number, and were all taken from among thearchers. Most of these men had been accustomed to the chase, were skilledin woodcraft, and accustomed to listen to the slightest noises that mighttell of the movement of a stag and enable them to judge his position. SirEustace, for the present, posted himself in his old position over thegate. Jean Bouvard and Guy were with him, while Long Tom moved round andround the walls to gather news from his sentries. Sometimes Guyaccompanied him. 

"They are moving, " Tom the archer said as he stood listening intently onthe wall at the rear of the castle. "It is an hour past sundown, and aboutthe time the knaves will be mustering if they intend to make a regularattack on us. If it had been only an escalade there would have been nosound until nearly morning. I thought I heard them on the other side, butI am sure of it now. "

"I can hear singing up at their camp, " Guy said, "but I don't hearanything else. "

"They are keeping that up to deceive us, I expect. But besides the singingthere is a sort of rustle. I don't think that they are coming this way atpresent, or we should hear it plainer. It seems to me that it is spreadingall round. "

"I will go back and tell Sir Eustace what you think, Tom. "

Guy hurried back to the other side of the castle. 

"Long Tom thinks, Sir Eustace, that he can hear a stir all round. "

"We have noticed it too--at least, all round this side. Tell him not tocall the men to their feet until the enemy approaches more closely. Ibelieve that it is the march of a large number of men, and that they areprobably moving to the positions assigned to them, but it may be anotherhour or two before they close in. "

In a short time the sound became more distinct; from a rustle it rose to adeep confused murmur, then an occasional clink as of arms striking armourbecame audible. Most of the men on the walls were now on their feet gazinginto the darkness. Presently the sound ceased, first on one side and thenon another. 

"I fancy they are all at their stations now, Jean Bouvard; we shall soonhear more of them. Do not let your archers shoot, Tom, until they can makethem out very distinctly. We may be sure that they will come up with theirmantlets, and it would be a waste of arrows to loose at them until theyare close to the moat; but of course if separate figures can bedistinguished your men will draw on them. "

In a quarter of an hour messengers came from various points on the wallsaying that there was something moving within sight, and to those at thepost over the gate a dark confused mass like a shadow seemed to be slowlycoming down towards their outwork. 

"Touch off the guns, Jean, " Sir Eustace said; "we shall get no furtherchance of catching them in a body. "

The captain stooped, lit two touchfires at the lantern standing inreadiness, gave one to a man-at-arms, and went with the other to a cannon. Both the guns had been filled to the muzzle with bits of iron and nails, and had been laid to bear on the slope beyond the outwork. They were firedalmost simultaneously, and the sound was followed by yells of pain anddismay. The besiegers, seeing that there was nothing further to gain byconcealment, burst into a shout that ran all round the castle, and wereanswered by one of defiance from the walls. The sound was succeeded byloud orders from the leaders of the various assaulting parties, and theobjects before but dimly seen, now approached the walls rapidly. JeanBouvard hurried away to superintend the defence at other parts. 

"You may as well go the other way, Guy, and let me know from time to timehow things are getting on. Henry, run down to your mother and tell herthat the enemy are moving up to the moat, and that it will be some timebefore there is any hard fighting; then come back here again. "

It was easier to see from the side walls than it had been in front, for infront there was a glow in the sky from the number of fires burning beyondthe crest of the slope, and Guy was able to make out what seemed to him awall extending some fifteen yards, near the edge of the moat. The archersand crossbow-men gathered opposite to it had just begun to shoot. Behindthis wall there were other dark masses irregularly placed, and extendingback as far as he could see. An occasional cry told that the arrows weredoing execution upon the unseen assailants behind the mantlets, and soonthe blows of cross-bow bolts against the wall and the sharp tap of arrowstold that the enemy had also betaken themselves to their arms. A number ofgiant torches had been prepared, consisting of sheafs of straw soaked withpitch, and one of these was now lighted and elevated on a pole somefifteen feet above the battlement. Its light was sufficient to enable thescene beyond to be clearly made out. A row of mantlets some eight feethigh had been placed by the moat, and others of the same height, and sevenor eight feet long, elevated at short intervals behind these, were soplaced as to afford shelter to the men coming down to the mantlets infront. They stood in two lines; they were some twenty feet apart, butthose in one line alternated with those in the other. Guy soon saw theobject of this arrangement. Men were darting to and fro across theinterval some six feet wide between the two lines. Thus they had but tenfeet to run from the shelter on one side to that on the other, and exposedthemselves but for an instant to the aim of the archers. Some of the mencarried great bundles of faggots, others had sacks on their shoulders. 

"Do not heed the mantlets in front, " said Dickon, who was in command ofthe six archers near Guy, "but pick off those fellows as they come down. Shoot in turn; it is no use wasting two arrows on one man. Don't looseyour shaft until a man is within three mantlets from the end; then if onemisses, the next can take him when he runs across next time. That isright, Hal, " he broke off, as an arrow sped and a man with a sack on hisshoulder rolled over. "Now, lads, we ought not to miss them by thislight. "

Eleven men fell, out of the next twelve who attempted to carry theirburdens down. Guy went back to Sir Eustace with the news of the manner inwhich the attack was being carried on, and of the effect of the archers'defence. 

"I have just heard the same from the other side; there is one attack oneach side and two behind; Jean Bouvard has posted himself there. I amgoing round myself now; I do not think there will be any attack made infront. I have sent the archers here to the rear, where they will be moreuseful; the fellows in the outwork across there have enough to do toshelter themselves. "

This Guy could well understand, for although the guns could not bedepressed sufficiently to fire down into the _tête du pont_, the mangonelswere hurling stones into it, and the men-at-arms shooting cross-bowquarrels whenever a man showed himself. The rear of the outwork was openand afforded no shelter to those who had taken possession of it, andalready the greater portion had retired to the other side of the smallmoat surrounding it, where they lay sheltered by the outwork itself. Itwas not long before the assailants at the other points, finding that theplan they had formed was defeated by the skill of the archers, poured downin a mass between the two lines of mantlets, each man carrying his burdenbefore him, thus sheltering him to a great extent. Against this method ofattack the archers could do little, and now confined themselves toshooting at the men who, having thrown down the fascines or sacks by theedge of the moat, stood for a moment and hesitated before running back tothe shelter of the mantlets, and not one in three got off scot-free. Guyon going round the wall found the same state of things at each of theother three points of assault. Numbers of the enemy were falling, butgreat piles of materials were accumulating at the edge of the moat. Aftera time a number of knights and men-at-arms, fully protected by armour, came down and began to hurl the sacks and bags into the moat, theiroperations being covered as much as possible by a storm of missiles shotthrough holes in the mantlets. In a short time Sir Eustace ordered thearchers to desist shooting, for they were obliged, in order to aim atthose so much below them, to expose a considerable portion of theirbodies, and three were killed by the enemy's missiles. 

"We can't prevent them from filling up the moat, " he said, "and it is butthrowing away life to try to do so. "

The archers were accordingly placed in the projecting turrets, where, without being themselves exposed, they could shoot through the loopholesat any point on the face of the walls. It was not long before the moat wasbridged at all four points of attack. Ladders were then brought down. Thisthe assailants were able to accomplish without loss, as, instead ofcarrying them, they were pushed backwards and forwards by men stationedbehind the mantlets, and were so zigzagged down to the moat without thedefenders being able to offer any opposition. Then rushes were made byparties of knights, the ladders were placed, and the fight began inearnest. 

In the great court-yard the leader of the English men-at-arms was placedwith twelve of his men as a reserve. They were to be summoned by one, two, three, or four blasts of a horn to the point at which their services weremost required. The assaults were obstinate, but the walls were as stoutlydefended. Sometimes the ladders were hurled back by poles with an ironfork at the end; buckets of boiling water and tar were poured over on tothe assailants as they clambered up, and lime cast over on those waitingto take their turns to ascend; while with spear, axe, and mace the men-at-arms and tenants met the assailants as they endeavoured to get a footingon the wall. 

Guy had placed himself with the party to which he had first gone, and, taking a pike from a fallen man, was fighting stoutly. The archers fromtheir turrets kept up a constant flight of arrows on the crowd below. Onlyonce was the horn sounded for the aid of the reserve. Sir Eustace hadtaken the command at the rear, while Jean Bouvard headed the defence onthe side opposite to that at which Guy was fighting. The defenders underSir Eustace had the hardest work to hold their own, being assaulted at twopoints. This was evidently the main place of attack, for here Sir Clugnethimself and several of his knights led the assault, and at one timesucceeded in gaining a footing on the wall at one point, while Sir Eustacewas at the other. Then the knight blew his horn, and at the same timecalled the archers from the turret nearest to him, while some of the otherparty on the wall rushed to aid him of their own accord and, pressingthrough the tenants, opposed themselves to the knights and men-at-arms whohad obtained a footing on the wall. 

Their strength, and the power with which they wielded their heavy axes, soheld the assailants in cheek that they could not gain space sufficient forothers to join them, and when the reserve ran up, so fierce an attack wasmade upon the knights that several were beaten down and the rest forced tospring over the wall at the risk of life and limb. Sir Clugnet himself wasthe last to do this, and was carried away insensible. Two or three of hiscompanions were killed by the fall, but the rest, leaping far enough outto alight beyond the solid ground at the foot of the walls, had their fallbroken by the yielding mass of materials by which they had crossed themoat. A loud shout of triumph rose from the defenders, and was re-echoedby shouts from the other walls. As soon as the news of the repulse at therear reached the other parties, and that Sir Clugnet was badly hurt, whileseveral of the knights were killed, the assault ceased at once, and theOrleanists withdrew, followed by derisive cries from the defenders. 

"Thanks be to the saints that it is all over, " Sir Eustace said, as heopened his vizor; "it was a close thing here, and for a time I feared thatthe outer wall was lost. However, I think that there is an end of it now, and by the morning we shall find that they have moved off. They must havesuffered very heavily; certainly three or four hundred must have fallen, for we must admit that they fought stoutly. You have all done well, myfriends, and I thank you heartily. Now, the first thing is to fetch thewounded down to the hall prepared for them. Father Gregory has all inreadiness for them there. Guy, go round and find who have fallen, and seethem carried reverently down to the court-yard, send me a list of theirnames, and place two men-at-arms at each point where the assault tookplace. Tom, do you similarly dispose eight of your archers so that shouldthey send a spy up to see if we sleep, a message can be sent back in theshape of a cloth-yard shaft. Bid all the tenants and retainers leave thewall; a horn will recall them should there be need. I will myself visitthem shortly, and thank them for their stout defence. I will send round acup of spiced wine to each man on the wall as soon as it can be prepared, to that all may slake their thirst after their efforts. "

Sir Eustace then made his way down from the wall to his Apartments, whereDame Margaret was awaiting him. She hurried to meet him. 

"Wait, wife, till I have removed my helmet, and even then you must becareful how you embrace me, for methinks there is more than one blood-stain on my armour, though happily not of mine own. All has gone well, love, and methinks that we shall hear no more of them; but they foughtmore stoutly than I had given them credit for, seeing that they were but amixed rabble, with a small proportion of real men-at-arms among them. Isuppose Henry brought you my message to close the inner gates, as they hadgained a footing on the walls. "

"No, I received no message since the one he brought me half an hour ago, saying that all was going well, and I thought that he was with you. Wherecan he be, Eustace?" she asked anxiously. 

"I know not indeed, Margaret, but will search at once. While I do so willyou go to the hall that you have prepared for the wounded, and give whataid you can there? Do not fear for the boy; he turned and ran off when Ispoke to him, and as his head reaches not to the top of the battlements noharm can have befallen him, though in truth I cannot think what can havedelayed him. "

He called to two or three of the men below to take torches, and toaccompany him at once, and sent others to the sheds to ask if he had beenseen there, then went up to the top of the inner wall and crossed thebridge at the back. 

[Illustration: "SIR EUSTACE GAVE A LOUD CRY, FOR LYING AT THE BOTTOM OFTHE STAIR WAS THE FORM OF HIS SON. "]

"Have any of you seen aught of my son Henry?" he asked the men there. 

"No, my lord, " one said in reply. "I marked him by our side just beforethe French got a footing at the other end of the wall, but I saw him notafterwards. "

"He ran towards the steps at the corner there, " Sir Eustace said, "with amessage from me that the inner doors were to be closed. Come along, men, "he said to those with torches, and going to the corner of the walldescended the steps, which were steep and narrow. He took a torch from oneof the men and held it over his head. As he neared the bottom he gave alow cry and ran down the last few steps, where, lying at the bottom, wasthe form of his son. He was stretched at full length, and there was aterrible gash on his forehead. The knight knelt beside him and raised hishead, from which the steel cap had fallen; there was a deep stain of bloodon the pavement beneath. He placed his hand on the boy's heart and his earto his lips, and the men with the torches stood silently round. It was buttoo evident what had happened. In his haste to carry the message Henry'sfoot had slipped, and he had fallen headforemost down the steep steps, hishead coming in contact with the edge of one of them. Without a word SirEustace raised the boy gently in his arms. His face was sufficient to tellthe men the news; their young lord was dead. 

Sir Eustace carried him through the inner gate and up to the boy's ownroom, and laid him down on his bed, then silently he went out again andcrossed the court to the keep. Dame Margaret was seeing to the woundedbeing laid on the straw in the lower room, and did not notice him until hetouched her. She turned sharply round, his face was sufficient to tell herthe truth. She gave a low cry and stepped back a pace, and he movedforwards and drew her to him. 

"Love, " he said tenderly, "God has taken him. He was fitter for heaventhan any of us; he was too gentle for this rough world of ours. We shallmourn for him, but with him it is well. "

Dame Margaret laid her head on his shoulder, and burst into a passion oftears. Sir Eustace let her weep for a time, then he whispered:

"You must be brave, my love. There will be other mourners here for theirdear ones who have died fighting for us; they will need your comfort. AVilleroy could not die better than doing his duty. It was not by man'shand that he fell, but God took him. His foot slipped in running down thestair from the wall, and he must assuredly have died without a pang. Takethe priest with you; I will see to the wounded here. Father Gregory, " hewent on, raising his voice, "Dame Margaret has more need of you at thepresent moment than have these brave fellows. A grievous misfortune hasbefallen us. My son is dead; he fell while doing his duty. Do you take herto his room; I give her to your charge for the present. I have my work todo, and will see that your patients are well cared for. "

There was a murmur of surprise and regret from the wounded and those whohad brought them in. The poor lad had been a general favourite in thecastle for his gentle and pleasant ways with all, though many a time therough soldiers had said among themselves, "'Tis a pity that he was not agirl, and the Lady Agnes a boy. He is more fit for a priest than for abaron in times like these, for assuredly he will never grow into a stoutman-at-arms like his father. " That a soldier should have been killed insuch a fight was to be expected, but that a gentle boy like this shouldhave fallen seemed strange and unnatural, and all sorrowed for him as wellas for their lord and lady, and the men forgot for a time the smart oftheir wounds in their regret at his untimely death. 

Sir Eustace went about his work quietly and earnestly, bound up thesoldiers' wounds, and saw as far as might be to their comfort. Theirnumber was not large, as it was only in the fight on the wall that aughtsave their heads had been exposed, and those struck by cross-bow bolts hadfor the most part fallen as they stood. The eight men brought in hadwithout exception received wounds from the swords of the French knights, and though some of the gashes were broad and deep, none of them werelikely to prove fatal. Just as the knight had finished, Guy entered. Hehad heard the news, which had spread like wildfire through the castle. Thelad's eyes were red, for he had been greatly attached to Henry, whoseconstant companion he had been whenever the family had been at theirEnglish home. 

"It is a strange fate, lad, " Sir Eustace said, laying his hand upon Guy'sshoulder. "You who have exposed yourself freely--for I marked you in thefight--have come through scatheless, while Henry, whom I thought to keepout of danger, has fallen. And what is your news?"

"There have been seventeen killed, my lord, besides Jean Bouvard, who wasstruck in the face by one of the last crossbow bolts shot before they drewoff. "

"This is bad news indeed. I wondered why he came not to me as soon as wehad beaten them off, but I thought not of this. He was a good andtrustworthy fellow, and I shall miss him sorely. Seventeen, say you? It istoo many; and yet there might have been more. Who are they?"

"Four of our archers, Sir Eustace, one of our English men-at-arms, and sixof your French men-at-arms. These were all killed by cross-bow bolts andarrows, Two of your tenants, Pierre Leroix and Jules Beaune, and four oftheir men fell on the wall when the French gained a footing there; threewere, I hear, unmarried men, the other has left a wife and threechildren. "

"They shall be my care, " the knight said. "The wives of Leroix and Beauneshall hold their farms free of dues until their eldest sons come of age. Does all seem quiet without?"

"All is quiet, my lord; but as I left the wall but now a knight with awhite flag and four torch-bearers was coming down the slope towards theoutwork. "

"I will go there myself, " Sir Eustace said; "'tis likely they do but cometo ask for leave to carry off the dead and wounded, which we will gladlylet them do, for it will save us much trouble to-morrow. "

It was as the knight had supposed, and he at once gave the permissionasked for, and in a short time a great number of men with torches camedown the slope and for the next two hours were occupied in carrying offtheir dead and wounded comrades. A close watch was maintained all night, though there was small fear of a renewal of the attack. At daybreak therear-guard of the enemy could be seen retiring, and a party of men-at-arms, under Sir Eustace himself, on going out to reconnoitre, found thatnone had remained behind. A mound marked the place where their dead hadbeen buried in one great grave. Many of the mantlets had been removed, andthey doubted not that these had been used as litters for the conveyance ofthe wounded. They afterwards heard that some four hundred and fifty menhad been killed, and that over a hundred, too sorely wounded to be able towalk, had been carried away. 

In the afternoon Henry was buried beneath the chapel in the castle, whilethe men-at-arms and others were laid in the inner court-yard. Havinglearned that the Orleanists, greatly disheartened at their heavy repulse, had marched away to the south, the gates of the castle were opened. Asmall number of the garrison were retained in the castle, and the restwere sent out to aid the tenants in felling trees and getting up temporaryshelters near their former homes until these could be rebuilt as before. For the time their wives and families were to remain in the castle. 

All fear of another attack by the Orleanists speedily passed away. Artoiswas, upon the whole, strongly Burgundian, and an army marching fromFlanders speedily brought the whole province over to that side. Nothingwas done towards commencing the work of rebuilding the farmhouses, for itwas evident that the castle might at any moment be again beleaguered. 

Two months passed quietly. Sir Eustace busied himself in seeing that thetenants were comfortably re-established in their temporary homes. TheBurgundians had again obtained several advantages, and as Sir Clugnet wasknown to have marched away with his following to the assistance of theOrleanists, who had of late fared badly, there was no fear of any freshattack being made upon the castle. One day a messenger rode in from theGovernor of Calais, who was personally known to Sir Eustace. The letterthat he carried was an important one. After the usual greeting it read:--

_For the love I bear you, Sir Eustace, I write to let you know thatthere is a change in affairs. It seems that the Duke of Burgundy has butbeen playing with our King Henry, and that the offer of a marriage wasmade only in order to obtain assistance and the countenance of the king. Being now, as it would seem, powerful enough to hold his own against hisenemies without such aid, the matter has fallen through. I have received aroyal order, which has also been sent to the governors of other Englishtowns, and it has been proclaimed everywhere by sound of trumpets, thatnone of Henry's subjects of whatever rank should in any way interferebetween the two factions in France, nor go into France to serve either ofthem by arms or otherwise under pain of death and confiscation of fortune. But I would tell you for your private ear, that I have news that our kingis in correspondence with the Dukes of Berri, Orleans, and Bourbon, andthat it is like that he will shortly declare for that party, beinggrievously offended at the treatment that he has received at the hands ofthe Duke of Burgundy after having given him loyal help and assistancewhich had, in no slight degree, assisted him in making good his causeagainst his enemies. _

In a short time, indeed, the English from Calais, and from other placesheld by them in France, began to make sorties and to carry off muchplunder from the country round, and especially took by storm the Castle ofBanelinghen near Ardres, notwithstanding the truce that prevailed. Theintentions of the King of England were made still more manifest by hiswriting a letter to the Flemish towns, saying that, having heard that theDuke of Burgundy was gathering an army of Flemings to march into Aquitaineto wage war upon and destroy his subjects, and particularly his very dearand well-beloved cousins the Dukes of Berri, Orleans, and Bourbon, and theCounts of Alençon and Armagnac, and the Lord d'Albreth, he thereforebegged them to inform him whether they were willing to conform to thetruce concluded between them and England without in any way assistingtheir lord in his wicked purpose. 

The Flemish towns replied that they desired in no way to infringe thetruce between the two countries, but that they would serve and assist theKing of France, their sovereign lord, and their Count the Duke ofBurgundy, as heretofore, to the utmost of their power. 

In a short time, indeed, it became known that a solemn treaty had beenconcluded between the King of England and the Orleanist nobles, theyengaging to aid him to recover Guienne and the parts of Aquitaine he hadlost, while he promised to put an army in the field to assist them. 

The position of Sir Eustace was now very difficult. It was uncertain whenthe English would move, and it was likely enough that if an army set sailit would land in Guienne, and that Calais would be able to render noassistance, so that he would be exposed to the attacks of the Burgundians. Nor was his position improved when he learned that on the 15th of July thetwo French factions, urged by the Count of Savoy, the Grand Master ofRhodes, and many others, had agreed to terms of peace between them, andthat the Orleanists had formally renounced the English alliance. 

At the meeting of the leaders of the party, the Duke of Aquitaine, theking's son, presided. For a time all the differences were patched up. Thenews, however, came too late to arrest the embarkation of the English. Eight thousand men landed at La Hogue, under the Duke of Clarence, overrana wide extent of country, being reinforced by 800 Gascons, who had, according to the agreement with the Orleanists, been raised to join them. They advanced towards Paris, declaring, however, that they would retire ifthe Duke of Berri and his party kept their engagement with them, and paidthem the two hundred thousand crowns he had agreed to do. The Duke hadnot, however, the means to pay this amount, and the English thereforecontinued to ravage the country, while a large force from Calais, underthe Earl of Warwick, captured the town of Saumer-au-Bois and the Castle ofRuissault. This, however, was scarcely an invasion, and Sir Eustace, beingdoubtful whether Henry meditated operations upon a large scale now that hehad no longer allies in France, took no part in the matter, but remainedquietly in his castle. 

Towards the end of March, 1413, a royal herald appeared before the gate. He was at once admitted, and was received with all honour in the greathall by Sir Eustace. 

"Sir Eustace de Villeroy. " he said, "I come to you in the name of the Kingof France, your lord and suzerain. He bids me to say that he has heardwith satisfaction that you refused entry to your castle to those whodemanded it altogether without authority from him; but that, seeing theimportance of the castle in case of trouble with England, and that you area vassal of England for estates in that country, he deems it necessarythat its safety should be assured, and therefore calls upon you to send, in proof of your loyalty to and affection for him, your wife and childrento Paris, where they shall be cared for in all honour and as becomes theircondition; or to receive a garrison of royal troops of such strength as todefend it from any fresh assault that may be made upon it, either on thepart of those who before attacked it, or of England. He charges you onyour fealty to accept one or other of these conditions, or to be deemed afalse vassal, which he cannot believe you are, knowing you to be a braveand worthy knight. Here is a document with the king's signature and sealto the effect which I have delivered to you. "

"His Majesty's demands come upon me as a surprise, " the knight saidgravely, "and I pray you to abide with me till to-morrow, by which time Ishall have had leisure to consider the alternative and be ready to giveyou answer. "

"Your request is a reasonable one, Sir Eustace, " the herald replied, "andI will await the answer for twenty-four hours. "

The herald was then conducted to the guest-chamber, and Sir Eustace wentout into the court-yard and for some time busied himself with the usualaffairs of his estate and talked to the tenants as to their plans; then hewent up on to the wall and there paced moodily backwards and forwardsthinking over the summons that he had received. He knew that Margaret hadbeen in the gallery in the hall and had heard the message the herald haddelivered, and he wished to think it well over before seeing her. Hisposition was, he felt, a perilous one. The last treaty of peace betweenFrance and England had drawn the frontier line more straitly in. AfterCressy was fought, but a few miles away, Villeroy had stood within theEnglish line as far as it now stood without it. That Henry, who althoughnow old and averse to war, must yet ere long again renew the war that hadso long languished he had little doubt; but he had no hope of succour atpresent, and felt that though able to withstand any sudden attack likethat he had recently repulsed, he could not hope to make a successfuldefence against a great force provided with battering machines. 

The message from the king was indeed but a message from Burgundy, but ifBurgundy was all-powerful just at present it had the same effect as if itwere the king and not he who had sent the summons. He could see no way oftemporizing save that Margaret and the children should go as hostages, andthe idea of this was wholly repugnant to him. Were he to admit a Frenchgarrison the castle would be virtually lost to him; for once powerless, hecould easily be set aside in favour of one of Burgundy's followers. Theonly alternative then seemed to be that he should altogether forsake thecastle and estate so long held by his ancestors, and retire to England, until maybe some day Henry might again place him in possession of it. Heregretted now that he had not told Margaret that she had best keep herchamber, for she then would have known nothing of the alternative that sheshould go as a hostage--an alternative, he foresaw, that she was likely tofavour, as by so doing the necessity for making an absolute decision andchoosing between France and England would be postponed. At length, stillundecided in his mind, he descended from the wall and went up to hiswife's apartments. 

CHAPTER V

HOSTAGES

Margaret rose to meet her husband when he entered. She had looked pale inher dress of deep mourning before, but he thought that she looked palernow. She, too, had evidently been thinking over the summons that he hadreceived, and there was an expression of firmness and resolution in herface that seemed to say that she had arrived at a more definite conclusionthan he had done. 

"'Tis a knotty question, wife, " Sir Eustace said. "In the first place, itis clear we cannot hope to defend the castle successfully against anattack by Burgundy. The last was but of the character of a raid, the nextwould be a serious siege by experienced soldiers provided with all propermeans and appliances. Before, it was certain that Sir Clugnet would, if hetarried here, be shortly attacked by the Burgundians, whereas now therewould be no prospect of assistance. There is no hope of help from England, for there is no force in Calais that could contend with that which wouldprobably be sent against me; therefore I take it that if attacked thecastle must in the end fall, in which case probably its defenders wouldall be put to the sword. I myself should most likely be kilted, theestates forfeited, and you and the children taken prisoners to Paris. Nowit seems to me that that is not to be thought of. It remains to decide, therefore, whether we shall abandon the castle and journey to England, orwhether we will admit a Burgundian garrison, which will in fact, we may besure, be the first step towards losing the castle and estate altogether. It seems to me that the first will be the best plan. I see no chance of itat present, but in time Henry may invade France; and as we lie only someseven or eight miles from the frontier he would doubtless recaptureVilleroy, and we should again become its masters. "

"You have not mentioned the other alternative, Eustace, namely, that I andthe children should go to Paris as hostages; and this, it seems to me, isthe best of the three to follow. If there were indeed a chance of anEnglish invasion I should not say so, but I think not that there is anysuch prospect. It is many years since England has done aught in earnest, and during all that time her power in France has been waning. I would notthat our children should lose this fair estate when it can well bepreserved by some slight sacrifice on my part. Were I and the children togo to Paris it would put an end to all doubts as to your loyalty, and youwould hold the castle and estates. The peace now patched up between theparties will not last, and as soon as they are engaged with each other, and have no time to spare to think of attacking you here, I will endeavourto escape with the children and rejoin you. I shall assuredly have nocause for complaint. I shall, of course, have honourable treatment, andapartments fitting to our rank assigned to me. It would be no greathardship, and even were it so it would be worth enduring in order that ourson Charles should inherit his father's estate. "

"I could not part from you, love. "

"Nay, Eustace, as I have said, it cannot be for long; and you mustremember that twice when the children were infants I remained in Englandwith them while you were some months here. It would be no worse now. Iwould take Guy with me; the lad has sense and courage, the children areboth fond of him, and I myself could, if occasion arose, take counsel withhim. Then I could have two or three stout men-at-arms who might ride in mytrain in peaceful garb as retainers. As to a maid I can, if I need one, hire her in Paris. Surely, husband, it would be far better so than that weshould lose castle and land. There could be little danger to one in Parisat any time, still less to the wife of a vassal of the crown, least of allto a hostage. I shall be but staying at the court. If you peril life andlimb, Eustace, in defence of your castle, surely it is not much that Ishould put myself to the slight inconvenience of a stay in Paris for awhile. "

"I like it not, " the knight said moodily. "I see well enough that what yousay is true, and that you should be safe at Charles's court, indeed saferthan here. The citizens of Paris are indeed turbulent, whether they shoutfor Orleans or Burgundy, but what if Henry of England should again lead anarmy here?"

"But why imagine what is not likely to happen? Long ere Henry comes I mayhave joined you again; should it be otherwise I might perhaps escape, orat the very worst of all they could but keep me in duress in my chamber. Who ever heard of a woman being ill-treated for the disobedience of herlord? All that they could do would be to make you pay ransom for myreturn. "

"I would rather go as a hostage myself. "

"Nay, husband, that could hardly be. Who would then take care of yourcastle? It is not a hard thing that the king asks, merely that I and thechildren shall for a time live at his court as a proof that you, hisvassal, hold your castle for him. Even if the worst comes to the worst wecan but lose castle and land, as we must lose it now if I do not go. Nay, my dear lord, do not wrinkle your brow, we cannot strive against the mightof France; and at present we must bow our heads and wait until the stormhas passed, and hope for better times. There may be an English war; erelong Henry may again extend his frontiers, and you might again become avassal of England for these possessions of yours even as your fatherswere. "

"I see that reason is on your side, Margaret, and yet I cannot bringmyself to like the plan. "

"Nor do I like it, husband; yet I feel that it were a thousand timesbetter that I should be separated from you for a time than that we shouldrisk another siege. The last has cost us dear enough, another might takeyou from me. "

"Well, well, dear, I suppose you must have your way; indeed I do not seethat harm can possibly come to you, and it will at any rate ensure peacefor a time and enable us to repair our tenants' losses. I shall send overa message at once to Sir Aylmer, and beg him to choose and send me anotherfifty archers--with that reinforcement I could make head against anyattack save in the greatest force--for there is no saying how things maygo. The five-and-twenty did wonders, and with thrice that force I shouldfeel confident that Villeroy could withstand any attack save by an armywith an abundance of great machines. 

"Well, Margaret, since you have decided for me that you are to go--andindeed I myself plainly see that that alternative is really the best--letus talk over who you had best take with you. I quite approve of yourchoice of Guy; he is a good lad, and will make a brave knight some day. Ishall now make him one of my esquires, and as such he will always be inattendance on you; and assuredly Agnes and Charlie will, as well asyourself, benefit by his presence. He will be able to take them out andlook after them, and as he talks French as well as English the lad will beuseful to you in many ways. Have you any preference as to the four men-at-arms?"

"Could you spare Tom, the leader of the archers? I should like to haveanother Englishman with me, and he is very good-tempered and obliging. Heis shrewd too, and with his strength and courage I should feel that Icould wholly rely upon him in any strait, though indeed I see not thatthere is any probability of such occurring. "

"Certainly you can have him, Margaret, and I shall be glad to know that heis with you. Dickon, who is next under him, can act as captain of thearchers while he is away. I have noticed that Tom is picking up thelanguage fast. He is always ready to do little kindnesses to the women andchildren, and I have often heard him talking with them. He will soon getto speak the language fairly. As to the others have you any choice?"

"No, I think you had better choose them for me, Eustace. "

"They had better be French, " he said; "it would not do for you to surroundyourself entirely by English, although of course it is natural enough thatyou should have an English squire and servant. I think that you could notdo better than take Jules Varey and Albert Bongarde. They are both stoutmen-at-arms, prudent fellows, and not given to the wine-cup. As a fourth Iwould say Jean Picard's son; he is a stout fellow too, and I know that, but for his father's hopes that he will one day succeed him as butler, hewould have taken service regularly as a man-at-arms. He fought stoutlywhen the French gained the wall, and I marked him exchanging blows withSir Clugnet himself, and bearing himself as well as any man there. ' Youcould choose no better. "

"So be it, " she said. "I think, Eustace, that with four such defenders, tosay nothing of young Guy, you need not feel uneasy about us. "

"I don't think that I shall feel uneasy, Margaret; but I know that I canill spare you. You have ever been at my side since we were married, savewhen, after the birth of Agnes and Charles, you were forced to stay inEngland when I came over here. I felt it a dreary time then, and shallfeel it so now; but I doubt not that all will go well with you, though itwill be a very different life to that to which you have been accustomed. "

"I shall do well enough, " Margaret said cheerfully, "and maybe I shall getso fond of court that you will have to take me to that of Henry when wereturn to England. "

"Now you had best begin to make your preparations. I will speak to Guy andthe others myself. "

Sir Eustace went into the court-yard, where Guy was superintending theissue of provisions for the women. 

"This can go on without you, " he said; "Gervaise will see to it. I wouldspeak to you. You were at the meeting this morning, Guy, and you heardwhat the herald of France said. The position is a hard one. I cannot holdthe castle against the strength of France, while if we take a Burgundiangarrison I should cease to be its master, and it would doubtless soon passinto other hands. Again, if I go to England, it would equally be lost tous. Therefore my wife has resolved, in order to gain time until thesedisorders are over, to go to Paris with the children as a hostage for me. In no case, as it seems to me, are Dame Margaret and the children likelyto be in danger; nevertheless, I am greatly loth for them to go. However, seeing no other way out of the business, I have consented, and we havearranged that you shall accompany her. You will go as my esquire, and Ishall install you as such this afternoon. You will take Long Tom, two ofthe men-at-arms, and Robert Picard, all good men and true; but at the sametime the burden and responsibility must rest upon your shoulders. You areyoung yet for so grave a charge, and yet I feel that I can confide it toyou. You will have to be the stay and support of your mistress, you willhave to be the companion and friend of my children, and I shall charge thefour men-at-arms to take orders from you as from me. Tom will be avaluable fellow. In the first place, he is, I know, much attached to you, besides being shrewd, and a very giant in strength. The other three areall honest varlets, and you can rely upon them in any pinch. "

"I will do my best, my lord, " Guy said quietly; "and I am grateful to youindeed for the confidence that you show in me, and I shall, I hope, proveworthy of it, and of my father. "

The news soon spread through the castle that Dame Margaret was going toParis. The maids wept at the thought, as did many of the tenants' wives, for since the siege began, her kindness and the pains that she had takento make them comfortable had endeared her greatly to them. On her previousvisits they had seen comparatively little of her; she had been to themsimply their lord's English wife, now they knew her as a friend. Nevertheless, their regret at her leaving was softened by the thought thather going to be near the king insured peace for them, and that they wouldnow be able to venture out to the houses that were fast rising on theruins of their former homes, and to take up their life again as they hadleft it. 

Early next morning the little cortege mustered in the court-yard inreadiness for a start. Sir Eustace and his wife had said good-bye to eachother in their chamber, and she looked calm and tranquil as she mountedher horse; for, having been accustomed from a child to ride with herfather hunting and hawking, she could sit a horse well, and scorned toride, as did so many ladies, on a pillion. Guy rode by her side, withAgnes on a pillion behind him. Long Tom, with Charlie perched in front ofhim, followed them, and the three men-at-arms brought up the rear. Charliewas in high spirits; he regarded the trip as a sort of holiday, and hadbeen talking, ever since he got up, of the wonders that he should see inParis. Agnes better understood the situation, and nothing but the feelingthat she ought to emulate the calmness of her mother restrained her frombursting into tears when her father lifted her on to her seat. The heraldled the way, followed by his two pursuivants. Dame Margaret checked herhorse in the middle of the court-yard, and said in a loud clear voice tothe tenants and men-at-arms round: "Adieu, good friends; I trust that Ishall not be long away from you. I go to stay for a time at the court inParis, and I leave you with the surety that you will have peace and restuntil I return, and be able to repair the damages you suffered from theattack made upon us by men who regard not the law. " She turned and wavedher hand to Sir Eustace, who was standing immovable on the steps, andthen, touching the horse with her heel, they moved on after the herald. 

"Do not fear to speak, Tom, " Dame Margaret said, after they had left thecastle behind them; "the journey is a long one, and it will go all thequicker for honest talk. What think you of this expedition to Paris?"

"I would as lief go there as anywhere else, my lady. Indeed, men say thatit is a fine city, and as I have never seen a bigger town thanSouthampton, I doubt not that I shall find plenty to interest me at timeswhen you may not require our services. "

"I see that you have brought your bow with you. "

"Ay, my lady, I could not bring myself to part with it. Sir Eustace toldme that I could not carry it, as its length would be a matter of remark, and point me out at once as being an Englishman, seeing that the Frencharchers carry no bows of such length; so I have, even as you see, wrappedit round with straw, and fastened it to the saddle beneath my leg. I havealso put fourscore arrows among the valises on the pack-horses. "

"There is no chance of your needing them, Tom. "

"I trust that it is so, " the archer replied; "but, indeed, there is neverany saying, and an archer without his bow is but a poor creature, --though, indeed, I trust that I can swing an axe as well as another. "

"And much better than most, Tom; still, I hope that neither axe nor bowwill be required. "

"To that I say amen also; for, although a fray may sometimes be to mytaste, I have no desire to be mixed up in a mêlée without some of my ownstout comrades with me. "

"Shall we get to Paris to-night, Lady Mother?" Charlie asked. 

"No, indeed; it will be five days, if not six, for I see by the way thatwe are travelling we are bearing east, and shall sleep at Lille or may beat Tournay; then, doubtless, we shall bear south, and may stop the nextnight at Cambrai, and make to Noyon on the following day, and thence toCompiègne or to Senlis, and the next day will take us to Paris. It alldepends how far and how fast we ride each day. But these matters will bearranged by the herald. Were we to go by the shortest route we should getthere more quickly; but Amiens is held by the party to whom the men whoattacked our castle belong, and by the way we are travelling we shall keepfor some time in Artois, and so escape all risk of trouble on the road. "

"I don't care for trouble, " Charlie said stoutly; "we have got Long Tomand Robert Picard and the other two, and Guy can fight also. "

"That would be all very well, my son, " his mother said smiling, "if wewere only attacked by half a dozen vagrants, but brave as they all arethey could do naught if a large body surprised us; but be assured thatthere is no fear of that--by the way we are travelling we shall meet withnone but friends. "

"I should like to be attacked by the vagrants, mother. The last time youmade us stay with you when there was fighting going on, except just at thefirst, but here we should see it all. "

"Well, I don't want to see it, Charlie, and I am glad that we are notlikely to do so; and you must remember that you and I and Agnes wouldsorely hamper our friends. "

Nevertheless whenever a party of peasants was met upon the road Charlielooked out hopefully and heaved a sigh of disappointment when, afterdoffing their caps in respect, they passed on quietly. Several times theyencountered bodies of knights and men-at-arms, but the presence of theroyal herald saved them from all question. At each halting-place DameMargaret, her children and maid, were lodged in the house of one of theprincipal citizens, while Guy and the men-at-arms lay at an inn. Thetroubled state of the times was only manifest by the number of men-at-armsin the streets, and the strict watch kept at the gates of the towns. Manyof these were kept shut, and were only opened once an hour to let peoplepass in and out. This, however, did not affect the travellers, for thegates were opened the moment the emblazonings on the surcoat of the heraldcould be made out. 

"We have assuredly nothing to complain of so far, Guy, " Dame Margaretsaid, as they set out on their last day's journey; "had we been the king'sspecial guests we could not have been more honourably treated, and I haveno doubt that although we shall be much less important personages at Paristhan as travellers under the royal protection, we shall yet be madecomfortable enough, and shall have naught to grieve over save theseparation from our lord. "

"I cannot doubt that it will be so, lady, " Guy replied; "and that at anyrate there will be no trouble, unless the Armagnacs lay siege to Paris orthere are riots in the city. I heard last night at the inn from sometravellers who had just left it, that although the majority of the peoplethere are in favour of Burgundy, yet that much discontent exists onaccount of the harsh measures of the officers he has appointed, andespecially of the conduct of the guild of butchers, who, as it seems, arehigh in favour with the duke, and rule the city as if it belonged tothem. "

"It matters little to us, Guy, though it seems strange that the nobles ofFrance and the respectable citizens of Paris should allow themselves to beruled over by such a scum as that; but it was the same in Flanders, whereVon Artevelde, our ally, a great man and the chief among them, wasmurdered by the butchers who at the time held sway in Ghent, and who wereconspicuous for many years in all the tumults in the great towns there. "

"I hear, madam, that the king is ill, and can see no one. "

"Yes, I have heard the same from the herald. It will be John of Burgundywho will, for the time, be our master. "

"I could desire a better, " Guy said bluntly; "but we shall at any rateknow that his fair words are not to be trusted. For my part, however, Iwonder that after the of the Duke of Orleans, with whom he had sworn asolemn peace, any man should hold converse with him. "

"Unfortunately, Guy, men's interests count for more than their feelings, and a great noble, who has it in his power to grant favours and dispensehonours, will find adherents though he has waded through blood. Burgundy, too, as I hear, has winning manners and a soft tongue, and can, when itpleases him, play the part of a frank and honest man. At least it must beowned that the title of 'Fearless' does not misbecome him, for, had itbeen otherwise, he would have denied all part in the murder of Orleans, instead of openly avowing that it was done by his orders. "

They had started at an earlier hour than usual that morning, as the heraldhad pointed out to Dame Margaret, that it were best to arrive in Paris asearly as possible, in order that the question of their lodging might besettled at once. Accordingly, they had been up at daybreak, and arrived inParis at noon. 

"How long will it be, I wonder, " Dame Margaret said, as they rode throughthe gates, "before we shall pass through here again?"

"Not very long I hope, my lady, " Guy said; "but be sure that if at anytime you wish to leave we shall be able to procure disguises for you all, and to make our way out without difficulty. "

"Nay, Guy, you forget that it is only so long as we are here that Villeroyis safe from attack. Whatever happens, nothing, save the news that anEnglish army has landed at Calais, and is about to invade France, wouldleave me free to attempt an escape. If not released before that, I mustthen, at all hazards, try to escape, for Sir Eustace, knowing that I amhere, would be placed in a sore strait indeed; both by his owninclinations and as a vassal of England, for he would want to join theEnglish as soon as they advanced, and yet would be hindered by theknowledge that I was a hostage here. It would be for me to relieve him ofthat fear; and the same feeling that induced me to come hither would thentake me back to Villeroy. "

"Then, madam, I fear that our stay here will be a long one, for Henry hasnever pushed on the war with France vigorously, and though plenty of causehas been given by the capture of his castles in Guienne, he has neverdrawn sword either to regain them or to avenge the insults put upon theEnglish flag. "

"King Henry is old, Guy; and they say that his son is as full of spiritand as fiery as his father is peaceful and indisposed for war. When theking dies, my lord thinks that it will be but a short time before theEnglish banner will be unfurled in France; and this is one of the reasonswhy he consented to my becoming an hostage, thinking that no long time islikely to elapse before he will have English backing, and will be able todisregard the threats of France. "

"How narrow and sombre are these streets!" Guy said, after a pause, "oneseems to draw one's very breath with difficulty. "

"They are well-nigh as narrow in London, " his mistress replied; "but theyare gay enough below. See how crowded they are, and how brilliant are someof the costumes!"

"Some of them indeed, madam, but more are poor and miserable; and as tothe faces, they are so scowling and sombre, truly were we not on horsebackI should keep my hand tight upon my pouch, though in truth there isnothing in it worth stealing. "

"Ay, ay, Master Guy, " Long Tom broke in, "methinks that there are a goodmany heads among these scowling knaves that I would gladly have a chanceof cracking had I my quarter-staff in my hand and half a dozen stoutfellows here with me. See how insolently they stare!"

"Hush, Tom!" Dame Margaret said, turning round, "if you talk of crackingskulls I shall regret that I brought you with me. "

"I am not thinking of doing it, my lady, " the archer said apologetically. "I did but say that I should like to do it, and between liking and doingthere is often a long distance. "

"Sometimes, Tom, but one often leads to the other. You must remember thatabove all things it behoves us to act prudently here, and to avoid drawingthe attention of our foes. We English are not loved in Paris, and the lessyou open your mouth here the better; for when Burgundians and Armagnacsare ready to cut each other's throats over a name, fellow-countrymenthough they be, neither would feel any compunction about killing anEnglishman. "

After riding for half an hour they entered the court-yard of a largebuilding, where men-at-arms and varlets wearing the cognizance of Burgundywere moving about, a group of nobles were standing on the steps, whilesome grooms were walking their horses round the court-yard. The heraldmade his way to the door, and here all alighted. 

"Whom have we here, I wonder?" one of the young nobles said to another asthey came up. "A royal herald and his pursuivants; a young dame and a veryfair one; her daughter, I suppose, also fair; the lady's esquire; and asmall boy. "

"Hostages, I should say, " the other replied, "for the good conduct of thelady's lord, whoever he may be. I know her not, and think that she cannothave been at court for the last ten years, for I could hardly haveforgotten her face. "

Dame Margaret took the hands of her two children and followed the heraldup the steps. She had made a motion of her head to Guy to attend her, andhe accordingly followed behind. 

"A haughty lady as well as a fair one, " the young knight laughed. "She didnot so much as glance at us, but held her head as high as if she weregoing in to rate Burgundy himself. I think that she must be English by herlooks, though what an English woman can be doing here in Paris is beyondmy understanding, unless it be that she is the wife of a knight ofGuienne; in that case she would more likely be with Orleans than here. "

"Yes, but you see the herald has brought her. It may be her lord's castlehas been captured, and she has come under the safe-conduct of a herald tolay a complaint; but I think with you that she is English. The girl wasfair too, though not so fair as her mother, and that curly-headed youngesquire is of English stock too. "

"He is a stout-looking fellow, De Maupas, and will make a powerful man; helooks as if he could strike a shrewd blow even now. Let us question theirknaves, one of whom, by the way, is a veritable giant in point of height. "

He beckoned to the four men, and Robert Picard came forward. 

"Who is your lady, young man?"

"Dame Margaret de Villeroy, may it please you, sir. She is the wife of SirEustace de Villeroy. "

"Then we were right, De Maupas, for De Villeroy is, I know, a vassal ofEngland for his wife's estates, and his people have always countedthemselves English, because for over a hundred years their castle stoodinside the English line. "

"He is a stout knight. We heard a month ago how bravely he held his castleagainst Sir Clugnet de Brabant with 8000 Orleanists, and beat him off witha loss of five knights and 400 men. Sir Clugnet himself was sorelywounded. We all ought to feel mightily obliged to him for the check, whichsent them back post-haste out of Artois, where they had already donedamage enough, and might have done more had they not been so roughlyhandled. I wonder what the lady is here for?"

"It may be that he would have fought the Burgundians as stoutly as hefought the Armagnacs, " the other said, "and that the duke does not careabout having so strong a castle held by so stout a knight within a fewmiles of the English line. "

The other shrugged his shoulders. "The English are sleeping dogs, " hesaid; "there is no Edward and no Black Prince to lead them now. "

"No, but you must remember that sleeping dogs wake up sometimes, and eventry to bite when they do so; moreover we know of old that these particulardogs can bite hard. "

"The sooner they wake up the better, I say, De Maupas. We have a longgrudge to wipe off against them, and our men are not likely to repeat themistakes that cost us so dearly before. Besides, the English have had noreal fighting for years, and it seems to me that they have altogethergiven up any hope of extending their possessions in France. "

"One can never tell, De Revelle. For my part I own that I care not thatthey should again spread their banner on this side of the sea. There canbe no doubt that they are stout fighting-men, and seeing how France isdivided they might do sore damage did they throw their weight into oneside of the scale. "

"Methinks that there is no fear of that. The dukes both know well enoughthat their own followers would not fight side by side with the English;and though they might propose an alliance with the Islanders, it wouldonly be for the purpose of bringing the war to a close by uniting bothparties against our old enemy. "

In the meantime Dame Margaret had followed her conductor to the greatchamber, where John of Burgundy held audience in almost royal state. Several nobles were gathered round him, but at the entrance of the heraldthese fell back, leaving him standing by himself. An eminently politicman, the duke saw at once by the upright figure and the fearless air withwhich Dame Margaret entered the hall, that this was a case where courtesyand deference were far more likely to bring about the desired end ofwinning her husband over to his interests, than any menaces or roughspeaking; he therefore advanced two or three steps to meet her. 

"My lord duke, " the herald said, "this lady, Dame Margaret of Villeroy, has journeyed hither with me in accordance with the wish expressed by HisMajesty the king. "

"As the king's representative in Paris, lady, " the duke said to Margaret, "I thank you for your promptness in thus conceding to his wish. "

"His Majesty's wish was naturally a command to me, Sir Duke, " Margaretsaid with quiet dignity. "We, my husband and I, understood that some enemyhad been influencing His Majesty's mind against my lord, and in order toassure him of my lord's loyalty as a faithful vassal for the land heholds, I have willingly journeyed here with my children, although in muchgrief for the loss of my eldest son, who died in the attack lately madeupon our castle by a large body of men, of whom we knew naught, save thatthey did not come in the name of our lord the king. "

"I have heard of the attack, lady, and of the gallant and successfuldefence made by Sir Eustace, and the king was greatly pleased to hear ofthe heavy check thus inflicted upon the men who had raised the banner ofrevolt, and were harassing His Majesty's faithful subjects. "

"That being so, my lord duke, " Margaret said, "'tis strange, after my lordhad shown how ready and well prepared he was to protect his castle againstill-doers, that he should have been asked to admit a garrison of strangersto aid him to hold it. Sir Eustace has no desire to meddle with thetroubles of the times; he holds his castle as a fief directly from thecrown, as his ancestors have held it for two hundred years; he wishes onlyto dwell in peace and in loyal service to the king. "

[Illustration: THE LADY MARGARET MAKES HER OBEISANCE TO THE DUKE OFBURGUNDY. ]

"Such we have always understood, madam, and gladly would the king haveseen Sir Eustace himself at his court. The king will, I trust, shortly berecovered from his malady; until he. Is so I have--for I was madeacquainted with your coming by messenger sent forward by Monjoie--arrangedfor you to be lodged in all honour at the house of Master Leroux, one ofthe most worshipful of the citizens of Paris, and provost of the guild ofsilversmiths. My chamberlain will at once conduct you thither. "

"I thank you, my lord duke, " Margaret said with a stately reverence, "andtrust that when I am received by my lord the king I shall be able to proveto him that Sir Eustace is his faithful vassal, and can be trusted to holdhis castle for him against all comers. "

"I doubt it not, lady, " the duke said courteously. "Sir VictorPierrepoint, I pray you to see this lady to the entrance. Sir Hugo willalready be waiting her there. "

CHAPTER VI

IN PARIS

"A bold dame and a fair one, " John of Burgundy said to the gentlemen roundhim when Margaret left the chamber. "Methinks that she would be able tohold Villeroy even should Sir Eustace be away. "

"That would she, " one of the knights said with a laugh. "I doubt not thatshe would buckle on armour if need were. But we must make some allowancefor her heat; it is no pleasant thing to be taken away from her castle andbrought hither as a hostage, to be held for how long a time she knowsnot. "

"It was the safest way of securing the castle, " the duke said. "Can onedoubt that, with her by his side, her husband would open his gates to theEnglish, should they appear before it? He himself is a vassal both ofEngland and France, and should the balance be placed before him, there canbe little doubt that her weight would incline him to England. How wellthese English women keep their youth! One might believe her to be but afew years past twenty, and yet she is the mother of that girl, who iswell-nigh as tall as herself. "

"And who bids to be as fair, my lord duke. "

"And as English, De Porcelet. She would be a difficult eaglet to tame, ifI mistake not; and had she been the spokeswoman, methinks she would haveanswered as haughtily as did her mother. But it might be no bad plan tomate her to a Frenchman. It is true that there is the boy, but the fiefmight well be bestowed upon her if so mated, on the ground that the boywould likely take after his father and mother and hold Villeroy forEngland rather than for France. However, she is young yet; in a couple ofyears, De Porcelet, it will be time for you to urge your suit, if soinclined. "

There was a general smile from the circle standing round, but the youngknight said gravely, "When the time comes, my lord duke, I may remind youof what you have said. 'Tis a fair young face, honest and good, though atpresent she must naturally feel with her mother at being thus haled awayfrom her home. "

Sir Victor escorted Margaret to the court-yard. As they appeared at theentrance a knight came up and saluted her. 

"I am intrusted by the duke with the honour of escorting you to yourlodgings, " he said; "I am Hugo de Chamfort, the duke's chamberlain. "

After assisting her into the saddle he mounted a horse which an attendantbrought up and placed himself by her side. Two men-at-arms with theirsurtouts embroidered with the cognizance of Burgundy led the way, and therest of the party followed in the same order in which they had come. Thedistance was short, and beyond a few questions by the knight as to thejourney and how she had been cared for on the way, and Margaret's replies, little was said until they reached the house of the provost of thesilversmiths. As they rode up to the door Maître Leroux himself came outfrom the house. 

"Welcome, lady, " he said, "to my abode. My wife will do all that she canto make you comfortable. "

"I am sorry indeed, good sir, " Margaret said, "to be thus forced upon yourhospitality, and regret the trouble that my stay will impose upon you. "

"Say not so, lady, " he said, "we deem it an honour that his grace the Dukeof Burgundy should have selected us for the honour of entertaining you. The house is large, and we have no family. Chambers are already preparedfor yourself, your daughter, and son, while there are others at yourdisposal for your following. "

"I would not trespass too much upon you, " she said. "My daughter can sleepwith me, and I am sure that my esquire here, Master Guy Aylmer, willgladly share a room with my boy. I can obtain lodgings for my fourfollowers without. "

"You will grieve me much if you propose it, lady. There is a large roomupstairs unoccupied, and I will place pallets for them there; and as fortheir meals they can have them apart. "

By this time they had mounted a fine flight of stairs, at the top of whichDame Leroux was standing to receive her guests. She was a kindly-lookingwoman between thirty and forty years of age. 

"Welcome, Lady Margaret, " she said with a cordiality that made Margaretfeel at once that her visit was not regarded as an infliction. "We arequiet people, but will do our best to render your stay here a pleasantone. "

"Thanks indeed, mistress!" Margaret replied. "I feared much that mypresence would be felt as a burden, and had hardly hoped for so kind awelcome. This is my daughter Agnes, and my son Charles. " Then she turnedto Sir Hugo: "I pray you to give my thanks to his grace the Duke ofBurgundy, and to thank him for having so well bestowed me. I thank youalso for your courtesy for having conducted me here. "

"I will convey your message to the duke, " he said, "who will, I am sure, be pleased to hear of your contentment. "

Maître Leroux accompanied the knight downstairs again, and when he hadmounted and ridden off he called two servitors, and bade one carry theluggage upstairs, and the other conduct the men to the stables he hadtaken for the horses. 

"After you have seen to their comfort, " he said to Robert Picard, "youwill return hither; you will find a meal prepared for you, and will bebestowed together in a chamber upstairs. "

In the meantime his wife had ushered Dame Margaret into a very handsomelyfurnished apartment. "This is at your entire service, Lady Margaret, " shesaid. "The bedroom behind it is for yourself, the one next to it for yourdaughter, unless you would prefer that she should sleep with you. "

"I thank you. I was telling your husband that I should prefer that; and myson and esquire can therefore occupy the second room. But I fear greatlythat I am disturbing yourself and your husband. "

"No, indeed; our sitting-room and bedroom are on the other side of thelanding. These are our regular guest-chambers, and your being here willmake no change whatever in our arrangements. I only regret that theapartments are not larger. "

"Do not apologize, I beg of you, madam. I can assure you that the room isfar handsomer than that to which I have been accustomed. You citizens ofParis are far in advance of us in your ideas of comfort and luxury, andthe apartments both at Villeroy and in my English home cannot compare withthese, except in point of size. I never dreamt that my prison would be socomfortable. "

"Say not prison, I pray you, lady. I heard, indeed, that your visit to thecourt was not altogether one of your own choice; but, believe me, here atleast you will be but a guest, and an honoured and welcome one. I willleave you now. If there is aught that you desire, I pray you to ring thatbell on the table; refreshments will be quickly served. Had I known theprecise hour at which you would come we should have been in readiness foryou, but I thought not that you would arrive till evening. "

"I hope that you will give me much of your company, mistress, " Margaretsaid warmly. "We know no one in this great city, and shall be glad indeedif, when you can spare time, you will sit with us. "

"Well, children, what do you think of this?" she asked when their hostesshad left the room. 

"It is lovely, mother, " Agnes said. "Look at the inlaid cabinets, and thecouches and tables, and this great warm rug that covers all the floor, howsnug and comfortable it all is. Why, mother, I never saw anything likethis. "

"You might have seen something like it had you ever been in the house ofone of our rich London traders, Agnes; at least so I have heard, though intruth I have never myself been in so luxuriously furnished a room. I onlyhope that we may stay here for some time. The best of it is that thesegood people evidently do not regard us as a burden. No doubt they arepleased to oblige the Duke of Burgundy, but, beyond that, their welcomeseemed really sincere. Now let us see our bedroom. I suppose that isyours, Charlie, through the door in the corner. "

The valises had already been brought to the rooms by another entrance, andMargaret and her daughter were charmed with their bedroom. A large ewerand basin of silver stood on a table which was covered with a white cloth, snowy towels hung beside it; the hangings of the bed were of damask silk, and the floor was almost covered by an Eastern carpet. An exquisitelycarved wardrobe stood in one corner. 

"It is all lovely!" Agnes said, clapping her hands. "You ought to haveyour room at home fitted up like this, mother. "

"It would take a large slice out of a year's revenue, Agnes, " her mothersaid with a smile, "to furnish a room in this fashion. That wardrobe aloneis worth a knight's ransom, and the ewer and basin are fit for a king. Iwould that your father could see us here; it would ease his anxiety aboutus. I must ask how I can best despatch a messenger to him. "

When they returned to the other apartment they found the table alreadylaid, and in a short time a dainty repast was served. To this Guy sat downwith them, for except when there were guests, when his place was behindhis lord's chair, he had always been treated as one of the family, and asthe son of Sir Aylmer rather than as a page. 

"Well, Master Guy, what think you of affairs?"

"They seem well to the eye, mistress, but I would not trust that Duke ofBurgundy for an hour. With that long face of his and the hooked nose andhis crafty look he resembles little a noble of France. He has an evilface, and one which accords well with the foul murder of the king'sbrother. However, as I see not that he has aught to gain by holding youhere, --save that he thinks it will ensure our lord's keeping his castlefor him, --there is no reason why he should not continue to treat youhonourably and courteously. We have yet to learn whether Master Leroux isone of his party, or whether he is in favour of Armagnac. "

"I should think that he cannot be for Armagnac, " she said, "or Duke Johnwould hardly have quartered us upon him. No doubt it was done under thesemblance of goodwill, but most men would have considered it a heavy tax, even though, as I expect, we shall not remain here long. Doubtless, however, the trader considers that his complaisance in the matter would betaken by the duke as a sign of his desire to show that at least he is nothostile to him. "

When they rose from the table Guy, at his mistress's suggestion, wentbelow and found the four men sitting in the great kitchen, where they hadjust finished an ample meal. 

"You have seen to the horses, Robert?"

"Yes, Master Guy, they are comfortably bestowed, with an abundance ofprovender. "

"I am going out to see how matters stand in the town. Our lady says thatat all times two of you must remain here, as it may be necessary to sendmessages, or should she wish to go out, to escort her, but the other twocan be out and about as they please, after first inquiring of me whetherthere is aught for them to do. You can arrange among yourselves whichshall stay in, taking turns off duty. Tom, you had better not go out tillafter dark. There is something in the cut of your garments which tellsthat you are not French. Robert will go out with me now, and find aclothier, and bid him send garments here for you to choose from, or if hehas none to fit, which may likely enough be, send him to measure you. Itmight lead to broils and troubles were any of the rabble to notice thatyou were a stranger. "

"That is right enough, Master Guy; and in sooth I have no desire to go outat present, for after riding for the last six days I am well content tosit quiet and take my ease here. "

Guy then started with Robert Picard. Except in the streets where theprincipal merchants dwelt, the town struck him as gloomy and sombre. Thepalaces of the nobles were veritable fortresses, the streets were ill-paved and evil-smelling, and the people in the poorer quarters had asinister aspect. 

"I should not care to wander about in this district after nightfall, Robert, " Guy said to the man-at-arms, who kept close to his elbow. 

"Nor I, " the man growled. "It is as much as I can do to keep my hands offmy dagger now, for methinks that nine out often of the fellows loiteringabout would cut our throats willingly, if they thought that we had but acrown in our pockets. "

Presently they found themselves on the quays, and, hailing a boat, rowedup the river a little beyond the walls. Hearing the sound of music theylanded, and on seeing a number of people gather round some booths theydischarged the boat and went on. They found that it was a sort of fair. Here were sword-players and mountebanks, pedlars who vended their wares ata lower price than those at which they were sold within the limits of thecity, booths at which wine and refreshments could be obtained. Here manysoldiers were sitting drinking, watching the passers-by, and exchangingribald jests with each other, and sometimes addressing observations to thewives and daughters of the citizens, amid fits of laughter at the looks ofindignation on the part of their husbands or fathers. 

"It is evidently a holiday of some sort, " Guy remarked, as they found thatthe fair extended for a considerable distance, and that the crowd waseverywhere large. They stopped for a minute or two in front of a booth ofmore pretensions than the generality. In front of it a man was beating adrum, and a negro walking up and down attired in showy garments. The drumceased and the latter shouted:

"Those of you who wish to see my master, the famous Elminestres, the mostlearned doctor in Europe, who can read the stars, cast your horoscope, foretell your future, and cure your ailments, should not lose thisopportunity. "

The curtains opened behind, and a man dressed in dark garments with a longblack cloak spotted with silver stars came forward. 

"You have heard, good people, what my slave has said. He speaks withknowledge. I saved his life in the deserts of Africa when he was all butdead with fever, by administering to him one of my wonderful potions; heat once recovered and devoted himself to my service. I have infallibleremedies for every disease, therefore do you who are sick come to me andbe cured; while for you who do not suffer I can do as much or more, bytelling you of your future, what evils to avoid and what chances tograsp. "

He stood for a minute silent, his eyes wandering keenly over thespectators. "I see, " he said, "one among you who loves a fair maidenstanding beside him. At present her parents are unfavourable to his suit, but if he will take my advice he will be able to overcome their objectionsand to win the damsel. Another I see who has come to Paris with theintention of enlisting in the service of our good duke, and who, Iforesee, will attain rank and honour and become a distinguished soldier ifhe does but act prudently at the critical moment, while if he takes awrong turn misfortune and death will befall him. I see a youth of gentleblood who will become a brave knight, and will better his condition bymarriage. He has many dangers to go through before that, and has atpresent a serious charge for one so young; but as he has circumspection aswell as courage he may pass through them unharmed. To him too I could giveadvice that may be valuable, more especially as he is a stranger to theland, as are those of whom he is in charge. "

"It is wonderful, Master Guy!" Robert Picard whispered in Guy's ear in atone of astonished awe. 

"The knave doubtless saw us ride in this morning, and recognized me again. There is naught of magic in it, but the fellow must be shrewd, or he wouldnot have so quickly drawn his conclusions. I will go in and speak to himpresently, for though I believe not his prophecies one jot, a fellow ofthis sort may be useful. Let us be moving on at present. "

They passed two monks, who were scowling angrily at the man, who was justexciting the laughter of the crowd by asserting that there was a holy manpresent who usually preferred a flask of good wine to saying his vespers. 

"Rogues like this should be whipped and branded, Brother Anselmo. "

"Ay, ay, " the other agreed: "and yet, " he added slyly, "it may be that hehas not altogether missed his mark this time. We are not the only twomonks here, " he went on as the other turned upon him angrily, "and it maywell be that among them is one who answers to the fellow's lewddescription. "

On the outskirts of the fair were many people of higher degree. Knightsand ladies strolled on the turf exchanging greetings, looking for a minuteor two at the gambols of a troupe of performing dogs, or at a bout ofcudgel play--where two stout fellows belaboured each other heartily, andshowed sufficient skill to earn from the crowd a shower of small pieces ofmoney, when at last they ceased from pure exhaustion. Half an hour laterGuy returned to the booth of the doctor, and went in by a side entrance, to which those who wished to consult the learned man had been directed bythe negro. The latter was at the entrance, and, observing that Guy'scondition was above that of the majority of his master's clients, at oncetook him into an inner apartment divided from the rest of the tent by ahanging. Over the top of this was stretched a black cloth spotted withsilver stars, and similar hangings surrounded it; thus all light was cutoff, and the room was dimly illuminated by two lamps. A table with a blackcloth stood at the back. On this stood a number of phials and small boxes, together with several retorts and alembics. The doctor was seated on atripod stool. He rose and was about to address Guy in his usual style, when the latter said:

"So you saw us ride in this morning, Master Doctor, and guessed shrewdlyas to our condition and nationality. As to the latter, indeed, it neededno sorcery, for it must have been plain to the dullest that my mistressand her daughter were not of French blood, and though I am much less fair, it was a pretty safe guess to suppose that I also was of their country. Ineed not tell you that I have not come here either for charms or nostrums, but it seemed to me that being, as you said, strangers here, we mightbenefit by the advice of one who like yourself notes things quickly, andcan form his own conclusions. "

The doctor removed his tall conical cap, and placed it on the table. 

"You guess rightly, " he said with a smile. "I was in the crowd and markedyou enter, and a soldier standing next to me observed to a comrade that hehad heard that Burgundy had sent the herald to demand the surrender of acastle held by one Sir Eustace, a knight who was known to have friendlyleanings towards the English, being a vassal of their king for estatesthat had come to him with an English wife, and that doubtless this was thelady. When my eye fell on you in the crowd I said: Here is a youth ofshrewdness and parts, he is alone and is a foreigner, and maybe I can beof service to him; therefore I shot my shaft, and, as you see, withsuccess. I said to myself: This youth, being a stranger, will know of noone to whom he can turn for information, and I can furnish him with almostany that he may require. I come in contact with the highest and thelowest, for the Parisians are credulous, and after dark there are some ofrank and station who come to my doors for filtres and nostrums, or to havetheir horoscope cast and their futures predicted. You will ask why one whohas such clients should condescend to stand at a booth and talk to thisrabble; but it has its purpose. Were I known only as one whom men andwomen visit in secret, I should soon become suspected of black arts, thepriests would raise an outcry against me, and one of these days I might beburned. Here, however, I ostensibly earn my living as a mountebank vendorof drugs and nostrums, and therefore no one troubles his head about me. "

"There is one thing that you have not told me, " Guy said when he ceasedspeaking. "Having, as you say, good clients besides your gains here, whyshould you trouble to interest yourself in our affairs?"

"Shrewdly put, young sir. I will be frank with you. I too am a stranger, and sooner or later I may fall into discredit, and the power of the churchbe too much for me. When I saw your mistress to-day I said to myself: Hereis an English lady of rank, with a castle and estate in England; should Ihave to fly-and I have one very dear to me, for whose sake I value mylife-it might be well for me that I should have one friend in England whowould act as protectress to her should aught befall me. Your mistress is astranger here, and in the hands of enemies. I may be of use to her. I knowthis population of Paris, and can perhaps give her better information ofwhat is going on both at the court and in the gutter than any other man, and may be able to render her assistance when she most needs it; and wouldask but in payment that, should I come to England, she will extend herprotection to my daughter until I can find a home and place her there. Yousee I am playing an open game with you. "

"I will reply as frankly, " Guy said. "When I came in here it was, as Itold the man-at-arms my companion, with the thought that one who hadnoticed us so shrewdly, and had recognized me so quickly in the crowd, wasno ordinary mountebank, but a keen, shrewd man who had some motive forthus addressing me, and I see that my view was a right one. As to yourproposal I can say naught before I have laid it before my mistress, butfor myself I may say at once that it recommends itself to me as excellent. We are, as you say, strangers here, and know of no one from whom we mightobtain information as to what is going on. My mistress, if not an actualprisoner, is practically so, being held with her children as hostages formy lord's loyalty to France. She is the kindest of ladies, and should sheauthorize me to enter into further communication with you, you may be surethat she would execute to the full the undertaking you ask for on behalfof your daughter. Where can I see you again? This is scarce a place Icould often resort to without my visits being noticed, if, as is likelyenough, the Duke of Burgundy may occasionally set spies to inform him asto what we are doing, and whether my mistress is in communication with anywho are regarded as either doubtful or hostile to his faction. "

"If you will be in front of Notre Dame this evening at nine o'clock, Iwill meet you there and conduct you to my abode, where you can visit mefree of any fear of observation. "

"What name shall I call you?" Guy asked. 

"My name is Montepone. I belong to a noble family of Mantua, but mixingmyself up with the factions there, I was on the losing side, andunfortunately it happened that in a fray I killed a noble connected withall the ruling families; sentence of death was passed upon me in myabsence, my property was confiscated. Nowhere in Italy should I have beensafe from the dagger of the assassin, therefore I fled to France, and forten years have maintained myself by the two arts which so often gotogether, astrology and buffoonery. I had always been fond of knowledge, and had learned all that could be taught in the grand science ofastrology, so that however much I may gull fools here, I have obtained theconfidence of many powerful personages by the accuracy of my forecasts. Had Orleans but believed my solemn assurance he would not have riddenthrough the streets of Paris to his death that night, and in other caseswhere I have been more trusted I have rendered valuable assistance. "

The belief in astrology had never gained much hold upon the mass of theEnglish people, many as were the superstitions that prevailed among them. Guy had never even given the matter a thought. Montepone, however, evidently believed in his powers of foreseeing the future, and such powersdid not in themselves seem altogether impossible to the lad; he thereforemade no direct reply, but saying that he would not fail to be at theappointed place at nine that evening, took his leave. 

"Truly, Master Guy, I began to be uneasy about you, " Robert Picard saidwhen he rejoined him, "and was meditating whether I had best enter thetent, and demand what had become of you. It was only the thought thatthere might have been others before you, and that you had to wait yourturn before seeing him, that restrained me. You have not been taking hisnostrums, I trust; for they say that some of those men sell powders bywhich a man can be changed into a wolf. "

Guy laughed. "I have taken nothing, Robert, and if I had I should have nofear of such a change happening to me. I have but talked to the man as tohow he came to know me, and it is as I thought, --he saw us as we entered. He is a shrewd fellow, and may well be of some use to us. "

"I like not chaffering with men who have intercourse with the devil, "Picard said, shaking his head gravely; "nothing good comes of it. Mymother knew a man who bought a powder that was to cure his wife ofjealousy; and indeed it did, for it straightway killed her, and he washung. I think that I can stand up against mortal man as well as another, but my blood ran cold when I saw you enter yon tent, and I fell into asweat at your long absence. "

"The man is not of that kind, Robert, so you can reassure yourself. Idoubt not that the nostrums he sells are perfectly harmless, and thatthough they may not cure they will certainly not kill. "

They made their way back to the house of the provost of the silversmiths. 

"Well, what do you think of Paris, Guy?" Dame Margaret asked when heentered. 

"It is a fine city, no doubt, lady, but in truth I would rather be in thecountry than in this wilderness of narrow streets. But indeed I have hadsomewhat of an adventure, and one which I think may prove of advantage;"and he then related to his mistress his visit to the booth of the supposeddoctor. 

"Do you think that he is honest, Guy?" she asked when he concluded. 

"I think so, madam. He spoke honestly enough, and there was a ring oftruth in what he said; nor do I see that he could have had any motive formaking my acquaintance save what he stated. His story seemed to me to be anatural one; but I shall be able to judge better when I see him in his ownhouse and with this daughter he speaks of; that is, if your ladyship iswilling that I should meet him. "

"I am willing enough, " she said, "for even if he is a spy of Burgundy'sthere is nothing that we wish to conceal. I have come here willingly, andhave no thought of making my escape, or of mixing myself up in any of theintrigues of the court. Therefore there is no harm that he can do us, while on the other hand you may learn much from him, and will gather in ashort time whether he can be trusted. Then by all means go and meet himthis evening. But it would be as well to take Tom with you. It does notseem to me at all likely that any plot can be intended, but at any rate itwill be well that you should have one with you whom you can thoroughlytrust, in case there is any snare set, and to guard you against anylurking cut-throats. "

"I will tell him to be in readiness to go with me. It will be his turn togo out with one of the others this evening, and he might not be back intime if I did not warn him. "

"What arms shall I take with me?" Long Tom said, when Guy told him oftheir expedition. 

"Nothing but your sword and quarter-staff. I see that many of the beggarsand others that one meets in the streets carry long staffs, and yours isnot much longer than the generality. You brought it tied up with your bow, so you would do well to carry it, for in a street broil, where there isroom to swing it, you could desire no better weapon, in such strong handsas yours, Tom. Besides, you can knock down and disable with it and nogreat harm is done, whereas if you used your sword there would be deadmen; and although by all I hear these are not uncommon objects in thestreets of Paris, there might be trouble if the town watch came up, as weare strangers. I shall carry a stout cudgel myself, as well as my sword. "

Accordingly at half-past eight they set out. Guy put on a long cloak and acap such as was worn by the citizens, but strengthened inside by a fewbands of steel forming sufficient protection to the head against anyordinary blow. This he had purchased at a stall on his way home. Tom hadput on the garments that had been bought for him that afternoon, consisting of a doublet of tanned leather that could be worn under armouror for ordinary use, and was thick enough to afford considerableprotection. The streets were already almost deserted; those who wereabroad hurried along looking with suspicion at all whom they met, andwalking in the middle of the road so as to avoid being taken by surpriseby anyone lurking in the doorways or at the corners of alleys. Once ortwice men came out and stared at Guy and his companion by the light of thelanterns suspended across the streets, but there was nothing about theirappearance to encourage an attack, and the stalwart figure of the archerpromised hard blows rather than plunder. Arriving at the square in frontof Notre Dame they waited awhile. Here there were still people about, forit was a rendezvous both for roistering young gallants, thieves, andothers starting on midnight adventures. After walking backwards andforwards two or three times Guy said, "You had best stand here in theshadow of this buttress while I go and place myself beneath that hanginglamp; seeing that we are together, and he, looking perhaps only for one, may not recognize me. "

On reaching the lamp, Guy took off his hat, so that the light should fallon his face, waited for a minute, and then replaced it. As soon as he didso a slightly-built lad came up to him. 

"Were you not at the fair by the river to-day, sir, and are you notexpecting some one to meet you here?"

"That is so, lad. If you will tell me whom I am expecting I shall knowthat he has sent you, though, indeed, I looked to meet himself and not amessenger. "

"Montepone, " the lad said. 

"That is right. Why is he not here himself?"

"He received a message before starting that one whose orders he could notneglect would call upon him this evening, and he therefore sent me to therendezvous. I have been looking anxiously for you, but until now had notseen you. "

"I have a companion with me; being a stranger here in Paris, I did notcare to be wandering through the streets alone. He is a countryman ofmine, and can be trusted. "

"It is indeed dangerous to be out alone. It is seldom that I am in thestreets after dark, but the doctor came with me and placed me in a cornerof the porch, and then returned by himself, telling me to stir not until Isaw you; and that should you not come, or should I not be able to make youout, I was to remain until he came for me even if I waited until morning. "

"I will fetch my follower, " Guy said, "and am ready to accompany you. "

The lad was evidently unwilling to be left there for a moment alone, andhe walked back with Guy to the buttress where the archer was standing. 

"This is our guide, Tom, " Guy said, as the archer stepped out to join him;"the person I expected was unable to come himself. Now, lad, I am ready;you see we are well guarded. "

The boy nodded, evidently reassured by the bulk of the archer, and wasabout to step on ahead of them, when Guy said, "You had best walk with us. If you keep in front, it will seem as if you were guiding us, and thatwould point us out at once as strangers. Is it far to the place you aretaking us to?"

"A short quarter of an hour's walk, sir. "

CHAPTER VII

IN THE STREETS OF PARIS

They crossed the bridge to the right bank of the river, and followed thestream down for some distance. Passing through some narrow lanes, theypresently emerged into a street of higher pretensions, and stopped at thedoor of a small house wedged in between two of much larger size. The boytook a key from his girdle, opened the door, and entered. 

"Stand here a moment, I pray you, " he said; "I will fetch a light. "

In a few seconds he appeared with a lantern. He shut and barred the door, and then led the way upstairs and showed them into a small but well-furnished room, which was lighted by a hanging lamp. He then went to abuffet, brought out a flask of wine and two goblets, and said: "Will itplease you to be seated and to help yourselves to the wine; my master maypossibly be detained for some little time before he is able to see you. "Then he went out and closed the door behind him. 

"It is evident, Tom, " Guy said, as he took off his hat and cloak, andseated himself, "that the doctor has a good idea of making himselfcomfortable. Sit down, we may have to wait some time. "

"Do you think that it will be safe to touch the wine, Master Guy?Perchance it may be drugged. "

"Why should it be?" Guy asked. "We are not such important personages thatanyone can desire to make away with us. I am convinced that the doctor wasin earnest when he told me that story that I repeated to you this evening. It is possible that he may not be able to give us as much information ashe said, but that he means well by us I am certain; and I think we may besure that his wine is as good as his apartments are comfortable. "

This turned out to be the case; the wine was excellent, and the archersoon laid aside any doubt he might have entertained. From time to timesteps could be heard in the apartment above, and it was evident that itwas here that the interview between the doctor and his visitor was takingplace. Presently a ring was heard below. 

"Another visitor, " Guy said. Getting up, he slightly drew aside a thickcurtain that hung before a casement, a moment later he let it fall again. "There are two men-at-arms standing on the other side of the street andone at the door. " He heard the door opened, then the boy's step was heardon the stairs, two or three minutes later there was a movement above andthe sound of the footsteps of two men coming down. Presently the outsidedoor closed, two or three minutes elapsed; then the door opened and theItalian entered. 

"I regret that I have kept you so long, " he said courteously, "but myvisitor was not to be got rid of hastily. It was a lady, and there is nohurrying ladies. When a man comes in, I have already ascertained what hedesires to know; he listens to my answer and takes his departure. A woman, on the contrary, has a thousand things to ask, and for the most part theyare questions quite beyond my power to answer. "

"I have, as you see, Signor Montepone, brought my tall countryman with me;as you noticed me, I doubt not for a moment that you also marked him whenwe entered the city. Knowing nothing of the ways of Paris, but havingheard that the streets were very unsafe after dark, I thought it best tobring him with me; and I am indeed glad that I did so, for we met withseveral very rough-looking characters on our way to Notre Dame, and had Ibeen alone I might have had trouble. "

"You did quite right, " the Italian said; "I regretted afterwards that Idid not myself advise you to bring some one with you, for indeed it is notsafe for one man to go abroad alone after dark. And now, will youaccompany me upstairs; this tall fellow will doubtless be able to pass thetime with that flask of wine until you return. "

"He should be able to do so, " Guy said with a smile, "for indeed it is thebest wine I have tasted, so far as my judgment goes, since I crossed theChannel, and indeed the best I have ever tasted. "

"'Tis good wine. I received a cask of it from the grower, a Burgundiannoble, who had, as he believed, gained some advantage from following myadvice. "

The man led the way upstairs. The room he entered there was much largerthan that which they had left, extending over the whole floor. It wasdraped similarly to that in the booth, but was far more handsomely andelaborately got up. The hangings were of heavy cloth sprinkled with stars, the ceiling was blue with gold stars, a planisphere and astrolabe stood inthe centre of the room, and a charcoal fire burned in a brazier besidethem. A pair of huge bats with outstretched wings hung by wires from theceiling, their white teeth glistening in the light of four lamps onstands, some six feet high, one in each corner of the room. The floor wascovered with a dark Eastern carpet, a large chair with a footstool infront stood at a short distance from the planisphere; at one end was amassive table on which were retorts, glass globes, and a variety ofapparatus new to Guy. At the other end of the room there was a frame someeight feet square on which a white sheet was stretched tightly. 

"Now, Master Guy, " the Italian said, "firstly, I beg you to give me thedate of your birth and if possible the hour, for I would for my owninformation if not for yours, cast your horoscope. I like to know for myown satisfaction, as far as may be, the future of those with whom I haveto deal. If I perceive that misfortunes and perhaps death threaten them, it is clearly of no use my entering into relations with them. In yourcase, of course, it is with your mistress that I am chiefly concerned;still as your fortunes are at present so closely mixed up with hers, I maylearn something of much utility to me from your horoscope. "

"I was born on the 8th of December, 1394, and shall be therefore seventeenin a fortnight's time. I was born a few minutes after midnight, for I haveheard my mother say that the castle bell had sounded but a few minutesbefore I was born. She said that she had been anxious about it, because anold woman had predicted that if she ever had a child born on the 7th dayof the month, it would be in every way unfortunate; so my mother wasgreatly pleased that I had escaped the consequences predicted. "

"And now, " the Italian went on, having made a note in his tablets, "whatsaid your lady?"

"She bid me say, sir, that she was very sensible of the advantage that itwould be to her to receive news or warning from one so well informed asyourself; and that she on her part promises that she will befriend andprotect your daughter should you at any time bring her to her castle inEngland, or should she come alone with such tokens from you as that shemight be known; and this promise my lady vows on the sacraments to keep. "

"Then we are in agreement, " the Italian said; "and right glad am I to knowthat should aught befall me, my daughter will be in such good hands. Asfar as worldly means are concerned her future is assured, for I have laidout much of the money I have received in jewels of value, which willproduce a sum that will be an ample dowry for her. Now I can give you somenews. The Duke of Berri with the queen came two days since from Melun toCorbeil, and Louis of Bavaria came on here yesterday to the Duke ofAquitaine with a message to Burgundy and to the butchers, asking that theywould allow him to attend the queen to Paris, and that she might reside inhis house of Nasle. Burgundy was minded to grant her leave, but at ameeting of the chiefs of the guild of butchers this afternoon theyresolved to refuse the request; and this evening they have broken everydoor and window of the Duke of Berri's house, and committed great damagesthere, so that it should not be habitable; they resolved that Berri shouldnot enter Paris, but that the queen might come. I hear that it has beendetermined that the king shall be placed in the Louvre, where the citizensof Paris can keep guard over him and prevent any attempt by the Orleaniststo carry him away. 

"All this will make no difference to your mistress directly; the point ofit is that the power of these butchers, with whom go the guild of skinnersand others, is so increasing that even the Duke of Burgundy is forced togive in to them. Some of the other guilds and the greater part of therespectable traders are wholly opposed to these men. They themselves maycare little whether Orleans or Burgundy sways the court and the king, butthis usurpation of the butchers, who have behind them the scum of Paris, is regarded as a danger to the whole city, and the feeling may grow intoso hot a rage that there may be serious rioting in the streets. I tell youthis that you may be prepared. Assuredly the butchers are not likely tointerfere with any save such of the townspeople as they may deem hostileto them, and no harm would intentionally be done to her or to any otherhostage of Burgundy. But the provost of the silversmiths is one of thosewho withstands them to the best of his power, and should matters come toserious rioting his house might be attacked. The leaders of the butchers'guild would be glad to see him killed, and their followers would stillmore like to have the sacking of his rich magazine of silver goods and thespoiling of his furniture. 

"I say not that things are likely to come to that yet, but there is notelling how far they may be carried. It is but a dark cloud in thedistance at present, but it may in time burst into a storm that willdeluge the streets of Paris with blood. I may tell you that, against youas English there is no strong feeling at present among the Burgundians, for I am informed that the duke has taken several bodies of Englisharchers into his pay, and that at Soissons and other towns he has enlisteda score or two of these men. However, I am sure to gain information longbefore matters come to any serious point, except a sudden outbreak arisefrom a street broil. I may tell you that one result of the violence of thebutchers to-day may be to cause some breach between them and theBurgundian nobles, who are, I am told, greatly incensed at their refusingto give permission to the Duke of Berri to come here after Burgundy hadacceded to his request, and that these fellows should venture to damagethe hotel of one of the royal dukes seemed to them to be still moreintolerable. The Duke of Burgundy may truckle to these fellows, but hisnobles will strongly resent their interference and their arrogantinsolence, and the duke may find that if he is to retain their support hewill have to throw over that of these turbulent citizens. Moreover, theirconduct adds daily to the strength of the Orleanists among the citizens, and if a strong Armagnac force approaches Paris they will be hailed by nosmall portion of the citizens as deliverers. "

"In truth I can well understand, Signor Montepone, that the nobles shouldrevolt against this association with butchers and skinners; 'tis past allbearing that fellows like these should thus meddle in public affairs. "

"The populace of Paris has ever been turbulent, " the Italian replied. "Inthis it resembles the cities of Flanders, and the butchers are ever at thebottom of all tumults. Now I will introduce my daughter to you; it is wellthat you should know her, for in case of need she may serve as amessenger, and it may be that I may some day ask you to present her toyour lady. "

He opened the door. "Katarina!" he said without raising his voice, and atonce a girl came running up from the floor below. 

"This is my daughter, Master Aylmer; you have seen her before. "

Katarina was a girl of some fourteen years of age. She was dressed inblack, and was tall and slight. Her complexion was fairer than that of herfather, and she already gave promise of considerable beauty. Guy bowed toher as she made her reverence, while her face lit up with an amused smile. 

"Your father says I have seen you before, signora, but in sooth I know notwhere or how, since it was but this morning that I arrived in Paris. "

"We parted but half an hour since, monsieur. "

"Parted?" Guy repeated with a puzzled expression on his face. "Surely youare jesting with me. "

"Do you not recognize my messenger?" the Italian said with a smile. "Mydaughter is my assistant. In a business like mine one cannot trust astranger to do one service, and as a boy she could come and go unmarkedwhen she carries a message to persons of quality. She looks a saucy pagein the daytime when she goes on the business, but after nightfall she isdressed as you saw her this evening. As a girl she could not traverse thestreets unattended, and I am far too busy to bear her company; but as aboy she can go where she likes, and indeed it is only when we are alone, and there is little chance of my having visitors, that she appears in herproper character. "

"You must be very courageous, signora, " Guy said; "but, indeed, I can wellimagine that you can pass where you will without anyone suspecting you tobe a girl, for the thought that this was so never entered my head. "

"I am so accustomed to the disguise, " she said, "that I feel morecomfortable in it than dressed as I now am, and it is much more amusing tobe able to go about as I like than to remain all day cooped up here whenmy father is abroad. "

"And now, Master Aylmer, that you have made my daughter's acquaintance, and I have told you what news I have gathered, it needs not that I shoulddetain you longer; the hour is getting late already, and your lady maywell be getting anxious at your absence. Can you read?"

"Yes, signor; the priest at my lady's castle in England, of which myfather is castellan during my lord's absences, instructed me. "

"It is well; for sometimes a note can be slipped into a hand when it wouldnot be safe to deliver a message by word of mouth. From time to time ifthere be anything new you shall hear from me, but there will be nooccasion for you to come hither again unless there is something ofimportance on which I may desire to have speech with you, or you with me. Remain here, Katarina, until my return; I will see monsieur out, and barthe door after him. "

[Illustration: GUY AND LONG TOM COME TO THE RESCUE OF COUNT CHARLES. ]

Passing downstairs Guy looked in at the room where he had left the archer. The latter sprung to his feet as he entered with a somewhat dazedexpression on his face, for indeed, he had fallen off into a sound sleep. 

"We are going now, Tom, " Guy said. "I have concluded my business with thisgentleman. We will not go back the way we came, " he went on, as theyissued into the street, "for I am sure we should never find our waythrough those alleys. Let us keep along here until we come to a broaderstreet leading the way we wish to go; fortunately, with the river to ourleft, we cannot go very far wrong. "

They presently came to a street leading in the desired direction. They hadscarcely entered it when they heard ahead of them the sound of a fray. Aloud cry arose, and there was a clashing of sword-blades. 

"Come on, Tom!" Guy said; "it may be that some gentleman is attacked bythese ruffians of the streets. "

Starting off at a run, they soon arrived at the scene of combat, thefeatures of which they were able to see by the light of the lamp that hungin the centre of the street. A man was standing in a narrow doorway, whichprevented his being attacked except in front, and the step on which hestood gave him a slight advantage over his adversaries. These were nearlya dozen in number, and were evidently, as Guy had supposed, streetruffians of the lowest class. Without hesitation Guy and the archer fellupon them, with a shout of encouragement to the defender of the doorway, who was evidently sorely pressed. Tom's quarter-staff sent two of the menrolling on the ground almost before they realized that they were attacked, while Guy ran another through the body. For a moment the assailantsscattered, but then, seeing that they were attacked by only two men, theyfell upon them with fury. 

Guy defended himself stoutly, but he would have fared badly had it notbeen for the efforts of Long Tom, whose staff descended with suchtremendous force upon the heads of his assailants that it broke down theirguard, and sent man after man on to the pavement. Guy himself received asharp wound in the shoulder, but cut down another of his assailants; andthe defender of the door, leaving his post of vantage, now joined them, and in a couple of minutes but four of the assailants remained on theirfeet, and these, with a shout of dismay, turned and took to their heels. Guy had now opportunely arrived. As the latter took off his hat he sawtime to look at the gentleman to whose assistance he had so that thestranger was but a year or two older than himself. 

"By our Lady, sir, " the young man said, "you arrived at a lucky moment, for I could not much longer have kept these ruffians at bay. I have tothank you for my life, which, assuredly, they would have taken, especiallyas I had disposed of two of their comrades before you came up. May I askto whom I am so indebted? I am Count Charles d'Estournel. "

"My name is Guy Aylmer, sir; I am the son of Sir James Aylmer, an Englishknight, and am here as the esquire of Dame Margaret de Villeroy, whoarrived but this morning in Paris. "

"And who is this stalwart fellow whose staff has done more execution thanboth our sword-blades?" the young count asked; "verily it rose and felllike a flail on a thrashing-floor. "

"He is one of Dame Margaret's retainers, and the captain of a band ofarchers in her service, but is at present here as one of her men-at-arms. "

"In truth I envy her so stout a retainer. Good fellow, I have to thank youmuch, as well as Monsieur Guy Aylmer, for your assistance. "

"One is always glad of an opportunity to stretch one's arms a bit whenthere is but a good excuse for doing so, " the archer said; "and one needsno better chance than when one sees a gentleman attacked by such scum asthese ruffians, " and he motioned to the men lying stretched on the ground. 

"Ah, you are English!" D'Estournel said with a slight smile at Tom's verybroken French. "I know all about you now, " he went on, turning to Guy. "Iwas not present today when your lady had audience with Burgundy, but Iheard that an English dame had arrived, and that the duke came but badlyout of the encounter in words with her. But we had best be moving on or wemay have the watch on us, and we should be called upon to account forthese ten fellows lying here. I doubt not but half of them are onlystunned and will soon make off, the other six will have to be carriedaway. We have a good account to give of ourselves, but the watch wouldprobably not trouble themselves to ask any questions, and I have no fancyfor spending a night locked up in the cage with perhaps a dozen unsavourymalefactors. Which way does your course lie, sir?"

"We are lodged at the house of Maître Leroux, provost of thesilversmiths. "

"Then you are going in the wrong direction. You return up this street, then turn to your right; his house is in the third street to the left. Ishall do myself the honour of calling in the morning to thank you morefully for the service you have rendered me, which, should it ever fallinto my power, you can count on my returning. My way now lies in theopposite direction. "

After mutual salutes they parted, and Guy followed the directions given tothem. 

"That was a sharp skirmish, Master Guy, " Long Tom said contentedly; "theodds were just enough to make it interesting. Did you escape scatheless?"

"Not altogether, Tom, I had a sword-thrust in my shoulder; but I can dowith it until I get back, when I will get you to bandage it for me. "

"That will I; I did not get so much as a scratch. A quarter-staff is arare weapon in a fight like that, for you can keep well out of the reachof their swords. In faith I have not had so pleasant an exercise sincethat fight Dickon and I had in the market-place at Winchester last Lammasfair. "

"I am afraid Dame Margaret will scold us for getting into a fray. "

"Had it not been for your wound we need have said nothing about it; butyou may be sure that you will have to carry your arm in a sling for a dayor two, and she will want to know the ins and outs of the matter. "

"I think the affair has been a fortunate one, for it has obtained for methe friendship of a young Burgundian noble. Friendless as we are here, this is no slight matter, and I by no means grudge the amount of blood Ihave lost for such a gain. There is a light in Dame Margaret's casement;she said that she should sit up till my return, and would herself let mein, for the household would be asleep two hours ago; and as Maître Lerouxand his wife have shown themselves so kindly disposed towards us, sheshould not like the household disturbed at such an hour. I was to whistlea note or two of _Richard Mon Roi_, and she would know that we werewithout. "

He whistled a bar or two of the air, they saw a shadow cross the casement, then the light disappeared, and in a minute they heard the bolts undrawnand the door opened. 

"You are late, Guy, " she said; "I have been expecting you this hour past. Why, what has happened to you?" she broke off as she saw his face. 

"It is but a trifle, lady, " he said; "a sword-thrust in the shoulder, anda little blood. Long Tom will bind it up. Our delay was caused partly bythe fact that the Italian was engaged, and it was half-an-hour before Icould see him. Moreover, we had been kept at the trysting-place, as theguide did not recognize me owing to Tom being with me; and lastly, we weresomewhat delayed by the matter that cost me this sword-thrust, which I inno way grudge, since it has gained for us a friend who may be useful. "

Tom had by this time barred the door and had gone upstairs. "I amdisappointed in you, Guy, " Dame Margaret said severely when they enteredthe room. "I told you to keep yourself free from frays of all kinds, andhere you have been engaged in one before we have been twelve hours inParis. "

"I crave your pardon, madam, but it is not in human nature to stand bywithout drawing a sword on behalf of a young gentleman defending himselfagainst a dozen cut-throats. I am sure that in such a case your ladyshipwould be the first to bid me draw and strike in. The matter did not lastthree minutes. Tom disposed of six of them with his quarter-staff, thegentleman had killed two before we arrived, and I managed to dispose oftwo others, the rest took to their heels. The young gentleman was CountCharles d'Estournel; he is, as it seems, in the Duke of Burgundy's train;and as we undoubtedly saved his life, he may turn out a good and usefulfriend. "

"You are right, Guy; I spoke perhaps too hastily. And now about the othermatter. "

Guy told her all that had taken place. 

"And what is this man like?" she asked when he had concluded. 

"Now that I saw him without the astrologer's robe and in his ordinarycostume he seemed to me a very proper gentleman, " Guy replied. "He is myheight or thereabouts, grave in face and of good presence. I have no doubtthat he is to be trusted, and he has evidently resolved to do all in hispower to aid you, should it be necessary to do so. He would scarce haveintroduced his daughter to me had it not been so. "

"He must be a strange man, " Dame Margaret said thoughtfully. 

"He is certainly no common man, lady. As I have told you, he believesthoroughly in his science, and but adopts the costume in which I first sawhim and the role of a quack vendor of nostrums in order that his realprofession may not be known to the public, and so bring him in collisionwith the church. "

"It seems to me, Guy, " Dame Margaret said the next morning, "that as youhave already made the acquaintance of a young French noble, and mayprobably meet with others, 'twill be best that, when we have finished ourbreakfast, you should lose no time in sallying out and providing yourselfwith suitable attire. Spare not money, for my purse is very full. Getyourself a suit in which you can accompany me fitly if I again see theduke, or, as is possible, have an interview with the queen. Get twoothers, the one a quiet one, and not likely to attract notice, for yourordinary wear; the other a more handsome one, to wear when you go into thecompany of the young men of station like this Burgundian noble whom yousuccoured last night. Your father being a knight, you may well, as theesquire of my lord, hold your head as high as other young esquires of goodfamily in the train of French nobles. "

On Agnes and Charlie coming into the room, the latter exclaimed, "Why haveyou got your arm in a scarf, Guy?"

"He was in a fray last night, Charlie. He and Tom came upon a number ofruffians fighting a young gentleman, so they joined in and helped him, andGuy was wounded in the shoulder. "

"Did they beat the bad men, mother?"

"Yes, dear; Guy had taken a sword with him, as it was after dark, and Tomhad his quarter-staff. "

"Then the others can have had no chance, " Charlie said decidedly. "I haveoften seen Long Tom playing with the quarter-staff, and he could beatanyone in the castle. I warrant he laid about him well. I should haveliked to have been there to have seen it, mother. "

"It will be a good many years yet, Charlie, before you will be old enoughto go out after dark in such a place as Paris. "

"But I saw real fighting at the castle, mother, and I am sure I was notafraid even when the cannon made a great noise. "

"No, you behaved very well, Charlie; but it is one thing to be standing onthe top of a keep and another to be in the streets when a fray is going onall round. "

"Did you kill anyone, Guy?" the boy asked eagerly. 

"Some of them were wounded, " Guy replied, "but I cannot say for certainthat anyone was killed. "

"They ought to be killed, these bad men who attack people in the street. If I were King of France I would have all their heads chopped off. "

"It is not so easy to catch them, Charlie. When the watch come upon themwhen they are doing such things there is not much mercy shown to them. "

As soon as breakfast was over Guy went out, after learning from MaîtreLeroux the address of a tradesman who generally kept a stock of garmentsin store, in readiness for those passing through Paris, who might not havetime to stop while clothes were specially made for them. He returned inthe course of an hour, followed by a boy carrying a wooden case with theclothes that he had bought. He had been fortunate in getting two suitswhich fitted him perfectly. They had been made for a young knight who hadbeen despatched by the duke to Flanders just after he had been measuredfor them, and the tailor said that he was glad to sell them, as for aughthe knew it might be weeks or even months before the knight returned, andhe could make other suits for him at his leisure. Thus he was provided atonce with his two best suits; for the other he had been measured, and itwas to be sent in a couple of days. On his return he went straight to hisroom, and attired himself in readiness to receive the visit of CountCharles d'Estournel. 

The suit consisted of an orange-coloured doublet coming down to the hips, with puce sleeves; the trousers were blue, and fitting closely to thelegs; the shoes were of the great length then in fashion, being someeighteen inches from the heel to the pointed toe. The court suit wassimilar in make, but more handsome--the doublet, which was of crimson, being embroidered with gold; the closely-fitting trousers were stripedwith light blue and black; the cap with the suit in which he was nowdressed was yellow, that with the court suit crimson, and both were highand conical, resembling a sugar-loaf in shape. From his sword-belt hecarried a light straight sword, instead of the heavier one that would becarried in actual warfare, and on the right side was a long dagger. 

Charlie clapped his hands as he entered the sitting-room. 

"That will do very well, Master Esquire, " Dame Margaret said with a smile;"truly you look as well fitted as if they had been made for you, and thecolours are well chosen. "

Guy told her how he had obtained them. 

"You are very fortunate, " she said, "and this afternoon, when I mean totake a walk to see the city, I shall feel that I am well escorted with youby my side. "

"Shall you take us, mother?" Charlie asked anxiously. 

"I intend to do so. You are so accustomed to be in the open air that youwould soon pine if confined here, though indeed the air outside is butclose and heavy compared with that at home. I have been speaking to MasterLeroux while you have been away, and he tells me that a post goes once aweek to Lille, and that he will send a letter for me to Sir Eustace undercover to a worthy trader of that town, who will forward it thence toVilleroy by a messenger. Therefore I shall write this morning; my lordwill be pleased indeed to learn that we are so comfortably bestowed here, and that there is no cause for any uneasiness on his part. "

CHAPTER VIII

A RIOT

While Dame Margaret was speaking to Guy, one of the servitors came up withword that Count Charles d'Estournel was below desiring to speak withMaster Guy Aylmer. 

"Show the count up. Or no, you had best go down yourself to receive him, Guy. Pray him to come up with you; it will be more fitting. "

Guy at once went down. 

"So this is my saviour of last night, " the count said gaily as Guy joinedhim. "I could scarce get a view of your face then, as the lamps give sucha poor light, and I should hardly have known you again. Besides, you werewrapped up in your cloak. But you told me that you were an esquire, and Isee that you carry a sword. I want to take you out to introduce you tosome of my friends. Can you accompany me now?"

"I shall do so willingly, Count; but first will you allow me to presentyou to my lady mistress? She prayed me to bring you up to her apartments. "

"That shall I right willingly; those who were present yesterday speak ofher as a noble lady. "

They went upstairs together. 

"My lady, this is Count Charles d'Estournel, who desires me to present himto you. "

"I am glad to meet you, Sir Count, " Dame Margaret said, holding out herhand, which he raised to his lips, "seeing that my esquire, Master GuyAylmer, was able to render you some slight service last night. This is mydaughter Agnes, and my son Charles. "

"The service was by no means a slight one, " the young count said, returning a deep salute that Agnes and Charlie made to him, "unless indeedyou consider that my life is a valueless one, for assuredly without hisaid and that of your tall retainer, my father would have been childlessthis morning. I was indeed in sore plight when they arrived; my arm wastiring, and I could not have defended myself very much longer against suchodds, and as I had exasperated them by killing two of their comrades, Ishould have received no mercy at their hands. In my surprise at being sosuddenly attacked I even forgot to raise a shout for the watch, though itis hardly likely that they would have heard me had I done so; the lazyknaves are never on the spot when they are wanted. However, we gave theruffians a lesson that those of them who escaped are not likely to forgetreadily, for out of the fourteen who attacked me we accounted for ten, ofwhom your retainer levelled no less than six with that staff of his, and Idoubt whether any of the other four came off scatheless. I imagine thatthose levelled by your retainer got up and made off, --that is, if theyrecovered their senses before the watch came, --but I am sure that theother four will never steal pouch or cut throat in future. 'Tis a shamethat these rascals are suffered to interfere with honest men, and it wouldbe far better if the city authorities would turn their attention toridding the streets of these pests instead of meddling with things that inno way concern them. "

"It would no doubt be much wiser, " Dame Margaret replied; "but since theirbetters are ever quarrelling among themselves, we can hardly wonder thatthe citizens do not attend to their own business. "

"No doubt you are right, " the young count said with a smile; "but it isthe highest who set the bad example, and we their vassals cannot butfollow them, though I myself would far rather draw my sword against theenemies of France than against my countrymen. But methinks, " and here helaughed, "the example of the wars that England has so often waged withScotland might well cause you to take a lenient view of our misdoings. "

"I cannot gainsay you there, Sir Count, and truly those quarrels havecaused more damage to England than your disputes between Burgundy andOrleans have, so far, inflicted on France; but you see I am a sufferer inthe one case and not in the other. Even now I am ignorant why I have beenbrought here. There is a truce at present between England and France, andassuredly there are more English in the service of nobles of Burgundy thanin those of Orleans, and at any rate I have seen no reason why there canat present be any doubt at all of the conduct of my lord, who has butlately defended his castle against the followers of Orleans. '"

"So I have heard, madame, and I know that there are some of my friends whothink that Duke John has behaved hardly in the matter; but he seldom actswithout reason, though it may not be always that one which he assigns forany action. " Then, changing the subject, he went on. "I have come to takeMaster Guy for a walk with me, and to introduce him to some of my friends. My father is absent at present, but on his return he will, I know, hastento express his gratitude. I trust that you can spare your esquire to goout with me. "

"Certainly, so that he does but return in time to escort me for a walkthrough the streets this afternoon. "

"I will be sure to come back, madam, " Guy said. "You have but to say thehour at which you will start; but indeed I think that I shall probably bein to dinner at one. "

"I cannot see, " Guy said, when he had sallied out with the young count, "why they should have called upon Sir Eustace to furnish hostages. As theDuke of Burgundy has English archers in his pay, and France is at trucewith England, there seems less reason than at other times to demandsureties of his loyalty, especially as he has shown that he is in no waywell disposed to the Armagnacs. "

"Between ourselves, Guy, I think that the duke in no way expected thathostages would be given, and that he was by no means well pleased when amessenger arrived from the herald to say that he was returning with yourlady and her children. What was his intention I know not, but in timeslike these it is necessary sometimes to reward faithful followers or tosecure doubtful ones, and it may be that he would have been glad to havehad the opportunity of finding so fair a castle and estate at hisdisposal. You know the fable of the wolf and the lamb; a poor excuse isdeemed sufficient at all times in France when there is a great noble onone side and a simple knight on the other, and I reckon that the duke didnot calculate upon the willingness of your Sir Eustace to permit his wifeand children to come here, or upon the dame's willingness to do so, and inno way expected matters to turn out as they have done, for there is now noshadow of excuse for him to meddle with Villeroy. Indeed, I questionwhether the condition about hostages was of his devising; but it may wellbe that the king or the queen wished it inserted, and he, thinking thatthere was no chance of that alternative being accepted, yielded to thewish. Mind, all this is not spoken from my own knowledge, but I did hearthat Duke John was much put out when he found that the hostages werecoming, and there was some laughter among us at the duke being for onceoutwitted. "

"Then you do not love him overmuch, Count?"

"He is our lord, Guy, and we are bound to fight in his cause, but our vowsof fealty do not include the word love. The duke his father was a nobleprince, just and honourable, and he was loved as well as honoured. DukeJohn is a different man altogether. He is brave, as he proved in Hungary, and it may be said that he is wise, but his wisdom is not of the kind thatBurgundian nobles love. It might have been wise to remove Orleans from hispath, although I doubt it, but it was a dastardly murder all the same; andalthough we are bound to support him, it alienated not a few. Then hecondescends to consort with these sorry knaves the butchers, and others oflow estate, to take them into his counsels, and to thrust them upon us, atwhich, I may tell you, there is grievous discontent. All this is ranktreason to the duke, I have no doubt, but it is true nevertheless. Here weare at our first stopping-place. This is as it is kept by a Burgundianmaster, who has with him two or three of the best swordsmen in France, andhere a number of us meet every morning to learn tricks of fence, and tokeep ourselves in good exercise, which indeed one sorely needs in thiscity of Paris, where there is neither hawking nor hunting nor jousting norany other kind of knightly sport, everyone being too busily in earnest tothink of amusement. Several of my best friends are sure to be here, and Iwant to introduce you to them. "

When they entered the salon they found some thirty young knights andnobles gathered. Two or three pairs in helmet and body-armour werefighting with blunted swords, others were vaulting on to a saddle placedon a framework roughly representing a high war-horse; one or two wereswinging heavy maces, whirling them round their heads and bringing themdown occasionally upon great sand-bags six feet high, while others wereseated on benches resting themselves after their exercises. D'Estournel'sarrival was greeted with a shout, and several of those disengaged at oncecame over to him. 

"Laggard!" one exclaimed, "what excuse have you to make for coming solate? I noted not that De Jouvaux's wine had mounted into your head lastnight, and surely the duke cannot have had need of your valuable servicesthis morning?"

"Neither one nor the other befell, D'Estelle. But first let me introduceto you all my friend Guy Aylmer, an English gentleman, the son of a knightof that country, and himself an esquire of Sir Eustace de Villeroy. I amsure you will welcome him when I tell you that he saved my life last nightwhen attacked by a band of cut-throats. Guy, these are my friends CountPierre d'Estelle, Count Walter de Vesoul, the Sieur John de Perron, andthe Knights Louis de Lactre, Sir Reginald Poupart, Sir James Regnier, SirThomas d'Autre, and Sir Philip de Noisies. "

"I can assure you of our friendship, " the first-named of these gentlemensaid cordially to Guy, "for indeed you have rendered us all a service inthus saving to us our friend D'Estournel. Tell us how the matter occurred, Charles; in sooth, we shall have to take these ruffians of Paris in hand. So long as they cut each other's throats no great harm is done, but ifthey take to cutting ours it is time to give them a lesson. "

"The matter was simple enough, " D'Estournel said. "As you know, it waslate before we broke up at De Jouvaux's last night, for I heard it strikehalf-past ten by the bell of St. Germain as I sallied out. I was making myway home like a peaceful citizen, when two men came out from a narrow laneand stumbled roughly across me. Deeming that they were drunk, I struck onea buffet on the side of his head and stretched him in the gutter. "

"That was not like a peaceful citizen, Charles, " one of the others brokein. 

"Well, hardly, perhaps; but I forgot my character at the moment. However, an instant later there was a shout, and a dozen or so armed men poured outfrom the lane and fell upon me. I saw at once that I had been taken in atrap. Luckily there was a deep doorway close by, so I sprang into it, and, drawing my sword, put myself in a posture of defence before they were uponme. I ran the first through the body, and that seemed to teach the otherssome caution. Fortunately the doorway was so deep that only two couldassail me at once, and I held my ground for some time pretty fairly, onlyreceiving a few scratches. Presently I saw another opening, and, parryinga thrust, I ran my sword through the fellow's throat. He fell with a loudoutcry, which was fortunate, for it came to the ears of my friend here, and brought him and a stout retainer--a prodigiously tall fellow, with astaff longer than himself--to my aid. They were but just in time, for theruffians, furious at the fall of another of their companions, werepressing me hotly, and slashing so furiously with their swords that it wasas much as I could do to parry them, and had no time to thrust back inreply. My friend here ran two of them through, his tall companion levelledsix to the ground with his staff, while I did what I could to aid them, and at last the four that remained still on their legs ran off. I believethey thought that the man with the staff was the Evil One himself, who hadgot tired of aiding them in their villainous enterprises. "

"It was a narrow escape indeed, Charles, " Count Walter de Vesoul saidgravely, "and it was well for you that there was that doorway hard by, oryour brave friend would have found but your body when he came along. It isevident, gentlemen, that when we indulge in drinking parties we must gohome in couples. Of course, Charles, you must lay a complaint before theduke, and he must let the Parisians know that if they do not keep theircut-throats within bounds we will take to sallying out at night in partiesand will cut down every man we find about the streets. "

"I will lay my complaint, but I doubt if much good will come of it. Theduke will speak to the provost of the butchers, and nothing will be done. "

"Then we will take them in hand, " the other said angrily. "If theParisians won't keep order in their streets we will keep it for them. Suchdoings are intolerable, and we will make up parties to scour the streetsat night. Men passing peaceably along we shall not of course molest, butany parties of armed men we find about we will cut down withouthesitation. "

"I shall be heartily glad to join one of the parties whenever you aredisposed, De Vesoul, " D'Estournel said. "Perchance I may light on one ormore of the four fellows who got away last night. Now I am ready to have about with swords. "

"We have all had our turn, Charles, " the other said. 

"Then I must work with the mace, " the count said. "My friend here, yousee, did not come off as scatheless last night as I did, or else I wouldhave asked him to have a bout with me. He held his own so well against twoof them who fell on him together that I doubt not I should find him asturdy adversary. "

"I fear not, Count, " Guy said smiling. "I can use my sword, it is true, inEnglish fashion, but I know little of feints and tricks with the swordsuch as I am told are taught in your schools. "

"A little practice here will amend that, " D'Estournel said. "These thingsare well enough in a _salle d'armes_, and are useful when one man isopposed to another in a duel, but in a battle or _mêlée_ I fancy thatthey are of but little use, though indeed I have never yet had the chanceof trying. We will introduce you to the master, and I hope that you willcome here regularly; it will give real pleasure to all. This salon is keptup by the duke for our benefit, and as you are one of his most pressinglyinvited guests you are certainly free of it. "

They went up in a body to the master. "Maître Baudin, " Count Charles said, "I have to introduce to you a gentleman who is our mutual friend, and wholast night saved my life in a street brawl. He is at present an esquire ofSir Eustace de Villeroy, and has travelled hither with the knight's dame, who has come at the invitation of the duke. His father is an Englishknight, and as the friend of us all we trust that you will put him uponthe list of your pupils. "

"I shall be pleased to do so, Count Charles, the more so since he has doneyou such service. "

"I am afraid that you will, find me a very backward pupil, " Guy said. "Ihave been well taught in English fashion, but as you know, maître, we weremore famed for downright hard hitting than for subtlety and skill inarms. "

"Downright hard hitting is not to be despised, " the master said, "and in abattle it is the chief thing of all; yet science is not to be regarded asuseless, since it not only makes sword-play a noble pastime, but in asingle combat it enables one who is physically weak to hold his ownagainst a far stronger antagonist. "

"That I feel greatly, maître. I shall be glad indeed of lessons in theart, and as soon as my shoulder is healed I shall take great pleasure inattending your school regularly, whenever my lady has no need of mypresence. I am now in the position of the weak antagonist you speak of, and am therefore the more anxious to acquire the skill that will enable meto take my part in a conflict with full-grown men. "

"You showed last night that you could do that, " Count Charles said with asmile. 

"Nay, men of that sort do not count, " Guy said. "They are but roughswordsmen, and it was only their number that rendered them dangerous. There is little credit in holding one's own against ruffians of thatkind. "

"Well, I will be lazy this morning, " the young count said, "and do withoutmy practice. Will you all come round to my rooms, gentlemen, and drink aglass or two of wine and make the better acquaintance of my friend? He isbound to be back at his lodgings by one, and therefore you need not beafraid that I am leading you into a carouse. "

Guy passed an hour in the count's lodgings and then returned to theprovost's. The count accompanied him, saying that he had not yet seen his tall friend of the night before, and must personally thank him. Long Tom was called down, he being one of the two who had remained infor the morning. 

"I must thank you again for the service that you rendered me last night, "the count said frankly, holding out his hand to the archer. "I hope thatyou will accept this ring in token of my gratitude; I have had it enlargedthis morning so that it may fit one of your strong fingers. It may beuseful some day to turn into money should you find yourself in a pinch. "

"I thank you, sir, " Tom said. "I will wear it round my neck, for in truthrings are not for the use of men in my condition. As to gratitude, I feelthat it is rather the other way, for my arms were beginning to get stifffor want of use. I only wish that the fray had lasted a bit longer, for Ihad scarce time to warm to it, and I hope that the next time your lordshipgets into trouble I may have the good luck to be near at hand again. "

"I hope you may, my friend; assuredly I could want no better helper. "

After the count had taken his leave Guy went upstairs and told LadyMargaret how he had spent the morning. 

"I am very glad to hear what you say about the fencing school, Guy; itwill be good for you to have such training. And indeed 'tis well that youshould have some employment, for time would hang but wearily on your handswere you to remain long caged up here. I shall be very glad for you to go. It will make no difference to us whether we take our walk in the morningor in the afternoon. "

After dinner they went out. Guy escorted Dame Margaret, Agnes and Charliefollowed, Long Tom and Jules Varoy bringing up the rear, both armed withswords and carrying in addition heavy cudgels. First of all they visitedthe cathedral, where Dame Margaret and her daughter knelt for some time inprayer before one of the shrines; then crossing the bridge again theyfollowed along the broad pavement between the foot of the walls and theriver, which served as a market, where hucksters of all sorts plied theirtrade; then entering the next gate on the wall they walked down the streetto the Place de la Bastille, which had been finished but a few years. 

"'Tis a gloomy place and a strong one, " Dame Margaret said with a shiveras she looked at its frowning towers; "the poor wretches who are onceentombed there can have but little hope of escape. Surely there cannot beso many state prisoners as to need for their keeping, a building so largeas that. Still, with so turbulent a population as this of Paris, itdoubtless needs a strong castle to hold them. "

"It seems to me, madame, that, though useful doubtless as a prison, thecastle was never really built for that purpose, but as a stronghold tooverawe Paris. "

"That may be so, Guy; at any rate I am glad that they did not use it asour place of detention instead of the house of Maître Leroux. "

"They see well enough, madame, that you are more securely held than boltsand bars could detain you. I imagine that they would like nothing betterthan for you to get away back to Villeroy, since it would give them anexcuse for an attack on the castle. "

"Doubtless that is so, Guy; I came freely, and I must stay freely untilsome change takes place that will leave it open to us to fly. But in soothit seems to me that nothing short of the arrival of an English army coulddo that. Were the Armagnacs to get the better of the Burgundians ourposition would be even worse than it is now. "

"That is true enough, madame, for the Burgundians have no cause ofhostility whatever to Sir Eustace and you, while we have given theArmagnacs good reasons for ill-will against us. Still, were they to comehere it would be open to you to fly, for all Artois is Burgundian; andthough the duke might not be able to hold his position here, Artois andFlanders would long be able to sustain themselves, and you would thereforebe safe at Villeroy, for they would have other matters to attend towithout meddling with those who only ask to be let alone. "

On their way back from the Bastille they saw a crowd in the street andheard loud shouts. 

"We had best turn off by this side street, madame, " Guy said; "doubtlessit is a body of the scoundrel butchers at their work of slaying some enemyunder the pretext of his being an Orleanist. Do you hear their shouts of'Paris and Burgundy!'?"

Turning down a side street they made a circuit round the scene of thetumult, and then coming up into the main street again resumed their way. After walking a considerable distance they came to a large building. 

"What place is this, Guy?"

"It is the Louvre, madame. It should be the abode of the King of France, but he is only sometimes lodged there; but often stays at one of thehotels of the great lords. These palaces are all fortified buildings. Ourcountry castles are strong, but there is no air of gloom about them; thesenarrow streets and high houses seem to crush one down. "

"We will go back again, Guy; I do not think that I shall often go out infuture. "

"You can take a boat on the river, madame, and row up or down into thecountry. They say it is pretty; once fairly away from Paris, there arehills and woods and villages. "

"That may be pleasant. If they would but let me go and live in one ofthose quiet spots I should be as contented as it is possible for me to beaway from my husband. 

"Nothing can be kinder than are Maître Leroux and his wife, but one cannotbut feel that one is a burden upon them. My hope is that when the kingcomes to his senses I may be able to obtain an interview with him, andeven if I cannot have leave to return to Villeroy I may be allowed to takeup my abode outside the walls, or at any rate to obtain a quiet lodgingfor ourselves. "

For the next three weeks the time passed quietly. Guy went every morningto the _salle d'armes_, for his wound being on his left shoulder he wasable to use his sword arm as soon as it began to heal. 

"You underrated your skill, " the fencing-master said when he had given himhis first lesson. "It is true that you do not know the niceties of sword-playing, but indeed you are so quick of eye and wrist that you can affordto do without them. Still, doubtless after a couple of months' practicehere you will be so far improved that he will need to be a good swordsmanwho holds his own with you. "

Guy paid only one visit during this time to the lodgings of the Italian. 

"You have not heard from me, Master Aylmer, " the latter said, "becauseindeed there has been nothing of importance to tell you. The Armagnacsare, I hear, collecting a great army, and are likely ere long to march inthis direction. The butchers are becoming more and more unpopular and moreand more violent; not a day passes but many citizens are killed by themunder the pretence that they are Armagnacs, but really because they hadexpressed themselves as hostile to the doings of these tyrants. I havecast your horoscope, and I find that the conjunction of the planets atyour birth was eminently favourable. It seems to me that about this timeyou will pass through many perilous adventures, but you are destined toescape any dangers that threaten you. You will gain honour and renown, and come to fortune through a marriage. There are other things in yourcareer that are uncertain, since I cannot tell at what date they arelikely to occur and whether the planets that were favourable at yourbirth may again be in the ascendant; but, for as much as I have told you, I have no doubt whatever. "

"I thank you for the trouble that you have taken, Count Montepone, " forGuy had now learned the rank that the Italian held in his own country, "and can only trust that your predictions will be verified. I would ratherwin fortune by my own hand than by marriage, though it will not comeamiss. "

"Whatever way it may happen, you will be knighted, " the astrologist saidgravely, "after a great battle, and by the hand of a sovereign; though bywhom the battle will be fought and who the sovereign may be I cannot say, but methinks that it will be the English king. "

"That I can wish more than anything, " Guy said warmly. "Fortune is good, but to be knighted by a royal hand would be an honour greater than anyother that could befall me. "

"Bear your destiny in mind, " the Italian said earnestly, "remember that inmany cases predictions bring about their own fulfilment; and truly I amrejoiced that I have found that the stars point out so prosperous a futurefor you. "

Guy was not free from the superstition of the time, and although in hisEnglish home he had seldom heard astrology mentioned, he had found sincehe had been in France that many even of the highest rank had an implicitbelief in it, and he was convinced that at any rate the count himselfbelieved in the power of the stars. He was gratified, therefore, to betold that his future would be prosperous; and, indeed, the predictionswere not so improbable as to excite doubt in themselves. He was already anesquire, and unless he fell in combat or otherwise, it was probable thathe would attain the honour of knighthood before many years had passed. Thefact, however, that it was to be bestowed by royal hand added greatly tothe value of the honour. Knighthood was common in those days; it wasbestowed almost as a matter of course upon young men of good birth, especially if they took up the profession of arms. Every noble had some, while not a few had many knights in their service, discharging what wouldnow be the duties of officers when their levies were called out, and theycould themselves bestow the rank upon any man possessing a certain amountof land; but to be knighted by a distinguished leader, or by a sovereign, was a distinction greatly prized, and placed its recipient in quiteanother category to the knights by service. It was a testimony alike ofvalour and of birth, and was a proof that its bearer was a warrior ofdistinction. The prophecy that he would better his fortune by marriageweighed little with him; marriage was a matter that appeared to him atpresent to be a very remote contingency; at the same time it was pleasantto him to be told that his wife would be an heiress, because this wouldplace him above the need of earning his living by his sword, and wouldenable him to follow his sovereign, not as one of the train of a powerfulnoble, but as a free knight. 

CHAPTER IX

A STOUT DEFENCE

The Duke of Burgundy had left Paris upon the day after he had receivedDame Margaret, and as the king had a lucid interval, the Duke ofAquitaine, his son, was also absent with the army. In Paris there existeda general sense of uneasiness and alarm. The butchers, feeling that theirdoings had excited a strong reaction against them, and that several of theother guilds, notably that of the carpenters, were combining against them, determined to strike terror into their opponents by attacking some oftheir leaders. Several of these were openly murdered in the streets, andthe houses of others were burnt and sacked. One evening when Guy hadreturned at nine o'clock from a supper at Count Charles's lodgings, itbeing the first time he had been out after dark since his first adventure, he had but just gone up to his room, when he heard a loud knocking at thedoor below. Going to the front window he looked out of the casement. 

"Who is it that knocks?" he asked. 

"It is I--the lad of Notre Dame. "

He recognized the voice and ran down and opened the door. 

"What is it, signora?"

"My father bids me tell you, sir, that he but learned the instant beforehe despatched me that the butchers are going to attack this house thisevening, under the pretext that there are English spies here, but reallyto slay the provost of the silversmiths, and to gratify their followers bythe sack of his house. I fear that I am too late, for they were to marchfrom the _abattoirs_ at nine, and it is already nearly half-past. Look! Isee torches coming up the street. "

"It is too late, indeed, to fly, even if we wished to, " Guy said. "DameMargaret and the children retired to bed an hour ago. Will you take thisring, " and he took off from his finger one that D'Estournel had given him, "and carry it at once to the lodgings of Count Charles d'Estournel? Theyare in the house on this side of the Hotel of St. Pol. He is still up, andhas some of his friends with him. Tell him from me that this house isbeing attacked, and beg him to gather a party, if he can, and come to ourassistance. Say that we shall defend it until the last. "

The girl took the ring and ran off at the top of her speed. The roar ofthe distant crowd could now be distinctly heard. Guy put up the strongbars of the door and then rushed upstairs. First he knocked at the door ofMaître Leroux. 

"The butchers are coming to attack your house!" he shouted. "Call up yourservants; bid them take to their arms. " Then he ran up to the room wherehis men slept. Long Tom, who had met him at D'Estournel's door andaccompanied him home, sprang to his feet from his pallet as Guy entered. "The butchers are about to attack the house, Tom; up all of you and armyourselves; bring down your bow and arrows. Where do the men-servantssleep?"

"There are five of them in the next room, and the two who serve in theshop are in the chamber beyond, " the archer replied, as he hastily buckledon his armour. Guy rushed to the door and awoke the inmates of the rooms, telling them to arm and hasten down to defend the house, which was aboutto be attacked. A moment later Maître Leroux himself appeared and repeatedthe order. 

"Art sure of what you say, Master Guy?" he asked. 

"Look from the window and you will see them approaching, " Guy replied, andgoing to the casement window which was at the front of the house he threwit open. Some four hundred yards away a dense throng was coming along; ascore of torches lighted up the scene. 

"Resistance is vain, " the silversmith said. "It is my life they seek; Iwill go down to them. "

"Resistance will not be in vain, " Guy said firmly. "I have already sentfor aid, and we shall have a body of Burgundian men-at-arms here to ourassistance before long. Your life will not satisfy them; it is the plunderof your shop and house that they long for, and you may be sure that theywill put all to the sword if they once break in. Now let us run down andsee what we can do to strengthen our defences. "

"The shutters and doors are all strong, " the provost said as they hurrieddownstairs, followed by the four men-at-arms and the servants--for inthose days men removed but few of their garments as they lay down on theirrough pallets. 

"In the first place, " Guy said, "we must pile everything that we can findbelow against these doors, so that when they yield we can still make adefence here, before we retire. Are there other stairs than these?"

"No. "

"So much the better. As soon as we have blocked the door we will barricadethe first landing and defend ourselves there. Jean Bart, do you take thecommand below for the present. Seize everything that you can lay hands on, logs from the wood-store, sacks of charcoal, cases, everything heavy thatyou can find, and pile them up against the door. Tom, do you come with us;an arrow or two will check their ardour, and it is not likely they havebrought bows or cross-bows with them. Try to parley with them as long asyou can, Maître Leroux, every minute is of value. "

"What is all this, Guy?" Dame Margaret asked as she entered the apartment. Having been aroused by the noise she had hastily attired herself, and hadjust come into the front room. 

"The butchers are about to attack the house, lady; we are going to defendit. I have sent to D'Estournel, and we may hope for aid before long. "

At this moment there was a loud knocking at the door and a hoarse roar ofvoices from the street. The silversmith went to the casement and openedit, and he and Guy looked out. A shout of fury arose from the street, withcries of "Death to the English spies!" "Death to the Armagnac provost!"

Leroux in vain endeavoured to make his voice heard, and so tell the crowdthat his guests were not spies, but had been lodged at his house by theDuke of Burgundy himself. A tall man on horseback, one of several who wereevidently leaders of the mob, pressed his way through the crowd to thedoor and evidently gave some orders, and a din of heavy sledge-hammers andaxes beating against it at once mingled with the shouts of the crowd. Thehorseman crossed again to the other side of the street and shook his fistthreateningly at Leroux. 

"That is Jacques Legoix, " the silversmith said, as he retired from thewindow; "one of the great leaders of the butchers; his family, and the St. Yons and Taiberts rule the market. "

"Tom, " Guy said to the archer, who was standing behind him. "Begin bypicking off that fellow on horseback opposite. "

Tom had already bent his bow and had an arrow in readiness, a moment laterthe shaft flew and struck the butcher between the eyes, and he fell deadfrom his horse. A yell of consternation and rage rose from the crowd. 

"Now you can distribute a few arrows among those fellows at the door, " Guysaid. 

The archer leant far out of the low casement. "It is awkward shooting, Master Guy, " he said quietly, "but I daresay I can make a shift to manageit. " Disregarding the furious yells of the crowd, he sent arrow afterarrow among the men using the sledges and axes. Many of them had steelcaps with projecting rims which sheltered the neck, but as they raisedtheir weapons with both hands over their heads they exposed their cheststo the marksman above, and not an arrow that was shot failed to bring downa man. When six had fallen no fresh volunteers came forward to take theirplaces, although another horseman made his way up to them and endeavouredby persuasions and threats to induce them to continue the work. This manwas clad in armour, and wore a steel cap in the place of the knightlyhelmet. 

"Who is that fellow?" Guy asked the merchant. 

"He is the son of Caboche, the head of the flayers, one of the mostpestilent villains in the city. "

"Keep your eye on him, Tom, and when you see a chance send an arrow home. "

"That armour of his is but common stuff, Master Guy; as soon as I get achance I will send a shaft through it. "

The man with a gesture of anger turned and gave instructions to a numberof men, who pushed their way through the crowd, first picking up some ofthe fallen hammers and axes. The fate of his associate had evidentlytaught the horseman prudence, for as he moved away he kept his head bentdown so as not to expose his face to the aim of the terrible marksman atthe window. He halted a short distance away and was evidently haranguingthe crowd round him, and in his vehemence raised his arm. The moment hedid so Tom's bow twanged. The arrow struck him at the unprotected partunder the arm-pit, and he fell headlong from his horse. Maddened with ragethe crowd no longer hesitated, and again attacked the door. Just as theydid so there was a roar of exultation down the street as twelve menbrought up a solid gate that they had beaten in and wrenched from itshinges from a house beyond. 

[Illustration: "TOM'S BOW TWANGED, AND THE ARROW STRUCK THE HORSEMAN UNDERTHE ARM-PIT. "]

"You can shoot as you like now, Tom. I will go down and see how the menare getting on below; the mob will have the door in sooner or later. "

Guy found that the men below had not wasted their time. A great pile oflogs, sacks, and other materials was piled against the door, and a shortdistance behind stood a number of barrels of wine and heavy cases ready tobe placed in position. 

"Get them upstairs, Jean, " Guy said; "they will make a better barricadethan the furniture, which we may as well save if possible. "

The nine men set to work, and in a very short time a strong barricade wasformed across the top of the wide staircase. 

"Have you all the cases out of the shop?"

"Yes, we have not left one there, Master Guy. If they are all full ofsilver there must be enough for a royal banqueting-table. "

Some, indeed, of the massive chests were so heavy that it required theefforts of six men to carry them upstairs. 

"How do matters go, Guy?" Dame Margaret asked quietly as he re-entered theapartment. 

"Very well, " he replied. "I don't think the door will hold out muchlonger; but there is a strong barricade behind it which it will take themsome time to force, and another on the landing here that we ought to beable to hold for an hour at least, and before that yields we will haveanother ready on the landing above. "

"I will see to that, " she said. "I will take Agnes and Charlie up with me, and then, with the women, I will move out the clothes' and linen chestsand build them up there. "

"Thank you, madame; I trust long before the barricade here is carried weshall have D'Estournel and his friends to our assistance. Indeed, I doubtwhether they will be able to carry it at all; it is as solid and almost asstrong as a stone wall, and as there are thirteen or fourteen of us todefend it, it seems to me that nothing short of battering the cases topieces will enable them to force a way. "

"I wish I could do something, " Agnes broke in; "it is hard not to be ableto help while you are all fighting for us. I wish I had brought my bowwith me, you know I can shoot fairly. "

"I think that it is just as well that you have not, " Guy said with asmile. "I do not doubt your courage for a moment, but if you were placingyourself in danger we should all be anxious about you, and I would muchrather know that you were safe with your mother upstairs. "

Guy now went to the window. Maître Leroux had been directing his servantsin the formation of the barricades. 

"I can do nothing to protect the door, " the archer said; "they have proppedup that gate so as to cover the men who are hammering at it. I have beendistributing my arrows among the crowd, and in faith there will be a goodmany vacancies among the butchers and flayers in the market tomorrowmorning. I am just going up to fill my quiver again and bring down a sparearmful of arrows. "

"Leave those on the landing here, Tom, and bring your full quiver downbelow. The door will not hold many minutes longer: I could see that it wasyielding when I was down there just now. I don't think that we shall beable to make a long defence below, for with their hooked halberts theywill be able to pull out the logs, do what we will. "

One of the servants now ran in. 

"They have broken the door down, sir. It is only kept in place by thethings behind it. "

Guy ran out, climbed the barricade--which on the landing was four feethigh, but as it was built on the edge of the top stair it was nine incheshigher on that face--let himself drop on to the stairs, and ran down intothe passage. 

"I think, Maître Leroux, " he said, "that you and your men had better go upat once and station yourselves at the barricade. There is no room here formore than five of us to use our arms, and when we retire we shall have todo so quickly. Will you please fasten a chair on the top step in such away that we can use it to climb over the barricade without delay? We arelike to be hard pressed, and it is no easy matter to get over a five-footwall speedily with a crowd of armed men pressing hotly on your heels. "

The provost told two of his men to pick out a square block of firewood, asnearly as possible the thickness of the height of one of the steps. Aftertrying several they found one that would do, and on placing it on thestair next to the top it formed with the step above it a level platform. On this the chair was placed, a strong rope being attached to it so thatit could be pulled up over the barricade when the last of the defendershad entered. By the time this was finished the battle below began inearnest. The infuriated assailants had pulled the doors outwards and weremaking desperate efforts to climb the pile of logs. This they soon foundto be impossible, and began with their halberts to pull them down, and itwas not long before they had dislodged sufficient to make a slope up whichthey could climb. Their work had not been carried on with impunity, forthe archer had stationed himself on the top and sent his arrows thick andfast among them. 

"In faith, master, " he said to Guy, who stood close behind, "methinks thatI am doing almost as much harm as good, for I am aiding them mightily inmaking their slope, which will presently contain as many dead men aslogs. "

As soon as they deemed the slope climbable the furious assailants chargedup. They were met by Guy and the four men-at-arms. Tom had now slung hisbow behind him and had betaken himself to his heavy axe, which crashedthrough the iron caps of the assailants as though they had been eggshells. But in such numbers did they press on that Guy saw that this barricadecould not be much longer held. 

"Get ready to retire when I give the word!" he shouted to his companions. "Tom, you and Jules Varoy and Robert Picard run first upstairs. When youhave climbed the barricade, do you, Tom, take your place on the top. JeanBart and I will come up last, and you can cover us with your arrows. TellMaître Leroux to remove the light into the room, so that they will not beable to see what there is to encounter, while these torches here and thoseheld by the crowd will enable you to see well enough to take aim. Now!" heshouted, "fall back!"

Tom and the two men-at-arms sprang up the stairs, Guy and Jean Bartfollowed more slowly, and halted a few steps from the top. 

"All up, master!" Tom shouted, and Jean and Guy were able to cross thebarricade before the foremost of their pursuers reached them. There hadindeed been confusion below, for several of those who had first climbedthe barricade had, instead of pressing hotly in pursuit, run along thehall and through the door into the shop, in their eagerness to be thefirst to seize upon the plunder. They expected the others to follow theirexample, but one of their leaders placed himself in their way andthreatened to cut them down if they did not first assault the stairs. 

"Fools!" he shouted, "do you think that the old fox has wasted the time wehave given him? You may be sure that the richest prizes have been carriedabove. "

There was an angry altercation, which was continued until those who hadfirst run into the shop returned with the news that it had been completelystripped of its contents. There was now no longer any hesitation inobeying their leader, and the men poured up the stairs in a mass. Suddenlysome torches appeared above, and those in front saw with consternation theobstacle that stood between them and their prey. They had little time forconsideration, however, for the arrows from the archer now smote them, andthat with a force and rapidity that bewildered them. Five or six of thosein front fell shot through the brain. 

"Heads down!" a voice shouted. There was no retreat for those in front, for the mass behind pressed them forward, and, instinctively obeying theorder, they ran up. But neither helm nor breast-plate availed to keep outthe terrible English arrows, which clove their way through the iron as ifit had been pasteboard. Stumbling over the bodies of those who had fallen, the front rank of the assailants at last reached the barricade, but heretheir progress was arrested. A line of men stood behind the smooth wall ofmassive cases, and those who strove to climb it were smitten with axe orsword, while they themselves could not reach the defenders above them. They could but thrust blindly with pike or halbert, for if a face wasraised to direct the aim one of the deadly arrows struck it instantly. Invain they strove by the aid of the halberts to haul down a case from itsposition, the weight was too great for one man's strength to move, andbefore several could grasp the handle of the halbert to aid them, theshaft was cut in two by the blow of an axe. 

Hopeless as the attempt seemed, it was persevered in, for the crowd below, ignorant of the nature of the obstacle, maddened with fury and with thewine which had been freely served out before starting, still pressedforward, each fearing that the silversmith's treasures would beappropriated before he could obtain his share. For half an hour the fightcontinued, then there was a roar in the street, and Dame Margaret, who, after seeing the barricade above completed, had come down to her room andwas gazing along the street, ran out on to the landing. 

"Help is at hand!" she cried, "the knights are coming!"

Then came the loud tramp of horses, mingled with shouts of "Burgundy!" Thecrowd at the entrance at once turned and ran out, and as the alarm reachedthose within, they too rushed down, until the stairs were untenanted saveby the dead. Bidding the others hold their places lest the assailantsshould return, Guy ran in and joined Lady Margaret at the window. A fierceconflict was going on in the street, with shouts of "Burgundy!" "Arescue!" "A rescue!"

The knights, who were followed by some fifty men-at-arms, rode into themob, hewing them down with their swords. The humiliations that they hadreceived from the arrogance and insolence of the butchers had long rankledin their minds, and they now took a heavy vengeance. The windows of allthe houses opposite, from which men and women had been peering timidlyout, were now crowded; women waving their handkerchiefs to the knights, and men loudly shouting greetings and encouragements. The whole of thetraders of Paris were bitterly opposed to the domination of the marketguilds, and while they cared but little for the quarrel between the rivaldukes, the alliance between Burgundy and the butchers naturally drove themto sympathize with the opposite party. The proof afforded by the charge ofthe knights upon the mob delighted them, as showing that, allied with themthough they might be, the Burgundians were determined no longer to allowthe rioting and excesses of the men of the market guilds to continue. 

In two or three minutes all was over. The resistance, though fierce, wasshort, and the mob was driven down the side streets and chased until thetrading quarter was cleared of them. As the knights returned Guy went downto the door, to which Maître Leroux had already descended to thank hisrescuers for their timely aid. 

"I thank you, my lords and knights, " the silversmith said, "for the timelysuccour you have rendered me. I would pray you to enter and to allow me tothank you in more worthy fashion, but indeed the stairs and passage areencumbered with dead. "

"Dame Margaret of Villeroy prays me to say that she also desires greatlyto thank you, " Guy said. 

"I feared that we should have been too late, " Count Charles replied. "Welost no time when your messenger came, Guy, but it took some time to rousethe men-at-arms and to saddle our horses. You must have made a stoutdefence indeed, judging by the pile of dead that encumber your passage. "

"There are many more inside, " Guy said, "and methinks that we could haveheld out for another hour yet if it had been needed. Indeed, the onlything that I feared was that they might set fire to the lower part of thehouse. "

"I should like to see your defences, Maître Leroux, " Count Walter deVesoul said, "What say you, my friends, shall we mount and see the sceneof this battle? Methinks we might well gain something by it, for 'tis noslight thing that an unfortified house should for over an hour defenditself against a mob full a couple of thousand strong. I doubt not, too, that Master Leroux will serve us with a flagon of wine; and, moreover, weshould surely pay our respects to this English lady, --who while a hostageof the duke has been thus sorely ill-treated by the scum of Paris, --if shewill please receive us at this hour of the evening. "

The other knights, of whom there were ten in number, at once dismounted. The silversmith's servants brought torches, and after ordering two of themto broach a cask of wine and to regale the men-at-arms, the provost ledthe way upstairs. 

"Wait a moment, good provost, " the Count de Vesoul said, "let usunderstand the thing from the beginning. I see that the knaves lying hereand many of those in the road are pierced by arrows, which, as I note, have in some cases gone through iron cap or breast-piece; how comes that?"

"That is the work of one of my lady's retainers. He is an English archer, and one of the most skilful. He comes from her English estate, and whenshe chose him as one of the four men-at-arms to accompany her, he beggedleave to bring his bow and arrows, and has in truth, as you see, made gooduse of them. "

"That is the same tall fellow who, as I told you, Walter, did me such goodservice in that fray, " said D'Estournel. 

"By Saint Anne, Guy, I would that I had a dozen such men among my varlets. Why, there are a round dozen lying outside the door. "

"There would have been more, " Guy said, "had they not brought up thatgreat gate and used it as a screen while they battered in the door here. "

"Then you built the barricade behind it?" Count Walter said as he climbedover the heap of logs. 

"Yes, Count, it was built against the door, but when that gave way theypulled it down with halberts until they could climb over it. But, as yousee, no small portion of slope on the outside is composed of their bodies. The archer's arrows did good execution as they worked at it, and when theymade the assault we--that is to say, Dame Margaret's four retainers and I--held it for some time, then we retired up the stairs and defended thatbarricade we had built across the top. "

The knights picked their way among the bodies that encumbered the stairs. 

"By Saint Denis, Charles, this is a strong work indeed!" the count said toD'Estournel, as they reached the top; "no wonder the knaves found it toomuch for them. What are all these massive cases?"

"They contain the goods from my shop, " Maître Leroux said. "Master Aylmerhad them carried here while the archer was defending the door, and by sodoing not only made, as you see, a stout breast-work, but saved them frombeing plundered. "

"They were well fitted for it, " Guy said, "for they are very weighty; andthough the fellows tried hard they could not move them with their hooks, and as fast as they strove to do so the provost's men and ours struck offthe heads of the halberts with axes; and the work was all the moredifficult as our archer had always a shaft fitted to let fly whenever theylifted their heads. "

"But how did you manage to get over safely when they won the barricadebelow?" D'Estournel asked; "it was not an easy feat to climb this wallwith a crowd of foemen behind. "

Guy explained how they had arranged a chair to form a step. "There was, however, " he went on, "no great need for haste. The archer and two otherswent first, and he took his stand on the top of the chests in readiness tocover the retreat of the fourth man-at-arms and myself. But happily manyof the knaves wanted to sack the shop more than to follow us, and therewas such confusion below, that we had time to climb over and pull up thechair before they had mustered to the attack. "

While they were talking Long Tom and the others had removed one of thechests and made a passage by which they could pass through, and MaîtreLeroux led them into his private apartments, which were similar to, although larger than, Dame Margaret's. A number of candles had alreadybeen lighted, and in a minute Mistress Leroux entered, followed by two ofher maids carrying trays with great beakers of wine and a number of silvergoblets, and she and the provost then poured out the wine and offered itwith further expressions of thanks to the knights. 

"Say naught about it, madame, " Count Walter said; "it was high time that acheck was put on these rough fellows who lord it over Paris and deemthemselves its masters. I doubt not that they will raise some outcry andlay their complaint before the duke; but you, I trust, and other worthycitizens, will be beforehand with them, and send off a messenger to himlaying complaints against these fellows for attacking, plundering, andburning at their will the houses of those of better repute thanthemselves. We have come to your help not as officers of the duke, but asknights and gentlemen who feel it a foul wrong that such things should bedone. Moreover, as Dame Margaret of Villeroy, a hostage of the duke, waslodged here at his request, it was a matter that nearly touched his honourthat her life should be placed in danger by these scurvy knaves, and weshall so represent the matter to the duke. "

Just as the knights had drunk their wine, Guy, who had left them on thelanding, entered, escorting Dame Margaret and her two children. CountCharles d'Estournel, after saluting her, presented his companions to her, and she thanked each very heartily for the succour they had brought soopportunely. 

"In truth, lady, " the Count de Vesoul said, "methinks from what we sawthat you might even have managed without us, so stoutly were you defendedby your esquire and your retainers, aided as they were by those of theprovost, though in the end it may be that these must have succumbed tonumbers; for I can well imagine that your assailants, after the loss thatthey have suffered, would have spared no effort to avenge themselves, andmight indeed, as a last resource, have fired the house. This they would nodoubt have done long before had it not been that by so doing they wouldhave lost all the plunder that they counted on. This stout defence will nodoubt teach these fellows some moderation, for they will see thatcitizens' houses are not to be plundered without hard fighting and muchloss. As for ourselves, we shall see the Duke of Burgundy's lieutenant to-morrow morning and lay the matter before him, praying him to issue aproclamation saying that in order to suppress the shameful disorders thathave taken place, he gives notice that all who attack the houses ofpeaceful citizens will henceforth be treated as evildoers and punishedaccordingly. "

After some further conversation the knights prepared to leave. 

"I shall do myself the honour, sirs, " Maître Leroux said, "of sending toyour lodgings to-morrow the cups that you have used, as a small testimonyof my gratitude to you, and as a memorial of the events of this evening. "

While they were upstairs the men-at-arms and servants had been employed inclearing the stairs, throwing the bodies that had encumbered it out intothe street. The men-at-arms of the knights had, after drinking the winethat had been sent out to them, aided in clearing the passage; buckets ofwater had been thrown down on the stairs, and the servitors by a vigoroususe of brooms had removed most of the traces of the fray. The work hadjust been finished, and Dame Margaret's men had, by Guy's orders, stationed themselves on the landing to do honour to the knights as theyset out. 

"Ah, my tall friend, " D'Estournel said to the archer, "so you have been atwork again, and I can see that you are even more doughty with the bow thanwith that long staff of yours. Well, this time there must have been enoughfighting to please even you. "

"It has been an indifferent good fight, my lord, " Tom said; "but in truth, save for the stand on that pile of logs below, when things were for a timebrisk, it has been altogether too one-sided to please me. "

"Most people would think that the one-sidedness was all the other way, "D'Estournel laughed. "Well, men, you have all done your duty to your ladyright well this night, and there is not one of us here who would notgladly have such brave fellows in his service. I see that you are all fourwounded. "

"They are scarce to be called wounds, Sir Count, seeing that they are butflesh cuts from their halberts which we got in the fray below. Theseslaughterers can doubtless strike a good blow with a pole-axe, but theyare but clumsy varlets with other weapons. But to give them their due, they fought stoutly if with but little skill or discretion. "

Several of the others also said a few words of commendation to the men. The provost and Guy escorted the knights to the door below. The latter hadordered twenty of their men-at-arms to remain in the house until morning, after which ten were to stay there until the doors had been repaired andrefixed. As soon as the knights had ridden off the silversmith orderedseveral bundles of rushes to be strewn in the shop for the guard, and ameal of cold meat to be set for their supper. Two of them were posted assentinels at the door. 

"I shall not open the shop to-morrow, " he said as he ascended the stairswith Guy, "nor indeed shall I do so until things have settled down. Therewill be for some time a mighty animosity on the part of these butchers andskinners against me, and it is only reasonable that after such an attack Ishould close my shop. Those who have dealings with me will know that theycan do their business with me in private. And now methinks we will retireto bed; 'tis past midnight, and there is no fear of our being disturbedagain. If they send anyone to spy out whether we are on the watch, thesight of the Burgundian soldiers below will suffice to tell them thatthere is nothing to be done. The first thing tomorrow I will set thecarpenters to work to make me an even stronger pair of doors than thosethat have been spoilt. "

CHAPTER X

AFTER THE FRAY

On going into Dame Margaret's apartments Guy found that she had againretired to rest, and at once threw himself on his bed without disrobinghimself further than taking off his armour, for he felt that it waspossible the assailants might return after finding that the Burgundianknights and men-at-arms had ridden away. He had told the men-at-arms tokeep watch by turns at the top of the stairs, where the barricade stillremained, and to run in to wake him should they hear any disturbancewhatever at the door below. He slept but lightly, and several times wentout to see that the watch was being well kept, and to look up and down thestreet to assure himself that all was quiet. 

"You did nobly last night, Guy, " Dame Margaret said as she met him in themorning; "Sir Eustace himself could have done no better had he been here. When I next write to my lord I shall tell him how well you have protectedus, and pray him to send word of it to your father. "

"I did my best, lady; but it is to Long Tom that it is chiefly due thatour defence was made good. It was his shooting that caused the long delayin breaking open the door, and that enabled us to hold the barricadebelow, and he also stoutly aided in the defence of the landing. "

"Nevertheless, Guy, it was under your direction that all things were done. It is to the leader who directs that the first praise is due rather thanto the strongest and bravest of his men-at-arms. It was, too, owing toyour interference on behalf of Count Charles d'Estournel that we owe itthat succour came to us; it was his friendship for you that prompted himto gather his friends to come to our aid; and it was the warning, shortthough it was, sent us by that strange Italian that enabled you to send tothe count for aid. I must see his daughter and thank her personally forthe part she played in the matter. No, Guy, had it not been for you thishouse would now have been an empty shell, and all of us would have beenlying under its ruins. I have been thinking during the night that you mustbe most careful when you go abroad; you know that the son of that monsterCaboche, the leader of the skinners, and doubtless many leaders of thebutchers, among them Legoix, were killed, and their friends are certain toendeavour to take vengeance on you. They saw you at the window, they willknow that you are my esquire, and will doubtless put down their defeatentirely to you. You cannot be too careful, and, above all, you must notventure out at night save on grave occasion. Agnes, " she broke off as thegirl entered the room, "you too must thank our brave esquire for having sostoutly defended us. "

"I do thank you most heartily, Guy, " the girl said, "though I felt it veryhard that I could do nothing to help you. It was terrible sitting here andhearing the fight so close to us, and the dreadful shouts and screams ofthose people, and to have nothing to do but to wait. Not that I wasfrightened, I felt quite confident that you would beat them, but it was sohard to sit quiet. I should not have minded so much if I could have beenstanding there to see the brave deeds that were being done. "

"Like the queen of a tournament, Agnes, " her mother said with a smile. "Yes, indeed, it is one of the hardships of us women. It is only when acastle is besieged and her lord is away that a woman may buckle on armourand set an example to her retainers by showing herself on the wall andrisking the enemies' bolts, or even, if necessary, taking her place withher retainers on the breach; at other times she must be passive and waitwhile men fight. "

"If I had only had my bow, " Agnes said regretfully, "I could really havedone something. You would have let me go out then, mother, would you not?"

"I don't know, dear; no, I don't think I should. It was anxious workenough for me as it was. If you had gone out I must have done so, and thenCharlie would have wanted to go too. No; it was much better that we allsat together as we did, waiting quietly for what might come, and prayingfor those who were fighting for us. "

"I was glad that Madame Leroux stayed upstairs with her maid instead ofcoming down here as you asked her, mother; she looked so scared and whitethat I do think it would have been worse than listening to the fighting tohave had to sit and look at her. "

Dame Margaret smiled. "Yes, Agnes, but I think that she was morefrightened for her husband than for herself, and I don't suppose that shehad ever been in danger before. Indeed, I must say that to look out atthat crowd of horrible creatures below, brandishing their weapons, shouting and yelling, was enough to terrify any quiet and peaceable woman. As a knight's wife and daughter it was our duty to be calm and composedand to set an example, but a citizen's wife would not feel the sameobligation, and might show her alarm without feeling that she disgracedherself or her husband. "

On going out Guy found their host already engaged in a conference with amaster carpenter as to the construction of the new doors. They were to bevery strong and heavy, made of the best oak, and protected by thick sheetsof iron; the hinges were to be of great strength to bear the weight. Asmith had also arrived to receive instructions for making and setting verystrong iron bars before the shop, the front of which would require to bealtered to allow of massive shutters being erected on the inside. Irongates were also to be fixed before the door. 

"That will make something like a fortress of it, Master Aylmer, " thesilversmith said, "and it will then need heavy battering-rams to breakinto it. Several others of my craft similarly protect their shops; andcertainly no one can blame me, after the attack of last night, for takingevery means to defend myself. I intend to enlist a party of ten fightingmen to act as a garrison until these troubles are all over. "

"I think that you will act wisely in doing so, " Guy said. "Your servantsall bore themselves bravely last night, but they had no defensive armourand were unaccustomed to the use of weapons. Only I would advise you to bevery careful as to the men that you engage, or you may find your guardwithin as dangerous as the mob without. "

"I will take every pains as to that, you may be sure, and will engage nonesave after a careful inquiry into their characters. "

The streets had already been cleared of the slain. All through the nightlittle parties had searched for and carried off their dead, and when atearly morning the authorities sent a party down to clear the street thereremained but some twenty-five bodies, evidently by their attire belongingto the lowest class, and presumably without friends. That day petitionsand complaints were sent to the king by the provosts of the merchants, thegold and silver smiths, the cloth merchants, the carpenters and others, complaining of the tumults caused by the butchers and their allies, andespecially of the attack without cause or reason upon the house of MaîtreLeroux, the worshipful provost of the silversmiths. Several skirmishesoccurred in the evening between the two parties, but an order was issuedin the name of the king to the Maire and syndics of Paris rebuking themfor allowing such disturbances and tumults, and ordering them to keep aportion of the burgher guard always under arms, and to repress suchdisturbances, and severely punish those taking part in them. 

Maître Leroux and his wife paid a formal visit to Dame Margaret early inthe day to thank her for the assistance that her retainers had given indefending the house. 

"You were good enough to say, madame, " the silversmith said, "that youregretted the trouble that your stay here gave us. We assured you then, and truly, that the trouble was as nothing, and that we felt your presenceas an honour; now you see it has turned out more. Little did we think whenyou came here but a few days since that your coming would be the means ofpreserving our lives and property, yet so it has been, for assuredly if ithad not been for your esquire and brave retainers we should have beenmurdered last night. As it is we have not only saved our lives but ourproperty, and save for the renewal of the doors we shall not have been thelosers even in the value of a crown piece. Thus, from being our guests youhave become our benefactors; and one good result of what has passed is, that henceforth you will feel that, however long your stay here, andhowever much we may try to do for you, it will be but a trifle towards thedischarge of the heavy obligation under which we feel to you. "

After a meeting of the city council that afternoon, a guard of ten men wassent to the silversmith's to relieve the Burgundian men-at-arms. Five ofthese were to be on duty night and day until the house was made secure bythe new doors and iron grill erected in front of the shop. Guy proposed toDame Margaret that he should give up his visit to the _salle d'armes_, butthis she would not hear of. 

"I myself and the children will go no more abroad until matters becomemore settled, but it is on all accounts well that you should go to theschool of arms. Already the friends that you have made have been the meansof saving our lives, and it is well to keep them. We know not what isbefore us, but assuredly we need friends. Maître Leroux was telling methis morning that the Armagnacs are fast approaching, and that in a fewdays they will be within a short distance of Paris. Their approach willassuredly embitter the hostility between the factions here, and shouldthey threaten the town there may be fierce fighting within the walls aswell as without. At present, at any rate, there are likely to be no moredisturbances such as that of last night, and therefore no occasion for youto remain indoors. Even these butchers, arrogant as they are, will notventure to excite the indignation that would be caused by another attackon this house. That, however, will make it all the more likely that theywill seek revenge in other ways, and that the house will be watched atnight and any that go out followed and murdered. 

"You and Tom the archer are no doubt safe enough from the attack ofordinary street ruffians, but no two men, however strong and valiant, canhope to defend themselves successfully against a score of cut-throats. ButI pray you on your way to the school go round and thank, in my name, thisItalian and his daughter, and say that I desire much to thank the younglady personally for the immense service she has rendered me and mychildren. Take the archer with you, for even in the daytime there arestreet brawls in which a single man who had rendered himself obnoxiouscould readily be despatched. "

"In faith, Master Guy, " Long Tom said as they sallied out, "it seems to methat if our stay in Paris is a prolonged one I shall return home richenough to buy me an estate, for never did money so flow into my pocket. Wehave been here but a short time, and I have gained as much and more than Ishould do in a year of hard service. First there was that young Frenchcount, the very next morning when he called here he gave me a purse withthirty crowns, telling me pleasantly that it was at the rate of fivecrowns for each skull I cracked on his behalf. Then this morning MaîtreLeroux came to me and said, 'Good fellow, it is greatly to your skill andvalour that I owe my life, and that of my wife; this will help you to setup housekeeping; when you return home, ' and he gave me a purse with ahundred crowns in it; what think you of that, master? The other three alsogot purses of fifty crowns each. If that is the rate of pay in Paris for acouple of hours' fighting, I do not care how often I take a share in afray. "

"You are doing well indeed, Tom, but you must remember that sooner orlater you might go into a fray and lose your life, and with it the chanceof buying that estate you speak of. "

"We must all take our chances, master, and there is no winning a battlewithout the risk of the breaking of casques. Are we going to the house wewent to the first night we came here, Master Guy? Methinks that this isthe street we stopped at. "

"Yes, Tom. It was the man who lives here who sent me word that thebutchers were going to attack the provost's house, by the same messengerwho met us before Notre Dame, and who last night, after warning me, carried my message to Count Charles, praying him to come to our aid. "

"Then he did us yeoman service, " the archer said warmly, "though I thinknot that they would have carried the barricade had they fought tillmorning. "

"Perhaps not, though I would not say so for certain, for they might havedevised some plan such as they did for covering themselves while theyassaulted the door. But even had they not done so they would have beensure before they retired to have fired the house. "

"That is what I thought of when they were attacking us, " the archer said, "and wondered why they should waste men so freely when a torch would havedone their business just as well for them. "

"That would have been so, Tom, had they only wished to kill us; butthough, no doubt, the leaders desired chiefly the life of the provost, themob simply fought for plunder. If they had found all the jeweller's storein his shop, they would have fired the house very quickly when theydiscovered that they could not get at us. But it was the plunder that theywanted, and it was the sight of those chests full of silver-ware that madethem venture their lives so freely, in order to have the handling of it. Ido not think that I shall be long here, Tom. Do not wait for me at thedoor, but stroll up and down, keeping a short distance away, so that I cansee you when I come out. "

A decrepit old woman opened the door, and on Guy giving his name she saidthat she had orders to admit him if he called. The girl came out dressedin her female attire as he went upstairs. 

"Ah, signor, " she said, "I am glad indeed to see that you are safe. "

"Thanks to you, " he said warmly; "we are all your debtors indeed. "

"I had but to run a mile or two, " she said; "but what was there in that?But indeed I had an anxious time, I so feared that I should be too late. When I had seen the Count d'Estournel and delivered your message to himand had shown him your ring, and he and his friends had declared that theywould call up their men and come at once to your aid, I could not go backand wait until this morning to learn if they arrived in time, so I ran toyour street again and hid in a doorway and looked out. Just as I got therethey broke in the door and I saw some of them rush in. But there was apause, though they were all pressing to enter. They went in very slowly, and I knew that you must be defending the entrance. At last there was asudden rush, and I almost cried out. I thought that it was all over. Agreat many entered and then there was a pause again. The crowd outsidebecame more and more furious; it was dreadful to hear their shouts and tosee the waving of torches and weapons. 

"They seemed to be almost mad to get in. The crush round the door wasterrible, and it was only when two or three horsemen rode in among themshouting, that the press ceased a little. One horseman obtained silencefor a moment by holding up his hand. He told them that their friendsinside were attacking a barricade, and would soon carry it, and then therewould be silver enough for all; but that by pressing forward they did buthamper the efforts of their comrades. It seemed, oh, such a long, longtime before I saw the Burgundians coming along, and I could not helpthrowing my cap up and shouting when they charged into the crowd. I waiteduntil it was all over, and then I ran back home and had a rare scoldingfor being out so late; but I did not mind that much, after knowing thatyou were all safe. "

At this moment a voice from the landing above said: "Are you going to keepMaster Aylmer there all day with your chattering, Katarina?" The girl madea little face and nodded to Guy to go upstairs. 

"Katarina is becoming a madcap, " the astrologer said, as he led Guy intothe room. "I cannot blame her altogether; I have made a boy of her, and Iought not to be shocked at her acting like one. But she gave me a rarefright last night when she did not return until close on midnight. Still, it was natural for her to wish to see how her mission had turned out. "

"Her quickness saved all our lives, " Guy said. "Had it not been for hercarrying my message to the Count d'Estournel we should have been burntalive before morning. "

"It was unfortunate that I sent you the message so late, Master Aylmer. Iwas busy when a medical student who sometimes gathers news for me in thebutchers' quarter came here, and left a missive for me. Had he sent up amessage to me that it was urgent, I would have begged the personage I hadwith me to wait a moment while I read the letter. As it was, it laydownstairs till my visitor departed. When I learned the news I sent offKatarina at once. She had but a short time before come in, and wasfortunately still in her boy's dress, so there was no time lost. I wentout myself at ten o'clock to see what was going on, and must have beenclose to her without either of us knowing it. I looked on for a shorttime; but seeing that nothing could be done, and feeling sure that thehouse must be taken, --knowing nothing of the chance of the Burgundianscoming to the rescue, --I returned here and was surprised to find thatKatarina had not returned. 

"I did not think that she could have reached the shop and warned youbefore the mob arrived, and therefore I became greatly alarmed as the timewent by without her appearing. Indeed, my only hope was that she must havebeen looking on at the fight and would return when it was all over, asindeed it turned out; and I should have rated her much more soundly than Idid had she not told me how she had fetched the Burgundians and that theyhad arrived in time. I hear that there is a great stir this morning. Thenumber of men they have lost, and specially the deaths of Legoix and ofthe young Caboche, have infuriated the butchers and skinners. They havealready sent off two of their number to lay their complaint before theDuke of Burgundy of the conduct of some of his knights in attacking themwhen they were assailing the house of a noted Armagnac. But they feel thatthey themselves for the moment must remain quiet, as the royal order hasemboldened the Maire, supported by the traders' guilds, and notably by thecarpenters, who are a very strong body, to call out a portion of the cityguard, and to issue an order that all making disturbances, whomsoever theymay be and under whatsoever pretext they are acting, will be summarilyhung if captured when so engaged. 

"In spite of this there will no doubt be troubles; but they will notventure again to attack the house of the silversmith, at any rate until anorder comes from the Duke of Burgundy to forbid his knights frominterfering in any way with their doings. "

"Which I trust he will not send, " Guy said; "and I doubt if the knightswill obey it if it comes. They are already much enraged at the insolenceof the butchers, and the royal proclamation this morning will justify themin aiding to put down disturbances whatsoever may be the duke's orders. And now, Sir Count, I have come hither this morning on behalf of my ladymistress to thank you for sending the news, and still more for the serviceyour daughter rendered in summoning the knights to her assistance. Shedesires much to return thanks herself to your daughter, and will eithercall here to see her or would gladly receive her at her lodging should youprefer that. "

"I should prefer it, Master Aylmer. Your lady can scarce pass through thestreets unnoticed, for her English appearance marks her at once; and asall know she lodges at the silversmith's, she will be more particularlynoticed after the events of last night, and her coming here will attractmore attention to me than I care for. Therefore I will myself bringKatarina round and will do myself the honour of calling upon your lady. Ican wrap the girl up in a cloak so that she shall not attract anyobservation, for no one knows, save the old woman below, that I have adaughter here; and with so many calling at the house, and among them somereckless young court gallants, I care not that it should be known, if forno other reason than, were it so, it would be soon suspected that the ladwho goes so often in and out is the girl in disguise, and I could then nolonger trust her in the streets alone. "

"You will find my lady in at whatever hour you come, signor, for she hasresolved not to go abroad again until order is restored in Paris. "

"The decision is a wise one, " the Italian said; "though indeed I think notthat she would be in any danger, save that which every good-looking womanruns in troubled times like these, when crime is unpunished, and those inauthority are far too occupied with their own affairs to trouble theirheads about a woman being carried off. But it is different with you andyour comrade. The butchers know well enough that it was your work thatcaused their failure last night. Your appearance at the window wasnoticed, and it was that tall archer of yours who played such havoc amongthem. Therefore I advise you to be ever on your guard, and to purchase amail shirt and wear it under your doublet; for, however watchful you maybe, an assassin may steal up behind you and stab you in the back. You maybe sure that Caboche and the friends of Legoix will spare no pains to takevengeance upon you. "

Guy presently rejoined the archer in the street. "Henceforth, Tom, " hesaid, "you must always put on breast-and-back piece when you go out. Ihave been warned that our lives will almost surely be attempted, and thatI had best put on a mail shirt under my doublet. "

"Perhaps it would be best, Master Guy. I fear not three men if they standup face to face with me, but to be stabbed in the back is a thing thatneither strength nor skill can save one from. But as I care not to bealways going about in armour I will expend some of my crowns in buying ashirt of mail also. 'Tis better by far than armour, for a man coming upbehind could stab one over the line of the back-piece or under the arm, while if you have mail under your coat they will strike at you fairbetween the shoulders, and it is only by striking high up on the neck thatthey have any chance with you. A good coat of mail is money well laid out, and will last a lifetime; and even if it cost me all the silversmith'scrowns I will have a right good one. "

Guy nodded. He was wondering in his own mind how he should be able toprocure one. His father had given him a purse on starting, but the moneymight be needed for emergencies. He certainly could not ask his mistressfor such a sum, for she too might have need of the money that she hadbrought with her. He was still turning it over in his mind when theyreached the fencing-school. He was greeted with acclamations as he enteredby the young count and his friends. 

"Here is our defender of houses, " the former exclaimed. "Truly, Guy, youhave given a lesson to the butchers that they sorely needed. They say thatthe king himself, who is in one of his good moods to-day, has interestedhimself mightily in the fray last night, and that he has expressed a wishto hear of it from the esquire who he has been told commanded the defence. So it is not unlikely that there will be a royal message for you to attendat the palace. Fortunately we had the first say in the matter thismorning. My father returned last night, and as he is rather a favourite ofhis majesty, we got him to go to the king and obtain audience as soon ashe arose, to complain of the conduct of the butchers in attacking thehouse of the provost of the silversmiths, and where, moreover, DameVilleroy, who had arrived here in obedience to his majesty's own commands, was lodged. The king when he heard it was mightily offended. He said hehad not been told of her coming, and that this insult to her touched hishonour. He sent at once for the Maire and syndics, and upbraided thembitterly for allowing such tumults to take place, and commanded them toput a stop to them under pain of his severe displeasure. 

"That accounts, you see, for the Maire's proclamation this morning. Theking desired my father to thank me and the other knights and gentlemen forhaving put down the riot, and said that he would at once send off amessage to the Duke of Burgundy commanding him to pay no attention to anyreports the butchers might send to him, but to give them a stern answerthat the king was greatly displeased with their conduct, and that if anyfresh complaint about them was made he would straightway have all theirleaders hung. 

"It is one thing to threaten, and another to do, Guy; but at any rate, solong as the duke is away they will see that they had best keep quiet; forwhen the king is in his right senses and is not swayed by others, he isnot to be trifled with. 

"You can imagine what an excitement there was last night when that boy yousent arrived. The ring was sent up first, and when I gave orders that heshould be admitted he came in well-nigh breathless. There were six oreight of us, and all were on the point of leaving. Thinking that it mightbe something private, they had taken up their hats and cloaks. The boy, ashe came in, said, 'Which of you is Count Charles d'Estournel?' 'I am, ' Isaid. 'You are the bearer of a message from Guy Aylmer?' 'I am, my lord. He prays you hasten to his assistance, for the butchers and skinners areattacking Maître Leroux's house, and had begun to hammer on the door whenI was still in the street. If they make their way in, they will surelykill all they find in there. They are shouting, 'Death to the Armagnacs!Death to the English spies!'

"I called upon my comrades to join me, and all were eager to do so. We hadlong been smarting under the conduct of these ruffians, and moreover I wasglad to discharge a part of my debt to you. So each ran to his lodgingsand despatched servitors to summon their men-at-arms, and to order thehorses to be saddled, and to gather in front of my lodging with all speed. Two or three of my friends who had left earlier were also summoned; butthough we used all the speed we could it was more than an hour before allwere assembled. The men-at-arms were scattered, and had to be roused; thenthere was the work of getting the stables open, and we had to force thedoors in some places to do it. I was on thorns, as you may well imagine, and had little hope when we started that we should find any of you alive. Delighted indeed we were when, on getting near enough, we could see thecrowd were stationary, and guessed at once that you were still holdingout--though how you could have kept so large a number at bay was beyondus. We struck heartily and heavily, you may be sure, and chased the wolvesback to their dens with a will. I hear that, what with those you slew inthe house and street and those we cut down, it is reckoned that a coupleof hundred were killed; though as to this none can speak with certainty, seeing that so many bodies were carried away before morning. "

"I trust that none of you received wounds, Count Charles?"

"None of us; though several of the men-at-arms had gashes from therascals' weapons, but naught, I think, that will matter. "

At this moment one of the attendants of the salon came in. 

"An usher from the palace is here, my lords and gentlemen. He has been tothe lodging of Master Guy Aylmer, and has learned that he will most likelybe here. If so, he has the king's command to conduct him to the palace, asHis Majesty desires to have speech with him. "

"I told you so, Guy; my father's story has excited the king's curiosity, and he would fain hear all about it. Make the most of it, for His Majestyloves to be entertained and amused. "

"Had I better ask the usher to allow me to go back to my lodging to put ona gayer suit than this?" Guy asked. 

"Certainly not; the king loves not to be kept waiting. Fortunately no timehas been wasted so far, as this is on the road from the silversmith's tothe palace. "

The Louvre at that time bore no resemblance to the present building. Itwas a fortress surrounded by a strong embattled wall, having a lofty towerat each corner and others flanking its gates. On the water-face the towersrose from the edge of the river, so that there was no passage along thequays. The building itself was in the castellated form, though with largerwindows than were common in such edifices. Eight turret-shaped buildingsrose far above it, each surmounted with very high steeple-like roofs, while in the centre rose another large and almost perpendicular roof, terminating in a square open gallery. The building was further protectedby four embattled towers on each side, so that if the outer wall werecarried it could still defend itself. In the court-yard between the outerwall and the palace were rows of low barracks, where troops were lodged. Two regiments of the best soldiers of Burgundy were quartered here, as theduke feared that some sudden rising of the Armagnac party might put themin possession of the king's person, in which case the Orleanists wouldeasily persuade him to issue proclamations as hostile to Burgundy as thosewhich were now published in, his name against the Orleanists. The Louvre, indeed, differed but slightly from palaces of several of the great nobleswithin the walls of Paris, as all of these were to some extent fortified, and stood as separate fortresses capable of offering a stout resistance toany attack by the populace. 

"I would rather face those villains of last night for another hour than gobefore the king, " Guy said, as he prepared to follow the attendant; "but Itrust that good may come of my interview, and that I can interest the kingin the case of my mistress. "

Joining the usher, who was waiting at the entrance, and who saluted himcourteously--for the manner in which the message had been communicated tothe usher showed him that the young squire was in no disgrace with theking--Guy walked with him to the Louvre, which was a short half-miledistant. Accompanied as he was by a royal officer, the guard at the gateoffered no interruption to his passage, and proceeding across the court-yard he entered the great doorway to the palace, and, preceded by theusher, ascended the grand staircase and followed him along a corridor tothe apartments occupied by the king. 

CHAPTER XI

DANGER THREATENED

On being ushered into the royal apartment Guy was led up to the king, whowas seated in a large arm-chair. He was stroking the head of a greyhound, and two or three other dogs lay at his feet. Except two attendants, whostood a short distance behind his chair, no one else was present. The kingwas pale and fragile-looking; there was an expression of weariness on hisface, for in the intervals between his mad fits he had but little rest. Hewas naturally a kind-hearted man, and the troubles that reigned in France, the constant contention among the great lords, and even among the membersof his own family, were a constant source of distress to him. Between theDuke of Burgundy, the queen, his nephew of Orleans, and the other royaldukes he had no peace, and the sense of his inability to remedy matters, and of his position of tutelage in the hands of whoever chanced for themoment to be in the ascendant, in no slight degree contributed to theterrible attacks to which he was subject. At the present moment the Dukeof Burgundy was away, and therefore, feeling now comparatively free, helooked up with interest when the usher announced Guy Aylmer. 

"You are young, indeed, sir, " he said, as Guy made a deep bow, "to be thehero of the story that I heard this morning. I hear that you have beenslaying many of the good citizens of Paris!"

"Some have certainly been slain, sire; but I think not that any of themcould be considered as good citizens, being engaged, as they were, inattacking the house of the worshipful provost of the silversmiths, MaîtreLeroux. "

"I know him, " the king said, "and have bought many rare articles of hishandiwork, and more than once when I have needed it have had monies fromhim on usance. 'Tis a grave scandal that so good a citizen should thus beattacked in my city, but I will see that such doings shall not take placeagain. And now I would hear from your own lips how you and a few mendefended the house so long, and, as I hear, with very heavy loss to thoseattacking it. I am told that you are English. "

"Yes, sire, I have the honour to be an esquire to Sir Eustace de Villeroy, and am here in attendance upon his dame, who, with her two children, havebeen brought as hostages to Paris under your royal order. "

A look of pain passed across the king's face. "Your lord is our vassal forhis castle at Villeroy?"

"He is, sire, and is also a vassal of England for the estates of hiswife. "

"Since England and France are not at present on ill terms, " the king said, "he may well discharge both duties without treason to either Henry ormyself; but they told me that his vassalage to me has sat but lightly uponhim. "

"His father and grandfather, sire, were vassals of England, as Villeroywas then within the English bounds, but he is, I am assured, readyfaithfully to render any service that your majesty might demand of him, and is willing to submit himself, in all respects, to your will. But sincehe wishes not to take any part in the troubles between the princes, itseems that both regard him with hostility. Two months since his castle wasattacked by some eight thousand men from Ham, led by Sir Clugnet deBrabant. These he repulsed with heavy loss, and deemed that in so doing hewas acting in accordance with your majesty's proclamation, and wasrendering faithful service to you in holding the castle against yourenemies, and he had hoped for your majesty's approbation. He was thendeeply grieved when your royal herald summoned him, in your name, eitherto receive a garrison or to send his wife and children hither ashostages. "

"I will see into the matter, " the king said earnestly. "And so yourmistress was bestowed at the house of Maître Leroux?"

"She was, sire, and is most hospitably entertained by him. "

"Now let us hear of this defence. Tell me all that took place; withholdnothing. "

Guy related the details of the defence. 

[Illustration: "THE KING EXTENDED HIS HAND TO GUY, WHO WENT ON ONE KNEE TOKISS IT. "]

"Truly it was well done, young sir, and I owe you thanks for having givenso shrewd a lesson to these brawlers, Maître Leroux has good reasons forbeing thankful to the duke for lodging your lady in his house, for hewould doubtless have lost his life had you and your four men not beenthere. When the Duke of Burgundy returns I will take council with himtouching this matter of your mistress. I know that he gave me good reasonsat the time for the bringing of her hither, but in the press of matters Ido not recall what they were. At any rate, as she is here as my hostageher safety must be ensured, and for the present I will give orders that aguard be placed at the house. "

He extended his hand to Guy, who went on one knee to kiss it and thenretired. 

He took the news back to Dame Margaret. 

"I knew well enough that the poor king had nothing to do with the matter, "she said. "Were it otherwise I would myself have asked for an audiencewith him; but I knew that it would be useless, he would but have repliedto me as he has to you, that he must consult the duke. "

In the afternoon the Italian called with his daughter upon Dame Margaret. The former was now dressed in accordance with his rank as an Italiannoble, and the girl, on laying aside her cloak, was also in the costume ofa young lady of position. Guy presented the count to his mistress. 

"I am greatly indebted to you, Count Montepone, " she said, "for the timelywarning that you sent us, and still more for the service rendered to us byyour daughter in summoning the Burgundian knights to our aid. Truly, " sheadded with a smile, "it is difficult to believe that it was this younglady who was so busy on our behalf. I thank you, maiden, most heartily. And, believe me, should the time ever come when you require a friend;which I hope may never be the case, you will find one in me on whom youcan confidently rely. 

"This is my daughter Agnes. She is, methinks, but a year or so youngerthan yourself, though she is as tall or taller, and she will gladly beyour friend also. "

Katarina replied quietly and composedly, and Guy, as he watched her andAgnes talking together, was surprised at the way in which she adaptedherself to circumstances. As a boy she assumed the character so perfectlythat no one would suspect her of being aught else. She was a French gamin, with all the shrewdness, impudence, and self-confidence of the class. Ashe saw her at her father's in female attire something of the boy's natureseemed still to influence her. There was still a touch of sauciness in hermanner, and something of defiance, as if she resented his knowledge of herin her other character. Now she had the quiet composure of a young lady ofrank. As Dame Margaret had said, she was but little older than Agnes; butthough less tall than the English girl, she looked a woman beside her. Guystood talking with them while Dame Margaret and the count conversed apart. Gradually as they chatted Katarina's manner, which had at first beensomewhat stiff, thawed, and Guy left her and Agnes together and went tolook through the window. 

He could vaguely understand that Katarina at first, knowing that DameMargaret and Agnes must be aware of her going about as a boy, was standinga little on her dignity. The simple straightforwardness of Agnes and heradmiration of the other's boldness and cleverness had disarmed Katarina, and it was not long before they were chatting and laughing in girlishfashion. There was a difference in their laughter, the result of thedissimilar lives they had led. One had ever been a happy, careless child, allowed to roam about in the castle or beyond it almost unattended, andhad only to hold herself as became the position of a maiden of rank onspecial occasions, as when guests were staying in the castle; the otherhad been for years her father's assistant, engaged in work requiringshrewdness and quickness and not unattended at times with danger. She hadbeen brought into contact with persons of all ranks and conditions, and attimes almost forgot her own identity, and was in thought as well as mannerthe quick-witted messenger of her father. After the latter had chatted forsome time with Dame Margaret he beckoned her to him. 

"Dame Margaret has promised me to be your protector should aught befallme, child, " he said, "and I charge you now in her hearing should anythinghappen to me to go at once to her castle at Villeroy, and should she notbe there to her castle at Summerley, which lies but twelve miles from theEnglish port of Southampton, and there to place yourself under herguardianship, and to submit yourself to her will and guidance wholly andentirely. It would be well indeed for you to have a quiet English homeafter our troubled life. To Italy you cannot go, our estates are longsince confiscated; and did you return there you would find powerfulenemies and but lukewarm friends. Besides, there would be but one mode oflife open to you, namely, to enter a convent, which would, methinks, be ofall others the least suited to your inclinations. "

"I can promise you a hearty welcome, " Dame Margaret said kindly. "I trustthat you may never apply for it; but should, as your father says, aughthappen to him, come to me fearlessly, and be assured that you will betreated as one of my own family. We shall ever be mindful of the fact thatyou saved our lives last night, and that nothing that we can do for youwill cancel that obligation. "

"I trust that I may never be called upon to ask your hospitality, LadyMargaret, " the girl said quietly, "but I thank you with all my heart forproffering it, and I feel assured that I should find a happy home inEngland. "

"'Tis strange how it has all come about, " her father said. "'Tis scarce amonth since I saw Dame Margaret enter Paris with her children, and thethought occurred to me that it would be well indeed for you were you inthe charge of such a lady. Then, as if in answer to my thoughts, I saw heryoung esquire in the crowd listening to me, and was moved at once to saywords that would induce him to call upon me afterwards, when I saw that Imight possibly in these troublous times be of use to his mistress. Andthus in but a short time what was at first but a passing thought has beenrealized. It is true that there are among my clients those whoseprotection I could obtain for you; but France is at present as much tornby factions as is our native Italy, and none can say but, however highlyplaced and powerful a man may be to-day, he might be in disgrace to-morrow. "

Carefully wrapping his daughter up in her cloak again, the Italian tookhis leave, refusing the offer of Dame Margaret for two of her men-at-armsto accompany them. 

"There is no fear of trouble of any sort to-day, " he said. "The loss thatwas suffered last night was so severe that the people will be quiet for afew days, especially as the king, as well as the city authorities, areevidently determined to put a stop to rioting. Moreover, the fact that theBurgundian nobles have, now that the duke is away, taken a strong partagainst the butchers' faction has for the moment completely cowed them. But, apart from this, it is my special desire to return to my houseunnoticed. It is seldom that I am seen going in and out, for I leave homeas a rule before my neighbours are about, and do not return till afternightfall. I make no secret of my being a vendor of drugs at the fairs, and there are few can suspect that I have visitors after dark. "

"I like your astrologer, Guy, " Dame Margaret said when they had left. "Before I saw him I own that I had no great faith in his countship. Anyman away from his native country can assume a title without anyonequestioning his right to use it, so long as he is content to live inobscurity, and to abstain from attracting the attention of those who wouldbe likely to make inquiries. But I have no doubt that our friend is, as herepresents himself, the Count of Montepone, and I believe him to besincere in the matter of his dealings with us. He tells me that he hasreceived more than one hint that the reports that he deals with the starsand exercises divinations have come to the ears of the church, and it islikely ere long he may be forced to leave Paris, and indeed that he wouldhave done so before now had it not been that some of those who have haddealings with him have exercised their influence to prevent things beingpushed further. 

"No doubt it is true that, as he asserts, he in no way dabbles in what iscalled 'black art, ' but confines himself to reading the stars; and heowned to me that the success he has obtained in this way is to some extentbased upon the information that he obtains from persons of all classes. Heis evidently a man whose nature it is to conspire, not so much for thesake of any prospect of gain or advantage, but for the pleasure ofconspiring. He has dealings with men of both factions. Among the butchershe is believed to be an agent of the duke, who has assumed the characterof a vendor of nostrums simply as a disguise, while among the Armagnacs heis regarded as an agent of Orleans. It is doubtless a dangerous game toplay, but it both helps him in his profession of astrologer and gives himinfluence and power. I asked him why he thus mingled in public affairs. Hesmiled and said: 'We are always conspiring in Italy; we all belong tofactions. I have been brought up in an atmosphere of conspiracy, and it isso natural to me that I could scarce live without it. I am rich: men whotrade upon the credulity of fools have plenty of clients. My business of aquack doctor brings me in an income that many a poor nobleman would envy. I travel when I like; I visit alternately all the great towns of France, though Paris has always been my head-quarters. 

"'As an astrologer I have a wide reputation. The name of the CountSmarondi--for it is under that title that I practise--is known throughoutFrance, though few know me personally or where I am to be found. Those whodesire to consult me can only obtain access to me through some of thosewhose fortunes I have rightly foretold, and who have absolute faith in me, and even these must first obtain my consent before introducing anyone tome. All this mystery adds both to my reputation and to my fees. Couldanyone knock at my door and ask me to calculate his horoscope he wouldprize it but little; when it is so difficult to obtain an introduction tome, and it is regarded as a matter of favour to be allowed to consult me, people are ready to pay extravagant sums for my advice. And, ' he said witha smile, 'the fact that ten days or a fortnight always elapses between thetime I am asked to receive a new client and his or her first interviewwith me, enables me to make such minute inquiries that I can not only gaintheir complete confidence by my knowledge of certain events in their past, but it will aid me in my divination of their future. 

"'I believe in the stars, madame, wholly and implicitly, but the knowledgeto be gained from them is general and not particular; but with thatgeneral knowledge, and with what I know of men's personal character andhabits, of their connections, of their political schemes and personalambitions, I am able in the majority of cases so to supplement theknowledge I gain from the stars, as to trace their future with an accuracythat seems to them astonishing indeed. For example, madame, had I read inthe stars that a dire misfortune impended over you last night, and had Ilearned that there was a talk among the butchers that the provost of thesilversmiths was a strong opponent of theirs, and that steps would shortlybe taken to show the Parisians the danger of opposing them, it would haveneeded no great foresight on my part to tell you that you were threatenedwith a great danger, and that the danger would probably take the form ofan attack by the rabble on the house you occupied. I should naturally putit less plainly. I should tell you to beware of this date, should warn youthat I saw threatening faces and raised weapons, and that the sounds ofangry shouts demanding blood were in my ears. 

"'Any astrologer, madame, who works by proper methods can, from theconjunction of the stars at anyone's birth, calculate whether their aspectwill be favourable or unfavourable at any given time, and may foretelldanger or death; but it needs a knowledge of human nature, a knowledge ofcharacter and habits, and a knowledge of the questioner's surroundings tobe able to go much farther than this. That I have had marvellous successesand that my counsels are eagerly sought depends, then, upon the fact thatI leave nothing to chance, but that while enveloping myself in a certainamount of mystery I have a police of my own consisting of men of allstations, many, indeed most of whom, do not know me even by sight. Theyhave no idea of the object of my inquiries, and indeed believe that theirpaymaster is the head of the secret police, or the agent of some powerfulminister. '

"You see, Guy, the count spoke with perfect frankness to me. His objectnaturally was to gain my confidence by showing himself as he is, and toexplain why he wished to secure a home for his daughter. He took up hisstrange profession in the first place as a means of obtaining his living, and perhaps to secure himself from the search of private enemies who wouldhave had him assassinated could he have been found; but he follows it nowfrom his love for an atmosphere of intrigue, and for the power it giveshim, because, as he told me, he has already amassed a considerablefortune, and could well retire and live in luxury did he choose. He saidfrankly that if he did not so interest himself his existence would besimply intolerable to him. 

"'I may take my daughter to England, ' he said; 'I may stay there until Isee her established in life, but when I had done so I should have toreturn here. Paris is always the centre of intrigues; I would rather liveon a crust here than be a prince elsewhere. '

"He certainly succeeded in convincing me wholly of his sincerity, as faras we are concerned. Devoted to intrigue himself, he would fain that hisdaughter should live her life in peace and tranquillity, and that themoney for which he has no use himself should be enjoyed by her. 'I havelost my rank, ' he said, 'forfeited it, if you will; but she is theCountess Katarina of Montepone, and I should like to know that she and mydescendants after her should live the life that my ancestors lived. It isa weakness, a folly, I know; but we have all our weak points and ourfollies. At any rate I see that that fancy could not well be carried outin France or in Italy, but it may be in England. ' At any rate, after allhe has told me I feel that he has it in his power to be a very usefulfriend and ally to us here; I am convinced that he is truly desirous ofbeing so. "

"And how did you like the girl, Agnes?" she said, raising her voice. Agneshad fetched Charlie in, and they were looking together down into thestreet while their mother was talking to Guy. 

"I hardly know, mother; she seemed to be so much older than I am. Sometimes when she talked and laughed, I thought I liked her very much, and then a minute later it seemed to me that I did not understand her onebit. But I do think that she would be very nice when one came to know herthoroughly. "

"She has lived so different a life to yourself, Agnes, that it is nowonder that you should feel at first that you have nothing in common withher. That she is very clever I have no doubt, and that she is brave andfearless we know. Can you tell us anything more, Guy?"

"Not very much more, Lady Margaret. I should say that she was very trueand loyal. I think that at present she enters into what she has to do insomething of the same spirit as her father, and that she thoroughly likesit. I think that she is naturally full of fun and has high spirits, andthat she enjoys performing these missions with which she is entrusted as achild enjoys a game, and that the fact that there is a certain amount ofdanger connected with them is in itself attractive to her. I am glad thatyou have told me what he said to you about himself, for I could notunderstand him before. I think I can now, and understanding him one canunderstand his daughter. "

At eight o'clock all retired to bed. They had had little sleep the nightbefore, and the day had been full of events. Guy's last thought was thathe was sorry for the king, who seemed to wish to do what was right, butwho was a mere puppet in the hands of Burgundy or Queen Isobel, to be usedas a lay figure when required by whichever had a temporary ascendency. 

For the next fortnight Guy worked hard in the _salle d'armes_, beingone of the first to arrive and the last to depart, and after taking alesson from one or other of the masters he spent the rest of the morningin practising with anyone who desired an adversary. Well trained as he wasin English methods of fighting, he mastered with a quickness thatsurprised his teachers the various thrusts and parries that were new tohim. At the end of that time he was able to hold his own with the youngCount d'Estournel, who was regarded as an excellent swordsman. 

The attendance of the Burgundian nobles had now fallen off a good deal. The Armagnac army had approached Paris, St. Denis had opened its gates tothem, and there were frequent skirmishes near the walls of Paris betweenparties of their knights and the Burgundians. Paris was just at presentmore quiet. Burgundy was still absent, and the future seemed so uncertain, that both factions in the city held their hands for a time. 

The news that a reconciliation between Orleans and Burgundy had been fullyeffected, and that the great lords would soon enter Paris together, wasreceived with a joy that was modified by recollections of the past. Burgundy and Orleans had once before sworn a solemn friendship, and yet aweek or two later Orleans lay dead in the streets of Paris, murdered bythe order of Burgundy. Was it likely that the present patching up of thequarrel would have a much longer duration? On the former occasion thequarrel was a personal one between the two great houses, now all Francewas divided. A vast amount of blood had been shed, there had been cruelmassacres, executions, and wrongs, and the men of one faction had come tohate those of the other; and although neither party had dared to putitself in the wrong by refusing to listen to the mediators, it was certainthat the reconciliation was a farce, and that it was but a short trucerather than a peace that had been concluded. Nevertheless Paris rejoicedoutwardly, and hailed with enthusiasm the entry of the queen, the Dukes ofAquitaine, Burgundy, Berri, and Bourbon. 

The Duke of Aquitaine was now acting as regent, though without the title, for the king was again insane. He had married Burgundy's daughter, but itwas rumoured that he was by no means disposed to submit himself blindly tothe advice of her father. The only effect of the truce between the partieswas to add to the power of the Burgundian faction in Paris. But few of theArmagnac party cared to trust themselves in the city that had shown itselfso hostile, but most of them retired to their estates, and the greatprocession that entered the town had been for the most part composed ofadherents of Burgundy. Three days after their arrival in the town Guy, onleaving the _salle d'armes_, found Katarina in her boy's attire waitingfor him at the corner of the street. 

"My father would speak with you, Master Guy, " she said shyly, for in thepast two months she had always been in her girl's dress when he had mether. "Pray go at once, " she said; "I will not accompany you, for I haveother matters to attend to. "

"Things are not going well, " the count said when Guy entered the room;"the Orleanists are discouraged and the butchers triumphant. At a meetinglast night they determined that a body of them should wait upon the Dukesof Aquitaine and Burgundy to complain of the conduct of the knights whofell upon them when attacking the silversmith's, and demand in the name ofParis their execution. "

"They would never dare do that!" Guy exclaimed indignantly. 

"They will assuredly do it, and I see not how they can be refused. Theduke has no force that could oppose the Parisians. They might defend theLouvre and one or two of the strongly fortified houses, but the butcherswould surround them with twenty thousand men. Burgundy's vassals mightcome to his assistance, but the gates of Paris would be closed, and itwould need nothing short of an army and a long siege before they couldenter Paris. When they had done so they might punish the leaders, butBurgundy would thereby lose for ever the support of the city, which isall-important to him. Therefore if you would save your friends you mustwarn them that it will be necessary for them to make their way out ofParis as quickly and as quietly as may be. In the next place, andprincipally, you yourself will assuredly be murdered. There was a talk ofthe meeting demanding your execution and that of your four men; but it wasdecided that there was no need to do this, as you could all be killedwithout trouble, and that possibly the Duke of Aquitaine might refuse onthe ground that, as your lady had come here under safe-conduct as a royalhostage, you were entitled to protection, and it would be contrary to hishonour to give you up. 

"There are others who have displeased the Parisians whose lives they willalso demand, and there are several women among them; therefore, it isclear that even the sex of your lady will not save her and her childrenfrom the fury and longing for revenge, felt by the family of Legoix and byCaboche the skinner. The only question is, where can they be bestowed insafety? I know what you would say, that all this is monstrous, and that itis incredible that the Parisians will dare to take such steps. I canassure you that it is as I say; the peril is most imminent. Probably to-night, but if not, to-morrow the gates of Paris will be closed, and therewill be no escape for any whom these people have doomed to death. In thefirst place, you have to warn your Burgundian friends; that done, you mustsee to the safety of your four men. The three Frenchmen may, if theydisguise themselves, perchance be able to hide in Paris, but your tallarcher must leave the city without delay, his height and appearance wouldbetray him in whatever disguise he were clad. 

"Now as to your lady and the children, remain where they are they cannot. Doubtless were she to appeal to the Duke of Burgundy for protection hewould place her in the Louvre, or in one of the other castles--that is, ifshe could persuade him of the intentions of the Parisians, which indeed itwould be difficult for her to do; but even could she do so she would notbe safe, for if he is forced to surrender some of his own knights andladies of the court to these miscreants, he could not refuse to hand overLady Margaret. They might, it is true, possibly escape from Paris indisguise, but I know that there is already a watch set at the gates. Theonly resource that I can see is that she should with her children comehither for a time. This is but a poor place for her, but I think that ifanywhere she might be safe with me. No one knows that I have had anydealings whatever with you, and no one connects me in any way withpolitics. What should a vendor of nostrums have to do with such affairs?Thus, then, they might remain here without their presence being in theslightest degree suspected. At any rate I have as good means as any forlearning what is being done at their councils, and should receive theearliest information were it decided that a search should be made here;and should this be done, which I think is most unlikely, I shall have timeto remove them to some other place of concealment. 

"Lastly, as to yourself, I take it that nothing would induce you to flywith your Burgundian friends while your lady is in hiding in Paris?"

"Assuredly not!" Guy said. "My lord appointed me to take charge of her andwatch over her, and as long as I have life I will do so. "

"You will not be able to aid her, and your presence may even add to herdanger. Still, I will not say that your resolution is not honourable andright. But, at least, you must not stay here, for your detection wouldalmost certainly lead to hers. You, however, can be disguised; I candarken your skin and hair, and, in some soiled garb you may hope to passwithout recognition. Where to bestow you I will talk over with mydaughter. As soon as it becomes dusk this evening she will present herselfat the house-door of Maître Leroux. She will bring with her disguises foryour lady, the children, and yourself--I have many of them here--and assoon as it is quite dark she will guide here Dame Margaret with herdaughter and son. You had best not sally out with them, but can follow aminute or two later and join them as soon as they turn down a side street. As to the men, you must arrange with them what they had best do. My adviceis that they should this afternoon saunter out as if merely going for awalk. They ought to go separately; you can decide what they had best dowhen outside. "

CHAPTER XII

IN HIDING

The news of this terrible danger was so wholly unexpected that Guy for amoment felt almost paralyzed. 

"It seems almost incredible that such wickedness could take place!" heexclaimed. 

"My information is certain, " the count replied. "I do not say that I thinkyour Burgundian friends are in so much danger as some of those of theking's party, as Burgundy's influence with these Parisians goes forsomething; still, he might not be able to save them if they waited tillthe demand was made, although he might warn them if he learned that theywere to be among those demanded. "

"Does the duke, then, know what is intended?"

The count smiled. "We know what followed the last reconciliation, " hesaid, "and can guess pretty shrewdly at what will happen now. _Then_ theduke murdered Orleans, _now_ he may take measures against the supportersof the present duke. It was certain that the struggle would begin again assoon as the kiss of peace had been exchanged. Last time he boldly avowedhis share in the murder; this time, most conveniently for him, theParisians are ready and eager to do his work for him. Dismiss from yourmind all doubt; you can rely upon everything that I have told you as beingtrue. Whether you can convince these young knights is a matter thatconcerns me not; but remember that if you fail to convince your mistress, her life and those of her children are forfeited; and that, so far as Ican see, her only hope of safety is in taking refuge here. "

"I thank you with all my heart, " Guy said, "and will now set aboutcarrying out your advice. First, I will return to my lady and consult withher, and see what we had best do with the men. As to Count Charlesd'Estournel and his friends, I will see them as soon as I have arrangedthe other matter. Their case is not so pressing, for, at least, when oncebeyond the gates they will be safe. I will see that my lady and thechildren shall be ready to accompany your daughter when she comes forthem. "

"Look well up and down the street before you sally out, " the count said;"see that there are but few people about. It is a matter of life and deaththat no one who knows you shall see you leave this house. "

Guy followed his advice, and waited until there was no one within fiftyyards of the door, then he went out, crossed the street, took the firstturning he came to, and then made his way back to the silversmith's asfast as he could. 

"What ails you, Guy?" Dame Margaret said as he entered the room, "you looksorely disturbed, and as pale as if you had received some injury. "

"Would that that were all, my lady. I have had news from the Count ofMontepone of so strange and grave a nature that I would not tell you it, were it not that he is so much in earnest, and so well convinced of itstruth that I cannot doubt it. "

He then related what the count had told him, and repeated the offer ofshelter he had made. 

"This is, indeed, beyond all bounds, " she said. "What, is it credible thatthe Duke of Burgundy and the king's son, the Duke of Aquitaine, can handover to this murderous mob of Paris noble gentlemen and ladies?"

"As to Burgundy, madame, it seems to me from what the count said that hehimself is at the bottom of the affair, though he may not know that theParisians demand the lives of some of his own knights as well as those ofhis opponents. As he did not of old hesitate to murder Orleans, the king'sown brother, we need credit him with no scruples as to how he would ridhimself of others he considers to stand in his way. As to Aquitaine, he isa young man and powerless. There are no Orleanist nobles in the town towhom he might look for aid; and if a king's brother was slain, why not aking's son? It seems to me that he is powerless. "

"That may be; but I cannot consent to what the count proposes. What!disguise myself! and hide from this base mob of Paris! It would be anunworthy action. "

"It is one that I knew you would shrink from, madame; but pardon me forsaying that it is not your own life only, but those of your children thatare at stake. When royal princes and dukes are unable to oppose thesescoundrel Parisians, women and children may well bend before the storm. "

Dame Margaret sat for some time with knitted brows. At last she said: "Ifit must be, Guy, it must. It goes sorely against the grain; but for thesake of the children I will demean myself, and will take your advice. Nowyou had best summon the four men-at-arms and talk over their case withthem. "

Guy went upstairs and fetched the four men down. 

"We have sure news, my friends, " Dame Margaret said calmly, "that to-nightwe and many others shall be seized by the mob and slain. "

An exclamation of rage broke from the four men. 

"There will be many others slain before that comes about, " Long Tom said. 

"That I doubt not, Tom, but the end would be the same. An offer of refugehas been made to me and the children, and for their sake, unwilling as Iam to hide myself from this base mob, I have brought myself to accept it. My brave esquire will stay in Paris in disguise, and do what may be toprotect us. I have now called you to talk about yourselves. The gates willspeedily be guarded and none allowed to sally out, therefore what is to bedone must be done quickly. "

"We will all stay and share your fate, madame. You could not think that weshould leave you, " Robert Picard said, and the others murmured theiragreement. 

"You would add to my danger without being able to benefit me, " she said, "and my anxiety would be all the greater. No, you must obey my commands, which are that you forthwith quit Paris. Beyond that I must leave you tojudge your own course. As French men-at-arms none would question you whenyou were once beyond the gate. You may find it difficult to travel in thisdisturbed time, but you are shrewd enough to make up some story that willaccount for your movements, and so may work your way back to Villeroy. Thedifficulty is greater in the case of your English comrade--his height andthat light hair of his and ruddy face would mark him anywhere, and if hegoes with you would add to your danger, especially as his tongue wouldbetray him as being English the first time he spoke. However, beyondordering you to quit Paris, I must leave this matter in your hands andhis, and he will doubtless take counsel with my esquire and see if anydisguise can be contrived to suit him. I will see you again presently. Youhad best go with them, Guy, and talk the matter over. "

"This thing cannot be done, Master Guy, " the archer said doggedly whenthey reached their apartments; "it is not in reason. What should I saywhen I got home and told them at Summerley that I saved my own skin andleft our dear lady and the children to be murdered without striking a blowon their behalf? The thing is beyond all reason, and I will maintain it tobe so. "

"I can understand what you say, Tom, for I feel exactly as you do. Thequestion is, how is the matter to be arranged?" Then he broke into French, which the archer by this time understood well enough, though he couldspeak it but poorly. 

"Tom is saying that he will not go, men, " he said, "and I doubt not thatyou feel as he does. At the same time our lady's orders must be carriedout in the first place, and you must leave Paris. But I say not that youneed travel to any distance; on the contrary, I should say that, if it canbe arranged, you must return here in a few days, having so changed yourattire and aspect that there is no fear of your being recognized, andbestow yourself in some lodging where I may find you if there be need ofyour services. "

"That is what will be best, Master Guy, " Robert Picard said. "We have butto get steel caps of another fashion to pass well enough, and if need bewe can alter the fashion of our hair. There are few here who have noticedus, and I consider that there is no chance whatever of our beingrecognized. There are plenty of men among the cut-throats here who haveserved for a while, and we can easily enough get up some tale that willpass muster for us three. That matter is simple enough, the question is, what are we to do with Tom? We cannot shorten his stature, nor give histongue a French twist. "

"No, that is really the difficulty. We might dye that hair of his anddarken his face, as I am going to do myself. There are tall men in France, and even his inches would not matter so much; the danger lies in hisspeech. "

"I would never open my mouth, Master Guy; if need were I would sooner cutout my tongue with a dagger. "

"You might bleed to death in the doing of it, Tom. No; we must think ofsomething better than that. You might perhaps pass as a Fleming, if wecannot devise any other disguise. "

"Leave that to me, Master Guy, I shall think of something. I will at anyrate hide somewhere near Paris, and the lads here will let me know wherethey are to be found, and I shall not be long before I join them in somesuch guise as will pass muster. But it will be necessary that we shouldknow where you will be, so that you can communicate with us. "

"That I don't know myself yet; but I will be every evening in front ofNotre Dame when the bell strikes nine, and one of you can meet me thereand tell me where you are bestowed, so that I can always send for you incase of need. Now I think that you had better lose no time, for we knownot at what hour a guard will be placed on the gate. You had better go outin pairs as if merely going for a walk. If you are stopped, as may wellhappen, return here; but as you come purchase a length of strong rope, sothat you may let yourselves down from the wall. Now that peace has beenmade, there will be but slight watch save at the gates, and you shouldhave no difficulty in evading the sight of any who may be on guard. "

"That will be easy enough, " Robert Picard said confidently. "We had bestnot come back here, for there may be a watch set upon the house and theymay follow us. "

"The only thing that troubles me, " Tom said, "is that I must leave my bowbehind me. "

"You can get another when you get back to Villeroy; there are spare onesthere. "

"Yes, yes, but that is not the same thing, Master Guy; a man knows his ownbow, and when he takes to a fresh one his shooting is spoilt until he getsto know it well. Every bow has its niceties; for rough shooting it makesbut little matter, but when it comes to aiming at the slit in a knight'svizor at eighty yards one makes poor shooting with a strange bow. "

"Well, you must practise with your new one, that is all, Tom; and if youhide yours here it may be that you will be able to recover it before westart for Villeroy. You must leave your bundles behind, it would looksuspicious if you were to attempt to take them with you. I should adviseyou to put on one suit over the other, it will not add greatly to yourbulk. When you are ready to start, come below and our lady will say good-bye to you. Do not give her a hint that you are thinking of staying nearParis; if she asks any questions say that you intend to disguise Tom, andhe will travel with you, "

A few minutes later there was a tapping at Dame Margaret's door; Guyopened it and the four men entered. 

"I wish you good fortunes, my friends, " Dame Margaret said. "Here is aletter, Robert, that I have written to my lord telling him that you haveall served me faithfully and well, and that I commend you to him. I havetold him that you are leaving me by my special orders, and that you wouldwillingly have stopped and shared my danger, but that, as I feel thatforce would avail nothing and your presence might lead to the discovery ofmy hiding-place, I bid you go. Here are four purses to pay the expenses ofyour journey and of any disguises you may find it necessary to adopt. Andnow farewell. Tarry not an instant, my heart will be lighter when I knowthat you are beyond the walls. "

She held out her hand to them; each in turn knelt and kissed it, the threeFrenchmen in silence but with tears running down their cheeks. Tom was thelast, and said as he rose:

"I am obeying your orders, Lady Margaret, but never before have I felt, asI feel now, that I am doing a mean and cowardly action. I would ratherstay by your side, though I knew that I should be cut in pieces this verynight, than leave you thus. "

"I doubt it not, Tom. I know well how your inclinations lie, and yet Ifeel that it is necessary that you should go. If the great nobles cannotwithstand this cruel mob of Paris, the arm of a single man can availnothing, and your presence would bring danger rather than safety to me. "

"I feel that, my lady; did I not do so I would not go even at yourcommand. You are my liege lady, and I have a right to give my life foryou, and would do it were it not that I see that, as you say, my stayinghere would bring danger upon you. "

As soon as they had gone Dame Margaret said: "Now, Guy, I will detain youno longer; hasten and warn your friends. "

Guy hurried away; he found that Count Charles was on the point of mountingto go for a ride with some of his friends. 

"Stay a moment I beg of you, Count, " Guy said as he hurried up, "I have amatter of most serious import to tell you. "

"Wait, my friends, " the young count said to Sir Pierre Estelle, CountWalter de Vesoul, and the Sieur John de Perron, who were already mounted;"I shall not detain you many minutes. "

"Well, what is it, friend Guy?" he asked as he entered his room. 

"I have come to warn you of a great danger, Count. This evening a mob ofParisians, I know not how numerous, but at least of great strength, willdemand from Burgundy and the Duke of Aquitaine the surrender to them ofyou and the others who took part in defeating them the other night, besides other gentlemen, and, as I hear, ladies. "

"_Pardieu_! if it be so the duke will give the impudent knaves theiranswer. "

"Ten thousand armed men are not apt to take an answer, Count. You knowthat many times already the Duke of Burgundy has been overborne by theleaders of these Parisians and forced to do things that must havedispleased him, as they displeased you all, therefore I implore you toride off while you may. Even now it is possible that the gales may beclosed, but if so, they are not likely to be strongly guarded. It isevident that your going would at any rate save the duke from graveembarrassment. "

"Are you sure that this news is true?" the count asked. 

"Absolutely certain. If you would save yourself and your friends I prayyou to call upon them at once to mount and ride in a body to one of thegates. You may bid some of your retainers mount and follow you at a shortdistance, and if you find the gates closed and the fellows will not letyou out, call them up and fight your way out. You can stay for to-night atSèvres, and if you find in the morning that I have not spoken truly youcan return and upbraid me as you will. If, however, you find that strangeevents have happened here, then you had best ride away to Burgundy andstay there until you find that these villainous knaves here have beenreduced to order, which methinks it will need an army to undertake. "

The count went to the window, opened it, and called his friends below tocome up. 

"No, no, " D'Estelle said laughing; "if we once come up we shall staythere. If you cannot come now, join us at the Lion d'Or at Sèvres, whereyou will find us eating the dinner that we have sent on to order. "

"The matter is urgent, " D'Estournel said. "I am not joking with you, butpray you to come up at once. "

Seeing that the matter was serious the three knights dismounted and wentup. They were at first absolutely incredulous when they heard from CountCharles what Guy had told them. 

"That the knaves owe us no good-will I know well enough, " Count Waltersaid, "for they have over and over again laid their complaint against usbefore the duke; but it is hard to believe that they would dare to demandwhat Burgundy would never grant. "

Guy repeated the arguments that he had used with D'Estournel. 

"There is no limit, " he said, "to the arrogance of these knaves, and intruth it cannot be denied that they are masters here, and that even theduke cannot altogether withstand them; and you know, moreover, howessential is their goodwill to him. But even should he ever so obstinatelyrefuse their demands they might well take their way without his leave. What can he, with a handful of knights and a few hundred armed men, doagainst the mob of Paris? I earnestly pray you, gentlemen, to treat thematter as serious. Warn your eight friends without delay; bid yourretainers mount and ride to the gate. If it is open, all the better, it isbut a party of pleasure bound for Sèvres, and if you learn to-morrowmorning that all is quiet here you can return. If it seems better to you, and this may save you much argument, merely ask your friends to mount andride with you to dine there; if any refuse, say you have a motive thatthey will learn when they get there, and almost compel them to go withyou. I pledge you my honour that you will have no reason to regret havingtaken my advice. "

"Well, what do you say, gentlemen?" Count Walter asked. "As Master Aylmersays, it will at worst be but a carouse, which I hope he will share withus. "

"That I would right gladly do, " Guy replied, "but I have the safety of mylady and her children to look after, for she too, as well as our four men-at-arms, have incurred the enmity of these butchers. I have sent the menout of the town, and a place of safety has been prepared for her and thechildren. I shall see them safely bestowed there at nightfall. "

"Since you have thought such preparations necessary we will at any rateact on the information that you have given us, and will promise not toblame you unduly should it turn out that the affair you speak of does notcome off. Let us lose no time, gentlemen; let us each go to two of ourfriends and take no denial from them to our invitation to dine with us atSevres. Let us say nothing to them about bringing their men-at-arms andgrooms with them. We can ourselves muster some thirty fighting men, andthat should be enough with our own swords to bring these knaves to reasonif they keep their gates shut against us. "

"As my arrangements are all made, " Guy said, "and I have an hour to spare, I shall walk down towards the gate and see what comes of it. "

The four gentlemen at once mounted and rode off, --after giving directionsto their grooms to order their men-at-arms to mount at once and to waitfor them at a spot a quarter of a mile from the gate, --and Guy strolledoff in the same direction. In half an hour he had the satisfaction ofseeing the men-at-arms ride up and halt as ordered. Walking a littlefurther on he saw that something unusual had happened. Groups of peoplewere standing about talking, and each man who came up from the gate wasquestioned. Joining one of the groups he soon learned that the excitementwas caused by the unusual closing of the gates, no one being allowedeither to enter or pass out. None could account for this proceeding. Itwas certain that it had not been done by the orders either of the Dukes ofAquitaine or Burgundy, --for there were no royal guards or men-at-arms withthe duke's cognizance, --but by men of the city, who, as all agreed, mustbe acting under the orders of the butchers. 

"It is a bold deed, " one said, "for which they will have to account. It isa usurpation of authority, and one the Duke of Aquitaine, who is now kingin all but name, will surely resent hotly. "

"How strong is the party?" one of the bystanders asked, putting thequestion that Guy had on his lips. 

"Some forty or fifty, all stout fellows with steel caps and breast-pieces, and well armed. "

Guy turned and walked back to the spot where the Burgundian men-at-armswere drawn up. In ten minutes D'Estournel and his party rode up. Guy wasglad to see that he had with him the whole of his companions. He at oncewent up to them. 

"The gates are closed, Count, and held by forty or fifty of the townsmenin arms, so you see that my information was correct. Had you not bettertell your friends of the truth now, for otherwise they might hesitate totake so grave a step as to attack them?"

D'Estournel nodded, and, riding to the others, said in a low voice:"Gentlemen, we had not intended to let you into this little mystery untilwe had left Paris, but I find it necessary to do so now. I have learnedsurely that the rabble of Paris have resolved upon massacring us to-nightfor the share we took in that little affair at the provost of thesilversmiths. To that end they have shut the gates, and hold it with somefifty armed men. It is as well that some of us have brought our men-at-arms here. I can hardly fancy that these rascals will try to prevent usfrom passing out, seeing that they have no warrant but their own forclosing the gates against us, but if they do there is nothing for it butto open them ourselves. Let us ride forward at once, gentlemen, for thesefellows may receive a reinforcement at any time. "

So saying, he put spurs to his horse, calling upon the men-at-arms tofollow. His three companions, who were already in the secret, joined himat once; and the others, after a pause of astonishment and almostincredulity, followed, in no way loath at the chance of another fight withthe followers of the butchers. As they approached the gate the townsmenhastily drew up in front of it. 

"What means this?" Count Walter de Vesoul slid haughtily, as he reined uphis horse a few paces from the line. "By what authority do you dare closethe gates and thus stand armed before them?"

"By the authority of the city of Paris, " the leader of the party saidinsolently. 

"I recognize no such authority while the king and the Duke of Aquitaine, who holds his full powers, are resident here. Clear the way, my man, andopen the gates, or I will ride over you. "

The butcher answered him with a derisive laugh. "It will cost you yourlives if you attempt it, " he said. 

"Gentlemen, draw your swords and give these rough fellows the lesson theyneed;" and, setting the example, he rode at the butcher and cut him down. The idea that the Burgundian knights would venture to force a passage inthe teeth of the prohibition of the master of the butchers had apparentlynot so much as entered the minds of the guard, and as soon as the knightsand their followers fell upon them, the greater portion of them flung downtheir arms and fled, a few only fighting stoutly until overpowered. Assoon as the skirmish was over the keys were brought out from the guard-room, and the gate unlocked and the massive bars taken down. In themeantime some of the men-at-arms had run up on to the wall, hoisted theportcullis, and lowered the drawbridge across the fosse. As soon as theyreturned and mounted the party rode through. As they did so, four men ranout from a lane near the wall and followed them; and Guy at oncerecognized in them the archer and his three companions. Greatly pleased, he returned to the city and informed Dame Margaret of what had takenplace. 

"No doubt, " he said, "when they found the gates shut they remembered whatI had said, that I was going to warn Count Charles and his friends, andwent back to observe what these were doing; and the sight of theirretainers going towards the gate must have told them which way theyintended to leave; and they, no doubt, went down and hid up near the gateto watch the conflict, and to take advantage of it, if a chance offered, to get off themselves. "

"That is indeed a satisfaction, Guy; and I am glad, too, that your friendsgot away. There can be no doubt now that the count's information wasaccurate; the gates having been closed, as he said they would be, vouchesfor this. Katarina has been here; she was dressed this time as anapprentice in the service of some trader, and brought a large boxcontaining our disguises and yours. For you there is a bottle of dye foryour hair, a mixture for darkening your skin, and clothes--the latter suchas would be worn by a workman. Charlie is to wear a girl's dress, at whichhe is mightily offended; nor is Agnes better pleased, for a boy's suit hasbeen sent for her. My disguise is simply a long cloak with a hood, such asis worn by the wives of small traders. Katarina explained that it had beenthought better to change the sex of Agnes and Charlie, so that, when a hueand cry is raised for a missing woman, with a girl of fourteen, and a boyof ten, no one should associate the woman with two lads and a little girl, whom they passed in the street, as being the party for which search isbeing made. And now, Guy, do you not think that we should warn our goodhost of the danger that threatens, for, doubtless, he also has been markedout as a victim?"

"I will see him at once, and will tell him as much as it is necessary forhim to know. Assuredly it is now too late for him to escape beyond thewalls, unless he were to take his wife with him, and bring his serving-mento let them down from the walls; but this, I should think, he will not do, he would rather take refuge in the house of some of his friends. "

The silversmith listened gravely when Guy told him that he had receivedsure information that the butchers would that evening make a slaughter ofsome of their opponents, that they would be in such force that resistancewould be hopeless, and that the few royal troops and the followers ofBurgundy would be insufficient to make head against them. 

"Your news does not surprise me, and though I know not how you came by it, I fear that it is true. The news that the city gates have been all shutand are being guarded by strong parties of the butchers' rabble, shows buttoo surely that there is danger in the air. In the first place, there isyour lady to be thought of; I must endeavour to obtain for her alsoshelter among my friends. "

"We have already arranged for a hiding-place for her and the children, Maître Leroux. I may not name where it is to anyone, but suffice that itis a quiet house where there is little fear of any suspicions resting uponthem, and where they will be able to remain until order is restored. "

"I fear that that will be a long time, " the silversmith said. "Thebutchers boast that they can place 20, 000 men under arms, and indeed theterror excited by them is so great, that very many who hate their doingsas much as I do myself have been forced to make a semblance of joiningthem. Next about your men-at-arms, they are brave fellows and I owe themmuch. "

"They are all safe outside the walls. Some Burgundian knights, indignantthat this rabble should dare stop them, cut their way out through the PortSt. Denis, and our men took advantage of the gates being open to followthem. "

"And as to yourself, Master Aylmer?"

"I have dyes to blacken my hair and a tincture for darkening my face. Ihave also a disguise by which I may pass as an apprentice to a trader. Ishall at all hazards remain in Paris, but what I shall yet do I know not. And now about yourself and Madame Leroux--you will not, I hope, think ofdefending the house as you did before. "

"Certainly not; it would not avail to save our lives, and would assuredlycost those of my servitors and most likely of the women. I have friends, who will, I hope, gladly take us in. Maître Lepelletiere, the MasterCarpenter, who has been doing my doors, is an old friend of mine, andafter the last attack, urged me to withdraw for a time from the attentionof the mob, and offered me refuge in his place. He lives in the Rue desFosses; which is close to the old inner wall that is now for the most partin ruins. You pass along by the hospital, and when beyond the old wallturn to the right; 'tis the third doorway. There are no houses facing it, but it looks straight upon the wall, the ground between being some thirtyor forty yards wide; and doubtless when the house was built, it was beforethe present wall was erected, and stood on the outer side of the fosseround the old one. There are many others of the same trade who live inthat quarter, and as they are for the most part opposed to the butchers, Idoubt not that my friend will have no difficulty in obtaining a lodgingfor you among them should no other have been settled upon. "

"Thank you indeed, " Guy replied; "the arrangement has been made by others, and I know not for certain what has yet been decided upon, but should nota suitable place have been chosen I will gladly accept your offer. "

"And now I must set to work, " the silversmith said. 

"In what way?" Guy asked in surprise. 

"In hiding my wares. In a city like Paris, with its sieges and itstumults, a prudent man having goods of great value will assuredly preparea place of safety for them. I will set my men to work at once; thebusiness must be finished before it becomes dark, for as soon as it doesso we must leave the house and close it. "

"I have nothing to do at present, and shall be glad to help your men, " Guysaid. 

He followed the silversmith downstairs. Maître Leroux called his head man. 

"We must move, Jacques, and that quickly; you have heard that the gatesare shut. "

"Yes, master, people are talking of nothing else. "

"I have news that there will be trouble to-night, so we must set to workat once to place the chests in safety. First let them clear out the wood-cellar. "

This was done in a few minutes by the seven men, then Jacques told theothers to go back into the shop and pack up all the silver goods in thechests. As soon as they were gone Jacques looked inquiringly at hismaster, who nodded. Then he touched a brick in the wall some seven feetabove the floor; it sprung back. 

"Will you lift me up?" the man said to Guy. The lad did as he was asked, and the man thrust his arm into the orifice. A moment later he asked Guyto set him down. 

"Go to the doorway, " he said, and hurried across to where Maître Lerouxwas standing; then kneeling down he pushed his hand under the sill of thedoorway and then stood up. 

"Do you hear that?" the silversmith said. 

"I hear a dull rumbling somewhere, " Guy replied. As he spoke he saw halfthe floor, which was apparently of solid flags, beginning to rise. 

"This was done in my father's time, " Maître Leroux said, "and it was madefor him by Maître Lepelletiere's father with the aid of two or three goodsmiths, who put the machinery together at his house and were in ignorancewhere it was intended to be placed. "

The trap-door was now raised, and Guy to his astonishment saw a stream ofrunning water three feet below the opening. 

"Whence comes this?" he asked in astonishment. 

"No wonder you are surprised, " the silversmith said; "it was a piece ofrare good-luck that my father hit upon it. A map that he had showed himthat in the old days, before there were any houses on this side of theriver, a narrow branch left the stream some hundred yards above theposition of his house, made a circuit and came into it again as muchbelow. He inquired among some old men, and learned that they had heardtheir grandfathers say that they knew that at some time or other thisstream had been built over when Paris began to grow in this direction. After he had contrived this apparatus that you see, which is worked by aheavy counterpoise in the wall, he began to dig, and a foot below thesurface came upon an arch of brickwork, so my father concluded that hishouse was exactly over the old stream. 

"On breaking through the crown he discovered, as you see, that the waterstill flowed through this tunnel, which is some three and a half yardswide and eight feet deep. My men, all of whom are trusty fellows, know ofthe existence of this hiding-place, but Jacques is the only one besidesmyself who knows the secret of the opening. Now, Jacques, fetch the chestsalong as fast as they are ready. "

The chests were soon brought up and one by one lowered. Chains wereattached from the handle of each to that of the one that followed; theywere almost the weight of the water and sank until within an inch-or twoof the surface. Each was floated down as it was lowered, until twentygreat chests had been taken down. Then one more heavy and ponderous thanthe rest was attached to the train, and a sloping board being placed fromthe cellar floor to the bottom of the stream, the case was allowed toslide down this until it rested on the bottom several feet beyond thetrap-door. 

"There you see, " the silversmith said, "even if they discovered the trap-door and broke up the floor with sledgehammers, which would be no easymatter, and probed the stream with lances, they would find nothing. As yousaw, there is a chain to the end of the last box, which is, as it were, ananchor to the rest; this chain Jacques will now attach to a strong wire, and fasten that to a ring below the water's edge, and a foot beyond thetrap-door, so that when danger is past we shall haul up the chain andrecover the cases one by one in the order in which they have been sentdown. "

As soon as Jacques had fastened the wire to the ring he touched anotherheavy spring under the sill, then pulled hard on the trap-door; thisgradually began to sink, and in a minute was in its place again. At thesame time the brick that had been pushed in above came out into its placeagain, dust was then swept into the crack at the edge of the trapdoor, andno one who had not seen the latter raised would have dreamt of itsexistence. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE MASTERS OF PARIS

The trap-door closed, the firewood was carried back again, and Guy wentupstairs, where he found that Dame Margaret, Agnes, and Charlie hadalready put on their disguises. Their faces had been slightly darkened;Agnes had coiled her hair up under a cap, while Dame Margaret's would becompletely hidden under the hood. She and Charlie could, have passed verywell even in daylight, but Agnes by no means looked her character. Hermother had darkened the skin at the back of her neck as well as on herface, but the girl's evident discomfort and shyness were so unboylike thatthey would at once be noticed. Guy fetched a short cloak reaching only tohis hips from his room and brought it in to her. 

"I think that you will be more comfortable in this, " he said. 

"Yes, indeed, " she exclaimed gratefully, as she put it over her shoulders;"I shall not mind now. "

It reached nearly down to her knees, and the high collar concealed theback of her head effectually. 

"I did not expect that you would be ready so soon, " he said, turning toDame Margaret; "it will not be dark for two hours yet. "

"No; but I thought it much better to be prepared to leave at any moment. Mistress Leroux has shown me a door opening from the yard into a verynarrow lane behind. She says that it has not been used for years, but shehas been down herself with the key and has unlocked it, so that we haveonly to let a bar down to open it, and if there should be an attack on thefront of the house we can escape that way. "

"It would be best to leave that way in any case, " Guy said, "and therebyyou will avoid observation by anyone who may be watching. It is evidentthat the citizens of this quarter are very anxious and alarmed; lookingfrom the window I have seen them standing in groups, or going in and outof each other's houses. They cannot know what is going to take place, butthe closing of the gates by the butchers without any warrant has, ofcourse, shown them that something serious is going to occur. "

"You had better disguise yourself at once, Guy. "

"I will do so, mistress, but I do not think that there is any fear ofdisturbance until evening; men who are engaged in work, that may some daybring punishment upon those concerned in it, prefer darkness. Besides, atthat time all careful men will be in their houses, and will not dare tocome out whatever sounds they may hear. "

Maître Leroux presently came up. 

"I have been out and trying to gather news. There are all sorts of rumoursabroad, but none know aught with certainty. They say that the butchershave stationed guards at the end of all the streets leading to the marketquarter, and they allow none to pass in or out. It is reported thatAquitaine has sent an officer to the butchers to demand under what warrantthey have closed the gates of the city, and to order them to open themforthwith, and to withdraw the men stationed there. It is said that theiranswer was that they had acted for the good of the state, and for thesafety of the king's person, and that they would presently call upon hishighness and explain matters to him. This may be true or merely rumour, but it is generally believed. Everyone is talking of the fight at the gateof St. Denis. Some say that it was forced open by order of the Duke ofBurgundy, while others affirm that Caboche, and that mischievous varletJohn de Troyes, went in great haste to the duke when they received thenews, that he declared to them that he knew nothing whatever of theaffair, and that whatever was done was certainly done without his orders. Most of my men have already left; it were better that they should go offone by one than that they should move off together. 'Tis well that my wifebethought her of that back entrance. It has never been used in my time, for the lane is but three feet wide, and the houses beyond are of no verygood repute. I talked at one time of having it bricked up, and onlyrefrained from doing so from the thought that it might be useful on somesuch occasion as this. Your esquire has not gone out, I suppose, LadyMargaret?"

"No, he is putting on his disguise--at least, he is colouring his hair andface, and so altering himself that he would not be known; but he will notput on his full disguise until later. "

Guy soon came out. He was in his ordinary garments, but having put on hisbest suit beneath them he looked broader and bulkier than usual, while hisblackened hair and darkened face had made so great a change in hisappearance that both Agnes and her mother agreed that they would not haveknown him. 

"You could certainly go anywhere, Guy, and mix with any crowd, and no onewould have a suspicion that you were the young Englishman for whom thewhole town was searching. "

Half an hour before it became dark, Guy went down to the front door. Standing there listening attentively, he presently heard three littleknocks given, as by a hand on the door. He opened it a little, Katarinaslipped in, and he again fastened it and put up the bar. 

"I brought the disguises early, " she said, "as I thought they might berequired in haste, but my father has learned that it will be eight o'clockbefore the butchers sally out with their forces from the markets. "

"All here are ready and prepared to start at a moment's notice, and havearranged to go out by a door behind, that leads into a narrow lane. "

"That is good!" the girl said. "I have been near for the last half-hourand have noticed two or three men hanging about, and by their furtiveglances in the direction of the house I have no doubt that they arewatching it. I had to wait until there happened to be a group of peoplebefore the door, and then slipped in behind them, and got in without, I amsure, their having seen me. I have been uneasy as to how we should leave, for if they saw a party of three or four issuing out together, one of themwould be sure to follow. "

They were now upstairs. The fact that Agnes was in the same disguise asherself freed Katarina from the shame-facedness that she would otherwisehave felt at being seen by Dame Margaret in her present attire. 

"You are well disguised, " the latter said as she entered. "I no longerwonder that you are able to go about as a boy without suspicion; you lookone to the life, while Agnes is so awkward that she would be detected in amoment. "

"She has not had the practice that I have had, " Katarina said with alaugh; "the awkwardness will soon wear off if she has to dress like thisfor a short time. As for me, I have learnt all a boy's tricks and ways. Ican whistle and shout with any of them, can quarrel, and bluster, be saucyon occasion, and have only once been in trouble. "

"How was that, Katarina?"

"A boy who was a bit taller than I ran against me and declared that it wasmy fault, and gave me a cuff on the head. I might have run away, and ofcourse I ought to have done so, but I was angry, for he really hurt me; soI had to do what any boy would have done, and I flew at him so fiercely, and cuffed and scratched and kicked so savagely that at last he turned andran. He had hit me too, but I did not feel it at the time, and nextmorning I was all sorts of colours round the eyes. Father was very angry, but when I asked what else he would have done if he had been cuffed, hecould not tell me. I had a very important message to carry that morningfor him. At first he said I could not go out in that state; but, as I toldhim, I had never looked so much like a boy before. "

All were glad when it became dark enough for them to make a start. The menand maids had all been sent away, and none remained save Maître Leroux andhis wife. They were not in any disguise, but were wrapped up in cloaks, and in the badly-lighted streets could pass unrecognized. 

"Do you go out first, Master Aylmer, " the silversmith said. "I have nofear of anyone watching behind, for it is not likely that any of them knowof this entrance to my house; still, it is as well to make certain. Whenyou get out of the lane you had best stay there until the others havepassed on, then you can follow them. We will wait for a few minutes afterthey have gone, and lock the door behind us. You have not forgotten whereyou are to find us. "

"No, I have the name and house right. Shall I ask for you as MaîtreLeroux?"

"I have not thought of that. No, it will be better, perhaps, to ask forPhilip Sampson; it were just as well that none should know my name thereexcept Lepelletiere and his wife. "

As arranged Guy went out first; there was still light enough for him tomake his way along the narrow lane without falling over piles of dirt andrubbish that at some points almost blocked it. The street into which itopened was also a very narrow one, and no one was about. In a minute DameMargaret, walking with Katarina, and with Agnes close behind, holdingCharlie's hand, passed him. 

"It is all quite clear, " he said. Keeping some fifteen yards behind hefollowed them until they entered a broader street. There were a good manypeople about here. The nearest way would have been to have crossed theroad and passed by another small street facing that from which they hadcome, but somewhat to his surprise they turned and went along the broaderstreet. He soon acknowledged to himself that this was the wiser course, for there were so many people about that their passage would be unnoticed, while in the narrow lanes some rough fellow might have accosted them. Keeping always in frequented streets they made a long detour before theyreached that in which the count resided, and it was with a feeling ofgreat relief that Guy saw them enter the house. He himself, as arranged, did not approach it for another quarter of an hour, then he went andknocked on the door with his hand, which was at once opened by Katarina. 

"All is well, " she said; "your lady is in the room where you first waited--my father is with her. "

As Guy entered the count was just saying: "Yes, it would certainly bebest, madame, that your daughter should continue at present in thatdisguise. In the first place, she will get accustomed to it, and shouldshe have occasion to move again she would be able to do so withoutattracting notice; in the second place, it would be desirable that, evenaccidentally, no one should know that there is a young lady of her agehere. I have no visitors save on business, but possibly either she or yourboy might come out on to the stairs when one is going up or down. It wouldbe unfortunate that he should see them at all, but if it were but a boy hecaught sight of he would not at any rate associate them with your party. These precautions may seem to you absurd, but it is often by littleaccidents that things are discovered when as it seemed everything had beenprovided against. "

"I shall not mind, " Agnes said. "When I first went out it seemed dreadful, but when I found that nobody noticed me I began to be accustomed to it, and as your daughter is dressed as a boy too I shall not mind it. "

"I shall not like being dressed as a girl, " Charlie said sturdily. 

The count smiled. "Well, we will see what we can do in your case; anyhow, you must keep on that dress--for a day or two. And now, Guy, aboutyourself. I have arranged for you to lodge with a man who gets news forme; it is in the butchers' quarter, which is the last place where anyonewould think of looking for you. Besides, there you will see all that isgoing on. I have two other disguises in addition to that I sent you; oneis that of a young butcher, another is that of one of the lads who live inmisery, who sleep at the market where they can earn a few sous by doingodd jobs, and beg or steal when they can do nothing else. I hear that youhave also arranged for a shelter in the quarter between the walls; thattoo may be very useful, and it will be well for you to go thither to-morrow and arrange so that you can have a place to go to when you choose;it will doubtless be much more pleasant for you there than in the marketquarter. Lastly, I have got you a white hood, which may be most useful ofall. " Guy looked surprised. "Henceforth, " the count went on, "white is tobe the butchers' colour. All who march this evening are to be so clad, andas soon as it is known to-morrow, you will find three-fourths of thepeople wearing it, for not to do so will be taken as a sign of hostilityto their faction. They will have started by this time, and if it pleasesyou to put on the butcher's dress and the white hood over it you canmingle in safety with them and see all that is done; then when they returnto their quarter, you can go with them. The house to which you are to gois the third on the left-hand side of the Rue des Couteaux. My man lodgesat the top of the house, the room to the left when you mount the stair--his name is Simon Bouclier. The lane is at the back of the butchers'market. The man has no idea who you are. I have simply told him that Iwill send a young man to help gather news for me of what is going on, thatyou would work separately, but that he was to do all in his power to aidyou, and that at any time if he wanted to send a message to me and couldnot himself come, he was to intrust it to you, and similarly he was tobring any message that you might want to send to the spot where he meetsmy messenger. The man works for one of the Thiberts. He does not know whoI am, but I think he believes me to be an agent of Burgundy's, and that Icollect the information so that he may be privately informed of what isdoing. I have encouraged that idea, because it is more likely to keep himtruthful to me, since he would think that were he to play me false theduke would see that some harm or other befell him. Therefore, it is aswell that you should drop a word as if by accident that will confirm thatnotion, and will lead him to believe that you too are working under theorders of the duke. This will lull any suspicion that he might feel onseeing, as he must do, that you live in a position far higher than wouldappear from your garb. And now, if you would see to-night's doings, youhad best put on that disguise and the white hood, and be off withoutdelay; you will find the things in the room above. "

In a few minutes Guy was ready to start. He could not help looking withdisfavour at the greasy and stained garments, and he put them on with anexpression of strong disgust. The two suits that he had taken off he madeup into a bundle, placed the disguise he had brought with him with them, putting up separately that of which the count had spoken, and which was soragged and dirty that he inwardly hoped he might never be obliged toassume it; then he went downstairs again. He had strapped round his waista heavy sword placed beside the clothes, and carried in his hand a shortpike. Dame Margaret smiled when he entered, and Katarina laughed aloud atthe expression of his face. 

"Truly, Guy, " the former said, "you might go anywhere in that garb withouta soul suspecting you. This journey with me is leading you into strangedisguises and adventures, which will give you much matter for talk when weare safely back at Summerley. "

"I have left my other disguises above, " he said to the count. "The decentone of an apprentice I have placed with my own clothes, and will take themwith me to any lodging that I may get among the carpenters, but thatbeggar suit I will take to Simon Bouclier's the next time I come. Isuppose you would not wish me to come here during the day. "

"No, unless it is very important; and to that end I think you had bettercarry the apprentice's disguise also to your lodging in the market. Youwould not gain favour among the carpenters were you to go among them inthe dress you now wear, and your calling upon me here in your apprentice'sdress would excite no attention; therefore, if you have need to come hereduring the day, you had best come as an apprentice. "

Guy now went down into the street through which the butchers' force wouldpass. In a short time he heard a deep dull sound, and soon they camealong, a host of armed men. 

He fell in unnoticed near the head of the column. Soon after he had joinedthem they halted, and three or four knights came up and entered intoconversation with their leaders. Guy recognized among them Sir Robert deMailly, Sir Charles de Lens, and several others of the household of theDuke of Burgundy. These talked for some time with the Sieur deJacqueville, Governor of Paris, who had joined the butchers' faction andwas now riding at the head of the column, whereupon the force went nofarther, but turned and retraced its steps. Guy wondered greatly where thebutchers could be going, but soon found that they were making for theBastille. After much parley between De Jacqueville and the governor, thelatter consented, on the order of the Duke of Burgundy's friends, to handover to them Sir Peter des Essars and his brother Sir Anthony, who wereboth supporters of the Orleanists and had come to Paris secretly, and hadby the orders of the Duke of Aquitaine been admitted as guests to theBastille. 

These were marched back to the Louvre, the gates of which were opened bythe orders of Burgundy's friends, and the two knights were thrown into theprison of the palace. On the way back the houses of a very richupholsterer and of a cannon-founder of great repute, both of whom hadwithstood the butchers, were broken into and their owners both murdered. After this the mob marched to the house of Maître Leroux. No reply beinggiven to their summons to open, an attack was made upon the door. Whilethey were engaged in doing this, screens of wattles covered with two orthree thicknesses of hides were placed so as to shelter the assailantsfrom the arrows that had proved so deadly on the occasion of their lastattack. It was thus evident that the outrage was a planned one. Guy lookedon with some amusement until the door gave way under the action of somevery heavy sledge-hammers wielded by a party of brawny smiths; the momentit did so the crowd made a tremendous rush. 

So great was the pressure that many were thrown down and trampled to deathin the doorway. It was not long before several of the windows were thrownopen and voices shouted down that the house was deserted. A yell of furyburst from the crowd below, but the pressure at the door was even greaterthan before. The loss incurred during the first attack had caused all butthe bravest and most determined to hang back somewhat; now, however, thatit seemed that the silversmith's stores could be ransacked without danger, all were anxious to have a hand in it. Presently one of the leadersappeared at a casement on the first floor and waved his arms for silence. The roar of voices ceased and the man cried:

"Citizens, 'tis of no use to press forward into the house, not only hasthe traitor and those with him fled from the just vengeance of the people, but he has taken away with him the whole of his silverware. "

A yell of disappointment and rage rose, then as it ceased for a moment avoice shouted out:

"They are trying to cheat us, my friends; those who got in first havedivided up the spoil and wish us to have no share in it. "

This caused a fresh outburst of commotion. At a signal from the leaderabove a number of well-armed men, who were evidently a sort of body-guard, pressed forward to the door and drove back the crowd with blows from thestaves of their pikes. Presently those who had entered began to pour out, and in a quarter of an hour the house was cleared. As soon as it was sothe windows were lit up by a lurid light which showed that it had beenfired on each floor, and the flames very soon burst out through thecasements. Satisfied with having done this the butchers returned to theirquarter, and Guy mounted to the chamber of Simon Bouclier. The man hadevidently just returned, as he too wore a white hood. He had been carryinga torch in the procession, and this was stuck into a ring on the wall. 

[Illustration: "WELL, COMRADE, " SAID SIMON, "I SUPPOSE YOU ARE THE MAN IWAS TOLD WOULD COME TO-NIGHT?"]

"Well, comrade, " he said as Guy entered, "I suppose you are the man I wastold would come here to-night. "

"I am so, " Guy said. "I should have been here before, but I joined theprocession, as I guessed that you would be there also. "

"Yes, " the man said; "though I should not have gone had I not thought thatmore would come of it. What have we done? Captured two knights and killedtwo bourgeois! Pooh, it did not need five thousand men for that. "

"No, but it was just as important as if we had killed a hundred. "

"How so?" the other asked. 

"Because it has shown the Armagnacs that Paris and Burgundy are as unitedas ever, and that they will stand no intrigues by the court party. "

"That is true. We are all sound here; there were but five thousand out to-night, because that was enough for the work, but there will be four timesas many next time we go to the Louvre. To-morrow morning, you know, we aregoing to pay a visit to the Duke of Aquitaine at his hotel, to teach thatyoung man that he has to do as we and Burgundy order him, or that it willbe worse for him. "

"So I understand, " Guy said carelessly. "As long as all hold together inthis quarter everything will go right. My duty principally is to find outif there are any signs of wavering; there are no signs, of course, amongthe butchers, but some of the others are thought to be but half-hearted. "

"The butchers and skinners are all right, never fear, " the man said; "andif there are others in the quarter who may not be quite so hot in thematter as we are, they know better than to open their mouths. Of course, in the other quarters there may be a strong party who would thwart us; thesmiths and the carpenters and masons are ever jealous of us of themarkets, but they have no leaders, and hold not together as we do. Besides, they know that we have Burgundy with us, so whatever they thinkthey are not likely to say much, for if it came to a battle we could sweepthem out of the city. "

"Yes, yes, I know that there is no fear of that, the great thing is tomake sure that some of those who seem to be hottest in the matter, are nottaking money from the other party; there are one or two I am specially toobserve. "

"I understand you, comrade. I myself have never had much confidence inJohn de Troyes nor his medical students. He is good at talking, no onewill deny that; but for myself I would rather that we kept among ourselvesand had nothing to do with such cattle, who have no interest in theprivileges of the guilds, and who take part with us no one knows why. ButI am sleepy; that bundle of fresh rushes in the corner is yours, I gotthem in the hay-market to-day when I heard that you were coming. You cankeep beside me to-morrow morning and I will get you a good place in theranks. From whence shall I say that you come, as many will ask thequestion, seeing that your face is strange?"

"You can say I am from Nancy. "

"Yes, that will be good enough; that is the right quarter of France for aman to have come from just at present. "

Guy was thoroughly fatigued with the long excitement of the day. At elevenin the morning everything had been going on as usual, now Dame Margaretand the two children were in hiding, her four men-at-arms fugitives, andParis was virtually in a state of insurrection against the royalauthority, stirred up thereto by the Duke of Burgundy, who had thus openlyleagued himself with the scum of Paris. That what he had seen that eveningwas but the beginning of a series of crimes, Guy could not doubt; andalthough this man had expressed his confidence in the power of the market-men to sweep the craftsmen out of Paris, he felt sure from what he hadheard, that this could not be done until a fierce and doubtful battle hadbeen fought in the streets. At eight next morning he went out with hiscompanion. 

"It is well not to go into a place where we shall meet many till your faceis better known, " the latter said; and he led the way to a small_trattoir_ a quarter of a mile away. Here they sat down and breakfasted, then they returned to the market where the White Hoods were mustering. Simon, who was evidently well known to most of the butchers, took hisplace near the head of the column, and at nine o'clock it got into motion. When it issued from its own quarters it was evident that its approachexcited general apprehension. The streets were deserted as it passedalong. None of the casements were opened, and although the traders darednot put up their shutters, none of them appeared at the doors, wheretheir apprentices and workmen gathered to look at the procession. Passingalong steadily and in good order, and headed as before by the knights ofthe Duke of Burgundy's household, they drew up before the palace of theDuke of Aquitaine. Caboche, John de Troyes, and one of the butchersentered the house. The guards having no orders, and seeing how strong wasthe force that was at their back, did not venture to oppose theirentrance, and they pushed on into the private apartments of the duke andinformed him that they, on behalf of the good town of Paris and for thewelfare of his father and himself, required the delivery to them ofcertain traitors now in the hotel. 

The duke, furious at their insolence, told them that such affairs were nottheir business, and that there were no traitors in the hotel. In themeantime many of the White Hoods had followed their leaders, Simon and Guyentering with them. They scattered through the apartments and seized theduke's chancellor, the Duke of Bar, a cousin of the king, and twelve otherknights and gentlemen, some of whom were in the apartment of the Duke ofAquitaine himself. While this was going on the Dukes of Burgundy andLorraine arrived, and Aquitaine, turning to the former angrily, said:

"Father-in-law, this insurrection has been caused by your advice; those ofyour household are the leaders of it; you shall some day repent of this. The state shall not be always governed according to your will andpleasure. "

However, in spite of his indignation and remonstrance, the twelvegentlemen were carried away and confined in different prisons; andpresently discovering the king's secretary, they killed him and threw thebody into the river. They compelled the Duke of Aquitaine himself to leavehis palace, and with the king, his father, to take up his abode in theHôtel de St. Pol. Placing a strong guard round it, so as to prevent themfrom leaving Paris, the mob then compelled all the nobles and even theprelates, they met, to put on white hoods, and their leaders sent offletters to the chief towns in France to inform them that what they haddone was for the welfare of the king and kingdom, and requiring them togive aid should there be any necessity for it; they then published anedict in the name of the king ordering that it should be proclaimed inevery bailiwick that no person, under penalty of death and confiscation ofgoods, should obey any summons from their superior lord to take up arms orto trouble the kingdom. The mad king was made to sign this after the Dukesof Aquitaine, Berri, and Lorraine, and other nobles of the council had puttheir names to it. 

At nine o'clock that evening Guy went to the square before Notre Dame. Here many groups of people were talking over the events of the day. Guyhad, as soon as he left the market quarter, taken off his white hood, andbefore starting he put on his dress as an apprentice. There was no doubtthat the opinion of the great majority of those in the square was hostileto the authors of the events of the day, and that the consternation amongthe citizens was very great. After thus forcing the great nobles to obeytheir will and outraging the palace of the Duke of Aquitaine, there was nosaying to what length they would go, and fears were expressed that erelong they might sack the whole of the better quarters of Paris. 

It was so evident, however, that they had the support of the Duke ofBurgundy that no one saw any way out of their trouble, and that nothingbut the arrival of a powerful army of Orleanists could relieve them fromtheir peril. As Guy had no real expectation of seeing any of hisfollowers, --although the gates had been opened that afternoon after theseizure of the knights, --he attended more to the conversations going onabout him than to the matter on which he had come. Presently, however, hesaw a rough-looking fellow watching him attentively. He walked close tohim, but not recognizing him would have passed on, had not the man taken astep forward and said in a low voice:

"Villeroy!"

"Is it you, Robert? In faith I did not recognize you in that attire. "

"And I was not sure that it was you, Master Guy; I should certainly nothave known you by your face. Your figure and walk, when a short distanceaway, attracted my attention, and knowing your disguise was that of anapprentice I made sure it was you. Then as you came closer I doubted, andthough I ventured upon saying the name of our lord, I scarce thought thatyou would reply. "

"Where are the others, Robert?"

"They are walking about separately seeking for you. We are to meet on thesteps of the cathedral at half-past nine. "

"What has become of Tom?"

The man laughed. "If you will come along this way, master, you will see. "They went to a quiet corner of the square. As they approached it theyheard angry voices, and standing under a lamp Guy saw a tall man of wildand unkempt appearance, with black hair and a begrimed face, and a basketof vegetables strapped to his shoulders, threatening angrily with a staffthree or four gamins who were making fun of him. He spoke in a wild, incoherent way, and seemed to be half-witted. 

"What are you worrying this poor fellow for?" Robert said angrily to theboys. "If you do not be off, and that quickly, I will lay my cudgel aboutyour shoulders. "

This threat was much more efficacious than those of the half-witted manhad been, and the boys at once took to their heels. The tall man shuffledtowards the new-comers. 

"Is it really you, Tom?" Guy said in a low tone. 

"It is me, sure enough, Master Guy. I should not know myself, and am notsurprised that you do not know me; in faith, my back aches with walkingwith a stoop, and my legs with shuffling along as if I had scarce the useof them, instead of stepping out manfully. Is all well? We have heard ofstrange doings--that the butchers have, with the countenance of Burgundy, bearded the Duke of Aquitaine, and even carried off some of his friendsfrom before his face; also that the houses of three of those who hadwithstood them had been burned, among them that of Maître Leroux; alsothat two traders had been killed, though which two they were we have notbeen able to learn. "

"All is well, Tom; our lady and her children were safely bestowed, as wasalso the silversmith and his wife. "

"I am right glad of that; they were a worthy couple. And so his house isburned and sacked?"

"Burned, but not sacked, Tom; for he had, before they came, stowed away ina hiding-place where they could not be found all those chests of his, andnot a single piece of silver fell into the hands of the butchers. "

"That was well done, " the archer said, rubbing his hands. "I should liketo have seen the dogs' faces when they burst in and found nothing. And mybow, Master Guy?"

"I fear that the flames will not have spared it. I went past the house to-day, and naught but the bare walls are standing. "

At this moment the bell of the cathedral struck the half-hour, and RobertPicard said: "Will you stay here, Master Guy? I must go and meet theothers, and forthwith bring them to you here. "

CHAPTER XIV

PLANNING MASSACRE

In a short time Robert Picard returned with his two companions, andleaving the square, they all went along the quays to a quiet spot. "Wecannot be overheard here, " Guy said, "and now, in the first place, let meknow how you have fared. I knew that you had got safely away, for I wasnear the gate of St. Denis when the Burgundians fought their way out, andI saw you follow. "

"We had no difficulty, " Robert Picard said. "We went into the wood, andthence I went across to St. Cloud and bought these garments that you seeus in, and we hid away our steel caps and harness in some bushes in theheart of the wood, where they are not likely to be found. Then after along talk with Tom we agreed that he had best go as a half-witted man witha basket of vegetables for sale, and I went into St. Cloud again, dressedas I now am, and found a little shop where they sold rags and oldgarments, and got his outfit for a couple of francs, and dear at that. Wethought in that way he would not have to say much, and that any confusionof speech would be set down to the fact that his brain was weak. Hearingthat the gates were open this afternoon, we came in just before they wereclosed for the night. We have got a room in a lane which honest folk wouldnot care to pass through even in daylight; 'tis a vile hole, but consortswell with our appearance. "

"I will try and find you a better place to-morrow, Robert. I am going tosee the people with whom Maître Leroux is in hiding. I hear that theyhave no sympathy with these butchers, and when I tell them that you arestout fellows and good fighters methinks they will find quarters for you;and you may be able to put on safer disguises than those you wear atpresent, except that of Tom's, which I think we cannot better. Besides, hecan lie there quietly, and need not, except when he chooses, sally out. Imyself am lodging at present among the butchers. I hear that Caboche andthe Legoix are furious at our having slipped through their fingers, andthey declare that, as we cannot have escaped from Paris, they will layhands on us very soon. "

"I should like to lay hands on a few of them myself, Master Guy, " Tom saidearnestly, "say out in that wood there with a quarter-staff, and to dealwith four of them at a time. They have burnt my bow, and I shall not geteven with them till I have cracked fully a dozen of their skulls. "

"I shall be likely to be near you in the quarter where I hope to get youlodging, Tom, for I too am going to have a room there, though I shallgenerally live where I now am, as I can there obtain news of all that isgoing on, and might be able to warn our lady in time if they should getany news that may set them on her track. Heard you aught at St. Cloud ofany Orleanist gathering?"

"I heard a good deal of talk about it, but naught for certain; butmethinks that ere long they will be stirring again. The news that I haveheard of the insolence of the mob here to the Duke of Aquitaine, and ofthe seizure of their friends who were with him, is like to set them onfire, for they will see that all the promises made by Burgundy meantnothing, and that, with the aid of the Parisians, he is determined toexercise all authority in the state, and to hold Aquitaine as well as theking in his hands. "

The next morning Guy went to the house of Maître de Lepelletiere, andinquired for Philip Sampson. Maître Leroux was in. 

"I have spoken to my friend about you, " he said, after they had talkedover the events of the last two days, "and he has arranged for a room foryou in a house three doors away; and I have no doubt that your four mencan be lodged there also, for 'tis a large house, and is let out, for themost part, as he told me, to journeymen carpenters. But since the troublesbegan there has been little building, and men who can find no work herehave moved away to seek for it in places less afflicted by these troubles. That is one of the reasons why the carpenters have not made a firmer standagainst the butchers. I will ask him to come up here. You already knowhim, as you have spoken with him several times when he was looking afterhis men putting up the new doors. "

The master carpenter soon came in. "I will gladly get a lodging for yourmen, " he said, when Guy had explained the matter to him. "We may come toblows with these market people, and four stout fellows are not to bedespised. There will be a meeting of the council of our guild thisafternoon, and on my recommendation they will give me the necessarydocuments, saying that the men--you can give me their names--have receivedpermission to work as carpenters in Paris. They can then put on dressessuitable for craftsmen, and the papers will suffice to satisfy anyone whomay inquire as to their business. I think that your tall archer may safelylay aside the disguise you say he has assumed, it might be likely to gethim into trouble; the change in the colour of the hair and the darkeningof his eyebrows should be quite sufficient disguise, and if he is alwayswhen abroad with one of his comrades, he has but to keep his mouth shut, and if questioned the man with him can say that he is dumb. "

"That would be excellent, " Guy said, "and I am greatly obliged to you. Doubtless, too, they will soon make acquaintance with some of the otherworkmen, and by mixing with these there will be less suspicion excitedthan if they always went about together. "

"I will tell my foreman to present them to the men who work for me, andthey will soon get known in the quarter. Five or six of my men lodge inthe house where I took the room for you. It might be useful, too, were Ito give you a paper of apprenticeship, and if you were similarlyintroduced. In that case it might be convenient to exchange the small roomthat I have taken for you for a larger one; as an apprentice you wouldordinarily lodge with your master, and if you did not you would scarcehave a room to yourself, but were you to lodge with your four men it wouldseem natural enough. "

"That would be a capital plan, Maître Lepelletiere. "

"You see, in that way, too, " the carpenter went on, "you would only haveto place a plank on your shoulder and then go where you will withoutexciting the least attention. I will furnish you with a list of the houseswhere I have men at work, and this again would be an assistance to you. Itis my foreman who took the lodging for you; I am expecting him hereshortly for orders, and he shall go round with you. As you say that yourfellows are dressed at present in rough fashion it will be as well thatthey should provide themselves with their new disguises before they comehere, as, if they were seen in their present guise, it would prejudicethem with the others in the house, for craftsmen look down greatly uponthe rough element of the street. "

"They shall do so, " Guy said, "and I will come with them myself thisevening. "

Guy presently went in with the foreman and arranged for a large attic witha dormer window, at the top of the house. At midday he met Robert Picardand told him the arrangements that had been made, supplying him with moneyfor the purchase of the four dresses. "As soon as it becomes dark, " hesaid, "you had best go to some quiet spot and change them. Bring theclothes you now have on in a bundle, for they may yet prove useful, andmeet me at eight o'clock at the corner of the Rue des Fosses. "

Guy then went to the Italian's and told Dame Margaret of the arrangementshe had made. 

"Since you have managed it all so well, Guy, I am glad to hear that themen are all back in Paris. I before wished that they should make straightfor Villeroy, but since they are so safely bestowed it were best perhapsthat they should be within reach. Long Tom is the only one I shall feelanxious about, for of course he is less easy to disguise than the others. "

"He has plenty of shrewdness, my lady, and will, I have no doubt, play hispart well. I know that I myself feel very glad that there are four truemen upon whom we can rely if any difficulty should arise. "

"Some evening, mother, " Agnes said, "when I have grown more accustomed tothis boy's dress I will go with Katarina to this house so that I can carrya message there, should she happen to be away when there is need forsending one. "

Lady Margaret hesitated, but Guy said: "By your leave, my lady, I thinkthat the idea is a very good one, saving that I myself will escort the twoladies there as soon as Mistress Agnes feels confident enough to go. "

"In that case I should have no objection, Guy. Under your charge I have nodoubt Agnes would be perfectly safe, but I could hardly bring myself tolet her go out without escort in so wild a city as this is at present. "

The Italian and his daughter presently joined them, and heard withsatisfaction where Guy and the four men had obtained a safe lodging. 

"Still, " he said, "I should advise you sometimes to sleep at your lodgingby the market-place. Simon is not the sort of companion you would choose. I have only seen him once, and I was then so disguised that he would notrecognize me again--for none of those with whom I have dealings know who Iam or where I live--but that once was sufficient to show me that thefellow might be trusted to serve me well as long as he was paid well, especially as he believed that I was an agent of the duke's; still, he isa rough and very unsavoury rascal, and had I been able to think at themoment of anywhere else where you could for the time safely shelter Ishould not have placed you with him. "

"I do not mind, " Guy said; "and at any rate with him I have opportunitiesof seeing what is going on, as, for example, when they insulted the Dukeof Aquitaine, and it is certainly well to be able to learn what theintentions of the fellows are. As an Englishman I care naught for oneparty or the other, but as one of gentle blood it fills me with anger anddisgust to see this rabble of butchers and skinners lording it over noblesand dragging knights and gentlemen away to prison; and if it were in mypower I would gladly upset their design, were it not that I know that, formy lady's sake, it were well to hold myself altogether aloof from meddlingin it. "

"You are right, " the Italian said gravely. "I myself am careful not tomeddle in any way with these affairs. I try to learn what is doing, because such knowledge is useful to me and gains me credit as well asmoney with those who consult me, and may possibly be the means of savingtheir lives if they do but take my warning. Thus, having learned what wasproposed to be done yesterday morning, I was able to warn a certain knightwho visited me the evening before that it might cost him his life were heto remain in Paris twelve hours. He was incredulous at first, for I wouldgive him no clue as to the nature of the danger; however, by a littletrick I succeeded in impressing him sufficiently for him to resolve toleave at daybreak. This he did; at least they searched for him in vain atthe Duke of Aquitaine's, and therefore I have no doubt that he took myadvice, engaged a, boat, and made his escape by the river. It was hisfirst A to me, and I doubt not that henceforth he will be a valuableclient, and that he will bring many of his friends to me. If I mistakenot, I shall have more opportunities of doing such services and of soincreasing my reputation ere long. "

For a time things went on quietly. Tom and his companions were on friendlyterms with the other men in the house, who all believed them to becarpenters who had come to Paris in search of employment. Long Tom wassupposed by them to be dumb, and never opened his lips save when alonewith his companions, and seldom left the house. The room was altogetherunfurnished, but furniture was regarded as by no means a necessity inthose days. Five bundles of rushes formed their beds, and Guy, as therewas little to learn in the markets, generally slept there. An earthenwarepan, in which burned a charcoal fire over which they did what cooking wasnecessary, a rough gridiron, and a cooking pot were the only purchasesthat it was necessary to make. Slices of bread formed their platters, andsaved them all trouble in the matter of washing up. Washing was roughlyperformed at a well in the court-yard of the house. 

Things had now quieted down so much that a considerable number of greatnobles resorted to Paris, for the king had now a lucid interval. Amongthem were the Dukes of Berri, Burgundy, and Lorraine, with Duke Louis ofBavaria, the queen's brother, with the Counts de Nevers, De Charolais, DeSt. Pol, the Constable of France, and many other great lords and prelates. The queen was also with her husband. 

"There will shortly be trouble again, " the Italian said one day to Guy. "Simon told my daughter yesterday evening that the butchers were onlybiding their time to get as many fish into their net as possible, and thatwhen they would draw it they would obtain a great haul. You have not beendown there for some time; it were best that you put on your butcher's garbagain and endeavour to find out what is intended. "

"I was expecting you, " Simon said, when that evening Guy entered his room. "There will be a meeting at midnight in the butchers' hall, and I cannottake you in with me, but I will tell you what happens. "

"That will do as well as if I went myself, " Guy said, "though in truth Ishould like well to see one of these councils. "

"No one is admitted save those known to be, like myself, thoroughlydevoted to the cause. "

"That I can well understand, Simon; a traitor might mar all their plans. "

"Some time I may take you, " Simon said, "for doubtless I could smuggle youin; but to-night--" and he hesitated, "to-night it will be speciallyimportant, and they have to be more particular than usual as to who areadmitted. "

Guy noticed the hesitation, and replied carelessly that one occasion wouldbe as good as another for him, and presently lay down in his corner. Hewondered to himself what the business could be that his companion wasevidently anxious that he should hear nothing of. He might wish that heshould alone have the merit of reporting it, or it might be something thatit was deemed the Duke of Burgundy himself, the butchers' friend and ally, would not approve of. At any rate he was determined, if possible, to findit all out; he therefore feigned sleep. At eleven o'clock Simon got up andwent down; Guy waited for two or three minutes and then rose and followed. As soon as he was out of the door he made direct for the hall of thebutchers' guild. He knew that Simon was not going straight there, as themeeting was not, he said, for an hour, and that he would be stopping todrink at some cabaret with his associates. The hall was but a shortdistance away. 

When Guy approached it he saw that as yet it was not lighted up. On threesides it was surrounded by a garden with high trees; near the frontentrance some twenty men were gathered talking together. He, therefore, went round to the back; several trees grew near the wall, and the branchesof one of these extended over it. With considerable difficulty Guysucceeded in climbing it, and made his way along the branch and got uponthe top of the wall. This was about fourteen feet high, and, loweringhimself by his arms, he dropped into the garden and crossed to thebuilding. He took off his white hood and thrust it into his doublet. Thewindows were six feet from the ground, and were, as usual at this time, closed by wooden shutters on the inside. Putting his fingers on the sillhe raised himself up. There was plenty of room for him to stand, and, holding on by the iron bars, he took out his dagger and began to cut ahole in the shutter. 

The wood was old, and after half an hour's hard work he succeeded inmaking a hole three inches long and an inch wide. By the time this wasfinished the hall had been lighted up with torches, and men were pouringin through the doors at the other end. Across the end next to him was aplatform on which was a table. For a time no one came up there, for themembers as they entered gathered in groups on the floor and talkedearnestly together. After a few minutes ten men came up on to theplatform; by this time the body of the hall was full, and the doors at theother end were closed. A man, whom Guy recognized as John de Troyes, stepped forward from the others on the platform and, standing in front ofthe table, addressed his comrades. 

"My friends, " he said, "it is time that we were at work again. Paris isbecoming infested by enemies of the people, and we must rid ourselves ofthem. The nobles are assembled for the purpose, as they say, of beingpresent at the marriage of Louis of Bavaria with the widow of Peter deNavarre, but we know well enough that this is but a pretext; they havecome to consult how best they can overthrow the power of our Duke ofBurgundy and suppress the liberty of this great city. The question is, arewe tamely to submit to this?"

A deep shout of "No!" ran through the multitude. 

"You are right, we will not submit. Were we to do so we know that it wouldcost the lives of all those who have made themselves prominent in thedefence of the liberties of Paris; they might even go so far as tosuppress all our privileges and to dissolve our guilds. In this matter theDuke of Burgundy hesitates and is not inclined to go with us to the full, but we Parisians must judge for ourselves what is necessary to be done. The duke has furnished us with a list of twelve names; these men are alldangerous and obnoxious to the safety of Paris. But there must be a longerlist, we must strike at our own enemies as well as at those of the duke, and the council has therefore prepared a list of sixty names, which I willread to you. "

Then, taking out a roll of paper, he read a list of lords and gentlemen, and also, to Guy's indignation, the names of several ladies of rank. 

"These people, " he said when he had finished, "are all obnoxious, and mustbe cast into prison. They must be tried and condemned. "

Even among the greater portion of those present the boldness of a proposalthat would array so many powerful families against them created a feelingof doubt and hesitation. The bolder spirits, however, burst into loudapplause, and in this the others speedily joined, none liking to appearmore lukewarm than the rest. Then up rose Caboche, a big, burly man with acoarse and brutal expression of face. 

"I say we want no trials, " he cried, striking one hand on the palm of theother. "As to the number, it is well enough as a beginning, but I would itwere six hundred instead of sixty. I would that at one blow we coulddestroy all the nobles, who live upon the people of France. It needs but agood example to be set in Paris for all the great towns in France tofollow it. Still, paltry as the number is, it will, as I said, do as abeginning. But there must be no mistake; if trials they must have, it mustbe by good men and true, who will know what is necessary and do it; andwho will not stand upon legal tricks, but will take as evidence the factthat is known to all, that those people are dangerous to Paris and are theenemies of the king and the Duke of Burgundy. Last time we went, wemarched with five thousand men; this time we must go with twenty thousand. They must see what force we have at our command, and that Paris is morepowerful than any lord or noble even of the highest rank, and that ouralliance must be courted and our orders obeyed. The Duke of Burgundy maypretend to frown, but at heart he will know that we are acting in hisinterest as well as our own; and even if we risk his displeasure, well, let us risk it. He needs us more than we need him. Do what he will, hecannot do without us. He knows well enough that the Orleanists will nevereither trust or forgive him, and he committed himself so far with us lasttime that, say what he will, none will believe that he is not with us now. For myself, I am glad that De Jacqueville and his knights will not thistime, as last, ride at our head; 'tis best to show them that Paris isindependent even of Burgundy, and that what we will we can do. "

The hall rang with the loud acclamations, then John de Troyes got upagain. 

"I agree, we all agree, with every word that our good friend has spoken, and can warrant me that the judges shall be men in whom we can absolutelytrust, and that those who enter the prisons will not leave them alive. Theday after to-morrow, Thursday, the 11th of May, we shall hold a greatassembly, of which we shall give notice to the king and the royal dukes, and shall make our proposals to the Duke of Aquitaine. Now, my friends, let each come forward with a list of the number of his friends who he willengage shall be present on Thursday. "

At this point, Guy, seeing that the main business of the meeting had beendeclared, and that there now remained but to settle the details, got downfrom his post. With the aid of some ivy he climbed the wall and droppeddown beyond it, and made his way back to his lodging. When Simon returnedan hour later, Guy was apparently as fast asleep as before. When sleepingat the butchers' quarter he always rose at a very early hour, so that nonewho might have noticed him in his butcher's attire should see him go outin that of an apprentice, and he was obliged to walk about for some timebefore he could call at the count's. As soon as he thought that they wouldbe likely to be stirring he knocked at the door. The old woman opened it. 

"Is your master up yet?" he asked. 

She nodded, and without further question he made his way upstairs to theItalian's chamber. 

"You are early, Master Aylmer, " the latter said in surprise as he entered. "Have you news of importance?"

"I have indeed, Count, " and he at once related all that he had heardthrough the hole in the shutter. 

"The insolence of these people surpasses all bounds, " the count saidangrily as he walked up and down the room. "Were there any force in thetown that could resist them I would warn the Duke of Aquitaine what wasintended, but as it is, nothing would be gained by it. You can onlyremember the eight or ten names that you have given me?"

"That is all; they were names that I was familiar with, while the otherswere strange to me. "

"Two or three of them I can at least save from the grasp of theserascals, " he said, "but I will take them all down on my tablets. What needwas there for you, " he went on after he had done this, "to run such riskas you did--for you would assuredly have been killed without mercy hadthey caught you spying upon them--when Simon, who you say was present, could have sent me full particulars of all that passed?"

Guy stated his reasons for fancying that upon this occasion Simon did notintend to send a full account. 

"I thought so before I started, " he said, "but I was well assured of itwhen I heard that, although Burgundy had given the names of twelve personswhom he desired to be arrested, he would go no further in the matter, andthat he had no knowledge of their further pretensions. It seems to me, Count, that, believing as he does that you are an agent of the duke's, hewas unwilling to say anything about this matter, as Burgundy might thwartthe intentions of the butchers. The man is heart and soul with them, andthough he is willing to sell you information that can do no harm to theirplans, he will say nothing that might enable Burgundy to thwart them. "

"If I thought that Burgundy could, or would do so, I would inform him aswell as Aquitaine what is doing; but in the first place he has not thepower, and in the second he would not have the will. What are a few scoreof lives to him, and those mostly of men of the Orleanist faction, incomparison with the support of Paris? I am vexed, too, at this failure ofSimon, that is to say, if it be a failure. That we shall know by mid-day. My daughter will meet him in the Place de Grève at eleven, and we shallhear when she comes back how much he has told her. I am going afterbreakfast to my booth outside the walls, where you first saw me. I mustsend notes to the three gentlemen whom I know, begging them to see methere. "

"Can I take them for you? I have nothing to do, and shall be glad ofanything to occupy me. "

"I shall be obliged if you will; you are sure to find them in at thishour. "

He sat down and wrote three short communications. The wording wasidentical, but the times fixed for the interview were an hour apart. Theyran as follows:

"_My Lord, --Consulting the stars last night I find that danger menacesyou. It may be averted if you quit Paris when you receive this, for itseems to me that it is here only that your safety is menaced. Should youwish to consult me before doing so, come, I pray you, to my booth in thefair at two, but come mounted. _"

Instead of a signature a cabalistic figure was drawn below it, and thenthe words were added:

_The bearer can be trusted. _

The slips of parchment were then rolled up and sealed; no addresses wereput on. 

"If they question you, " he said, "say nothing, save that I told you thatthe matter contained in the letter was sure and certain, and that a greatrisk of life would assuredly be run unless my advice was taken. Deliverthem into the hands of those they concern, and trust them to no others, Master Aylmer. If you cannot obtain access to them, say to the varletsthat they are to inform their lords that one from the man in the Rue desEssarts desires urgently to see them, and that should be sufficient if themessage is given. If they refuse to take it, then I pray you wait outsidefor a while on the chance of the gentlemen issuing out. This, on which yousee I have made one dot, is for the Count de Rennes, who is at present atthe Hotel of St. Pol, being in the company of the Duke of Berri; this isfor Sir John Rembault, who is at the Louvre, where he is lodging with thegovernor, who is a relation of his; the third is for the Lord of Roubaix, who is also lodged at the Louvre. "

"They shall have them, " Guy said as he placed them in his doublet, "if Ihave to stop till midnight to get speech with them; the matter of waitinga few hours is but a trifle in comparison with the life of a man. I wouldthat I could warn others. "

The Italian shook his head. "It could not be done without great danger, "he said. "Were you to carry an anonymous letter to others you might beseized and questioned. The three to whom you now carry notes have allreason for knowing that my predictions are not to be despised, but theothers would not accept any warning from an unknown person. They mighttake it for a plot, and you might be interrogated and even put to tortureto discover who you are and whence you obtained this information. Thingsmust go on as they are; assuredly this is no time for meddling in otherpeople's affairs. We are only at the beginning of troubles yet, and knownot how great they may grow. Moreover, you have no right to run a risk forstrangers when your life may be of vital service to your mistress. Shouldyou succeed in handing these three letters to the gentlemen to whom theyare written by noon, I shall be glad if you will bring the news to me atmy booth, and I shall then be able to tell, you how much information thebutcher has sent of the proceedings last night. "

Guy went first to the Louvre. As many people were going in and out, noquestion was asked him, and on reaching the entrance he inquired of somevarlets standing there for the lodgings of the Lord de Roubaix and SirJohn Rembault. 

"I am in the service of the Lord de Roubaix; what would you with him?"

"I am charged with a message for him; I was told to deliver it only tohimself. "

"From whom do you come? I cannot disturb him with such a message from Iknow not who. "

"That is reasonable, " Guy replied, "but if you tell him that I come fromthe man in the Rue des Essarts I warrant that he will see me. You don'tsuppose that I am joking with you, " he went on as the varlet looked at himsuspiciously, "when I should likely be whipped for my pains. If you willgive the message to your lord I doubt not that he will give me audience. "

"Follow me, " the varlet said, and led the way upstairs and through severalcorridors, then he motioned to him to wait, and entered a room. Hereturned in a minute. 

"My lord will see you, " he said, and led the way into the room. "This isthe person, my lord, " he said, and then retired. 

The Lord of Roubaix was a tall man of some forty years of age. Guy boweddeeply and handed to him the roll of parchment. The count broke the sealand read it, and when he had finished looked fixedly at Guy. 

"The writer tells me that you are to be trusted?"

"I hope so, my lord. "

"Do you know the contents of this letter?"

"I know so much, my lord, that the writer told me to assure you that thematter was urgent, and that he could not be mistaken as to what waswritten in the letter. "

The count stood irresolute for a minute or two; then he said:

"Tell him that I will act upon his advice. He has before now proved to methat his warnings are not to be neglected. You seem by your attire to bean apprentice, young sir, and yet your manner is one of higher degree. "

"Disguises are convenient in times like these, my lord, " Guy said. 

"You are right, lad. " He put his hand to his pouch, but Guy drew back witha smile. 

"No, my lord, had you offered me gold before you remarked that I was butplaying a part, I should have taken it in order to keep up that part; asit is I can refuse it without your considering it strange that I should doso. "

The count smiled. "Whoever you are, you are shrewd and bold, young sir. Ishall doubtless see you when I return to Paris. "

Guy then left, and delivered the other two missives. In each case thosewho received them simply returned an answer that they would be at theplace at the hour named, and he then went beyond the walls, observing ashe passed out through the gates that a party of White Hoods had stationedthemselves there. However, they interfered with no one passing in or out. On reaching the booth he informed the count of the success of his visits. 

"I doubt, however, " he said, "whether either of the three gentlemen willbe here at the time appointed, for the White Hoods are watching at thegate. "

"I think that they will not stop anyone to-day, Master Aylmer. They intendto make a great haul to-morrow, and would not wish to excite suspicion byseizing anyone to-day. Were it known that they had done so, many otherswho have reason to believe they are obnoxious to Burgundy or to theParisians, might conceal themselves or make their escape in variousdisguises. I hear that a request has been made that a deputation of thecitizens of Paris shall be received by the Duke of Aquitaine to-morrowmorning, and that the great lords may be present to hear the request andcomplaints of the city. "

CHAPTER XV

A RESCUE

Guy had found his mornings hang heavy on his hands, as of course he hadbeen obliged to give up attending the fencing-school. Going down to theriver now, he sat there watching the passing boats until nearly oneo'clock, and then returned to the fair. Before reaching the booth Katarinajoined him. 

"I have been watching for you, Monsieur Guy. Father said it was as wellthat you should not, twice in a day, be seen entering his place. He bademe tell you that the three gentlemen have been to him and will not re-enter Paris. "

"Did you see Simon this morning?"

"Yes, he only told me that the market men would have an interview with theDuke of Aquitaine to-morrow, and would demand the arrest of those whom theDuke of Burgundy had pointed out as his enemies. He said that they wouldgo in such force that the duke would be unable to refuse their request. Although it was so early, I think that the man had been drinking. Myfather, when I told him, said I should go no more to meet him. "

"I am very glad to hear it, " Guy said. "He is a low scoundrel, and thoughI say not but that the information obtained from him may have been of someadvantage, for indeed it was the means of my being enabled to save ourlives and those of my Burgundian friends, I like not the thought of yourgoing to meet him; and I am sure that if he were to take the idea into histhick head that it was not for the advantage of the Duke of Burgundy thatthe information he had given was being used, he is capable of denouncingyou. "

"I did not mind meeting him, ", the girl said. "I never went into the roughquarters, but always met him in one of the better squares or streets. Still, I am glad that I have not to go again. I think that he had beendrinking all night, and with his unwashed face and his bloodshot eyes andhis foul attire I was ashamed even in my present dress to speak with him. "

"I hope that I have done with him too, " Guy said. "Of course, for mymistress's sake, I shall go again if there be aught to be learnt by it, but as it seems he is now no longer to be trusted it is not likely thatany advantage is to be gained by visiting him. However, I shall hear whatyour father thinks this evening. "

Upon talking over the matter with the astrologer the latter at once saidthat he thought that it would be better for him not to go to Simon'sagain. 

"When he finds that my daughter meets him no more he will feel aggrieved. I myself shall go in disguise to-morrow to meet him in the Place de Grève, and tell him that for the present there will be no occasion for him tocome to the rendezvous, as the events of the meeting which will have takenplace before I see him show that there can be no doubt that the butchersare ready to go all lengths against the Orleanist party; but that if anychange should occur, and private information be required, you would go tohis lodging again, I shall make no allusion to his having given me none ofthe names save those furnished by the duke, or remark on the strangenessthat, having been at the meeting, he should have heard nothing of themeasures proposed against the others; his own conscience will no doubttell him that his failure is one of the causes of my no longer desiringany messages from him. I have other means of gaining information, as Ihave one of the medical students who follow that cracked-brained fellow, John de Troyes, in my pay. Hitherto I have not employed him largely, butshall now, if need be, avail myself of his services. But I do not thinkthat I shall have any occasion to do so. After the demand by the Parisiansfor so many nobles and gentlemen to be arrested, it will be clear to alladhering to Orleans that Paris is no longer a place for them, and even thefollowers of Burgundy will see that those the duke regarded as hisservants have become his masters, and there will be but few persons ofquality remaining in Paris, and therefore, save when some citizen wishesto consult me, I shall have little to do here save to carry on my work asa quack outside the gates. Even this I can drop for a time, for the peopleof Paris will not be inclined for pleasure when at any moment there may befierce fighting in the streets. I shall be well content to look on for atime. I have been almost too busy of late. And it was but yesterday that Ireceived news from a Carthusian monk, --whom I thought it as well to engageto let me know what is passing, --that there have been debates among someof the higher clergy upon reports received that persons, evidentlydisguised, call upon me at late hours, and that I practise diabolic arts. A determination has been arrived at that an inquisition shall be made intomy doings, my house is to be searched, and myself arrested and tried bythe judge for having dealings with the devil. This news much disturbed me;however, when you told me that the Archbishop of Bourges was among thoseon the list of accused, and also Boisratier, confessor to the queen, it isevident that these good ecclesiastics will have ample matter of anothersort to attend to, and are not likely to trouble themselves about sorceryat present. "

On the following morning some twelve thousand White Hoods marched to theHôtel de St. Pol, and the leaders, on being admitted, found all the greatlords assembled. After making various propositions they presented a rollto the Duke of Aquitaine containing the names of those they charged withbeing traitors. He at first refused to take it; but so many of theirfollowers at once poured into the great hall that he was obliged to do so, and to read out the names. Twenty of those mentioned in the list were atonce, in spite of the protest of the duke, arrested and carried off; aproclamation was made by sound of trumpet in all the squares of Parissummoning the other forty named to appear within a few days, under penaltyof having their property confiscated. A week later the king, havingrecovered his health, went to the church of Notre Dame, he and all thenobles with him wearing white hoods. Four days later the Parisians roseagain, seized the gates, drew up the bridges, placed strong guards at eachpoint, and a cordon of armed men outside the walls all round the city, toprevent any from escaping by letting themselves down from the walls. 

Parties of ten armed men were placed in every street, and the sheriffs andother leaders marched a large body of men to the Hôtel de St. Pol andsurrounded it by a line three deep. They then entered and found the king, dukes, and nobles all assembled in the great hall. 

They then ordered a Carmelite friar, named Eustace, to preach to the king. He took for his text, "_Except the Lord keep the city, the watchmanwaketh but in vain_, " and upon this discoursed on the bad state of thegovernment of the kingdom, and of the crimes committed. The Chancellor ofFrance demanded of the friar when he had concluded who were those who hadincited him thus to speak, and the leaders at once said they had done so, and called up a number of other leaders, who on bended knees declared tothe king that Father Eustace had spoken their sentiments; that they hadthe sincerest love for the king and his family, and that what they haddone had been for the welfare of himself and the kingdom. While this wasgoing on, the Duke of Burgundy, at once indignant and alarmed at thisinsolence of the Parisians, had gone out, and, finding the lines of armedmen surrounding the hotel, had earnestly entreated them to retire, sayingthat it was neither decent nor expedient that the king, who had but justrecovered from his illness, should thus see them drawn up in battle arrayround his abode. Those he addressed replied like the leaders within, thatthey were there for the good of the kingdom, and then gave him a roll, saying that they should not depart until those written on it weredelivered up to them. 

With the names of Louis of Bavaria, five knights, an archbishop andpriest, were those of nine ladies of high rank, including the eldestdaughter of the constable. The duke found that neither his authority norpowers were of the slightest avail, and returning to the queen, showed herthe list. She was greatly troubled, and begged him to go with the Duke ofAquitaine and beg the Parisians in her name to wait for eight days, andthat she would at the end of that time allow them to arrest her brother. The two dukes went out to the Parisians, but they positively refused togrant the request, and declared that they would go up to the queen'sapartments and take those named by force, even in her or the king'spresence, unless they were given up. On their return to the queen theyfound Louis of Bavaria and the king with her. On their report of theParisians' demands the Duke of Bavaria went out and begged them to takehim into custody, and that if he were found guilty they could punish him, but that if found innocent he should be allowed to go back to Bavaria, under a promise not to return to France again. He begged them to becontent with taking him a prisoner, and to arrest no others. 

They would not, however, abate one jot of their pretensions, and the wholeof those demanded were at once brought out, including the ladies. Theywere put two and two on horseback, each horse escorted by four men-at-arms, and were carried to various prisons. The Duke of Burgundy now, withhis usual craft, professed to be well satisfied with what the Parisianshad done, and handed over to them the Duke of Bar and the other prisonersconfined in the Louvre, for whose security he had solemnly pledgedhimself. The Parisians then obliged the king to appoint twelve knights, nominated by themselves, and six examiners, to try the prisoners andpunish all found guilty, while the dukes were obliged to draw up astatement and send it to the University for their seal of approval of whathad been done. 

The University, however, to their honour, stood firm; and while king andnobles had quailed before the violence of the crowd, they declared in fullcouncil before the king that they would in nowise intermeddle or advise inthe business; and that so far from having advised the arrests of the dukesand other prisoners, they were much displeased at what had taken place. The University was a power; its buildings were strong, and the studentswere numerous, and at all times ready to take part in brawls against theParisians; and even the butchers, violent as they were, were afraid totake steps against it. 

They foresaw, however, that the position taken up by the University mightlead some day to an inquiry into their conduct, and therefore obtainedfrom the king an edict declaring that all that had been done was done byhis approval and for the security of his person and the state, and thatthe arrests and imprisonments were therefore to be considered and regardedas having been done for the true honour and profit of the crown, and thathe accordingly commanded all his councillors, judges, and officers toproclaim that this was so in all public places. This was signed by theking in council, the Dukes of Berri and Burgundy, and several other noblesand ecclesiastics, by the Chancellor of Burgundy, and other knightsattached to the duke. 

Many nobles quitted Paris at once, either openly or in disguise, includingmany of the Burgundian party, who were to the last degree indignant atwhat was going on; for the mock trials were at once commenced, and many ofthe prisoners, without regard to sex, were daily either put to death inprison or drowned in the Seine. Some of the bodies were exhibited ongibbets, the heads of others were fixed on lances, and some of them werebeheaded in the market-place. During this time Paris remained in a stateof terror, bands of armed butchers parading the streets were loud in theirthreats as to what would be done to all who did not join heartily withthem. None of the better class ventured from their houses, and the mobwere absolute masters of the city. The leaders, however, maintained forthe time a certain degree of order. For the time they were anxious toappear in the light of earnest friends of the king, and as carrying out inhis name the punishment of his enemies. But many tumults, murders, andconflagrations occurred in the city, and the country in general soonperceived the real nature of their doings. It was known that the Orleanistforces were marching against the city. The Count d'Eu had left Paris andreturned to his estates, where he raised two thousand men-at-arms andmarched to Verneuil, where the Dukes of Orleans, Brittany, and Bourbonwere assembled, with a number of great lords, among whom were the Countsof Vettus and D'Alençon, the king's sons. The former had made his escapefrom Paris, and brought letters from the Duke of Aquitaine declaring thathe himself, with the king and queen, were prisoners in the hands of theParisians. 

All these nobles met in a great assembly, and letters were written to theking, his great council, and to the Parisians, ordering them to allow theDuke of Aquitaine to go wherever he pleased, and to set at liberty theDukes of Bar and Bavaria and all other prisoners. Should they refuse tocomply, they declared war against the town of Paris, which they declaredthey would destroy, with all within it except the king and the princes ofroyal blood. The Parisians compelled the king to send a friendly answer, putting them off with excuses, and in the meantime to despatchcommissaries to all the towns and baronies of France assuring them thatthe trials and executions of the traitors had been fairly conducted andtheir guilt proved, and calling upon the country to take up arms to aidParis against various nobles who were traitorously advancing against it. 

During this time Guy remained quietly in his lodging with the fourretainers, seldom stirring abroad. The men were now regarded by all theirneighbours as honest carpenters, and they shared the indignation of thegreat body of the craft at this usurpation by the market men of thegovernment of France, and at the murders of knights and ladies that weredaily taking place. At present, however, the opponents of the butchersdared not resort to arms. So great had been the fear that they excitedthat most men, however much at heart opposed to them, had been constrainedto appear to side with and agree with them, and as there was no means ofknowing how could be counted upon to join the carpenters were these totake up arms, the latter could not venture alone to enter the listsagainst the armed host of the other party. 

One evening Guy, who had not been near the Italian's for over a fortnight, received a message from Dame Margaret to say that she wished to speak tohim, for that she had determined, if any way of escape could be decidedon, to quit Paris, and to endeavour to make her way to Villeroy. He wasgreatly pleased at the news. He had himself ventured to urge this step onthe day after the Duke of Bar and his companions were seized, pointing outthat it was evident that the Duke of Burgundy had neither the power northe inclination to thwart the Parisians, and that although both partieswere now nominally hostile to the English, neither were likely, at socritical a time, to give so much as a thought to Villeroy. Dame Margarethad agreed to this, but considered the difficulties of getting out ofParis and traversing the intervening country were so great that shepreferred to wait until some change took place in the situation of Paris. But it was now too evident that the changes were entirely for the worse, and that if discovered the butchers would undoubtedly add her and herchildren to their long list of victims. 

His companions were equally glad when Guy told them the news. 

"The sooner the better, Master Guy, " Long Tom said. "I own that I shouldlike to have a tussle with these rascals before I go; their doings are sowicked that every honest man must want to get one fair blow at them. Still, I don't see any chance of that, for although the good fellows roundhere grumble under their breath, there does not seem any chance of theirdoing anything. There is not an hour passes that my heart is not in mymouth if I hear a step on the stairs, thinking that they may have foundout where my lady is hidden. "

Guy had just turned into the street where the astrologer dwelt when heheard loud voices from a little group in front of him. Four armed men, whose white hoods showed that they were one of the butchers' patrols, werestanding round a slight figure. 

"It is well you stopped him, comrade, " a voice said, that Guy recognizedat once as being that of Simon Bouclier. "I know the young fellow; he hasbeen to me many a time on the part of a knave who professed to be an agentof Burgundy's, making inquiries of me as to the doings in our quarter. Ihave found out since that the duke employed no such agent, and this mattermust be inquired into. We will take him with us to the market; they willsoon find means of learning all about him and his employer. "

Guy felt at once that if Katarina were carried to the butchers, not onlywould the consequences to herself be terrible, but that she would beforced to make such disclosures as would lead to the arrest of the count, and to the discovery of Dame Margaret. He determined at all hazards to gether out of these men's hands. The girl made a sudden attempt to freeherself, slipped from the grasp that one of the men had of her shoulder, dived between two others, and would have been off had not Simon seized herby the arm. Guy sprung forward and threw himself on the butcher, and withsuch force that Simon rolled over in the gutter. 

"Run, run!" he shouted at the same moment to Katarina, who darted down alane to the left, while he himself ran forward and turned down the firstlane to the right with the three men in hot pursuit of him. Young, active, and unencumbered by armour, he gained on them rapidly; but when he nearedthe end of the lane he saw some five or six White Hoods, whose attentionhad been called by the shouts of his pursuers, running to meet him. Heturned and ran back till close to those who had been following him, andthen suddenly sprung into a doorway when they were but three or four pacesfrom him. They were unable to check their speed, and as they passed hebrought his sword down on the neck of the one nearest, and as he fell tothe ground Guy leapt out and ran up the street again. He had gone but tenpaces when he met Simon, who rushed at him furiously with an uplifted axe. Springing aside as the blow descended he delivered a slashing cut on thebutcher's cheek, dashed past him, and kept on his way. He took the firstturning, and then another, leading, like that in which he had beenintercepted, towards the river. His pursuers were fifty yards behind him, but he feared that at any moment their shouts would attract the attentionof another patrol. More than once, indeed, he had to alter his directionas he heard sounds of shouts in front of him, but at last, after tenminutes' running, he came down on to the main thoroughfare at the pointwhere the street leading to the bridge across to the island issued fromit. 

[Illustration: "GUY DELIVERED A SLASHING BLOW ON THE BUTCHER'S CHEEK, ANDDASHED PAST HIM. "]

His pursuers were still but a short distance away, for fresh parties whohad joined them had taken up the chase, and Guy was no longer running atthe speed at which he had started. His great fear was that he should bestopped at the gate at the end of the bridge; but as there was no fear ofattack this had been left open, so as not to interfere with the trafficbetween that quarter of the city on the island and those on the oppositebanks. Guy was now again running his hardest, in order to get across farenough ahead of his pursuers to enable him to hide himself, when a strongpatrol of some twenty White Hoods issued from the gate at the other sideof the bridge. Without a moment's hesitation he climbed the parapet andthrew himself over. It would, he knew, be as bad for his mistress were hecaptured as if Katarina had fallen into their hands, for if caught he feltsure that tortures would be applied to discover who he was and where hismistress was hidden, and he had made up his mind that if he was overtakenhe would fight until killed rather than be captured. 

When he came to the surface of the water Guy turned on his back andsuffered himself to float down until he recovered his breath. When he didso he raised his head and, treading the water, listened attentively. Hewas now nearly a quarter of a mile below the bridge. There was no sound ofshouting behind him, but he felt sure that the pursuit was in no wayabandoned. Already torches were flashing on the quay between the wall andthe river, and in a short time others appeared on his left. On both sidesthere were dark spaces where the walls of the great chateaux of the noblesextended down to the water's side, and obliged those pursuing him alongthe quays to make a detour round them to come down again to the bank. Hecould hardly succeed in reaching one of these buildings without beingseen, for the light of the torches on the opposite shore would be almostcertain to betray his movements as soon as he began to swim, and even ifhe did reach the shore unseen he might at once be handed over to the WhiteHoods by those in the hotel. He therefore remained floating on his back, and in twenty minutes was beyond the line of the city wall. He could nowswim without fear of being discovered, and made for the southern shore. 

It was now the middle of June, and the water was fairly warm, but he wasglad to be out of it. So far as Guy had heard he had not been caught sightof from the moment that he had sprung from the bridge. It might well besupposed that he had been drowned. Climbing up the bank he gained, afterwalking a quarter of a mile, the forest that surrounded Paris on allsides. Going some distance into it he threw himself down, after firsttaking off his doublet and hanging it on a bush to dry. He had escaped thefirst pressing danger, that of being taken and tortured into confession, and the rest was now comparatively easy. He had but to obtain anotherdisguise of some sort and to re-enter Paris; he would then be in nogreater danger than before, for in the sudden attack on Simon, and in thesubsequent flight through the ill-lighted streets, he was certain thatbeyond the fact that he was young and active, and that he was evidentlynot a noble, no one could have noted any details of his dress, andcertainly no one could have had as much as a glance at his face. 

He started at daybreak, walked through the woods up to Meudon, and thenceto Versailles, which was then little more than a village. By the time thathe reached it his clothes had thoroughly dried on him, and being of a darkcolour they looked little the worse, save that his tight pantaloons hadshrunk considerably. The stalls were just opening when he arrived there, and he presently came upon one where garments of all sorts were hanging. The proprietor's wife, a cheery-looking woman, was standing at the door. 

"I have need of some garments, madame, " he said. 

"You look as if you did, " she said with a smile, glancing at his ankles. "I see that you are an apprentice, and for that sort of gear you will haveto go to Paris; we deal in country garments. "

"That will suit me well enough, madame. The fact is that, as you see, I aman apprentice; but having been badly treated, and having in truth nostomach for the frays and alarms in Paris (where the first man one meetswill strike one down, and if he slays you it matters not if he but shoutloud enough that he has killed an Orleanist), I have left my master, andhave no intention of returning as an apprentice. But I might be stoppedand questioned at every place I pass through on my way home did I travelin this 'prentice dress, and I would, therefore, fain buy the attire of ayoung peasant. "

The woman glanced up and down the street. 

"Come in, " she said. "You know that it is against the law to give shelterto a runaway apprentice, but there are such wild doings in Paris that formy part I can see no harm in assisting anyone to escape, whether he be anoble or an apprentice, and methinks from your speech that you are as liketo be the former as the latter. But, " she went on, seeing that Guy wasabout to speak, "tell me naught about it. My husband, who ought to behere, is snoring upstairs, and I can sell what I will; therefore, lookround and take your choice of garments, and go into the parlour behind theshop and don them quickly before anyone comes in. As to your own I willpay you what they are worth, for although those pantaloons are all tootight for those strong limbs of yours they may do for a slighter figure. "

Guy was soon suited, and in a few minutes left the shop in a peasant'sdress, and made his way along the village until beyond the houses. Then heleft the road, made a long detour, and returned to Sèvres. Here he firstpurchased a basket, which he took outside the place and hid in a bush. Then he went down into the market and bargained for vegetables, makingthree journeys backwards and forwards, and buying each time of differentwomen, until his basket was piled up. Then he got a piece of old rope fortwo or three sous, slung the basket on his shoulders, crossed the ferry, and made for Paris. He felt strange without his sword, which he haddropped into the water on landing; for although in Paris every one nowwent armed, a sword would have been out of character with his dress, inthe country, and still more so in the disguise in which he had determinedto re-enter the town. He passed without question through the gate, andmade his way to his lodgings. As he entered Long Tom leapt up with a cryof joy. 

"Thank God that you are safe, Master Guy! We have been grievouslydisturbed for your safety, for the count came here early this morning indisguise to ask if we had heard aught of you. He said that his daughterhad returned last night saying that you had rescued her from the hands ofthe White Hoods, and that beyond the fact that they had followed you inhot pursuit she had no news of you, and that the countess was greatlyalarmed as to your safety. The other three men-at-arms started at once tofind out if aught could be learned of you. I would fain have gone also, but the count said that I must bide here in case you should come, and thatthere was trouble enough at present without my running the risk of beingdiscovered. An hour since Robert Picard returned; he had been listening tothe talk of the White Hoods, and had learned that one of their number hadbeen killed and another sorely wounded by a man who had rescued a prisonerfrom the hands of a patrol. He had been chased by a number of them, andfinally threw himself off the bridge into the Seine to avoid falling intotheir hands. The general idea was that he was one of the nobles indisguise, of whom they were in search, and that the capture would havebeen a very important one. 

"All agreed that he could never have come up alive, for there were bandsof men with torches along both banks, and no sign of him had beenperceived. However, they are searching the river down, and hope to comeupon his body either floating or cast ashore. Robert went out again to tryand gather more news, leaving me well-nigh distraught here. "

"The story is true as far as it goes, Tom. I did catch one of them a back-handed blow just under his helmet as he ran past me, and I doubt not thatit finished him; as to the other, I laid his cheek open. It was a hotpursuit, but I should have got away had it not been that a strong patrolcame out through the gate at the other end of the bridge just as I was inthe middle, and there was no course but to jump for it. I thrust my swordinto the sheath, and went over. It added somewhat to my weight in thewater, and it sunk my body below the surface, but with the aid of my handspaddling I floated so that only my nose and mouth were above the water; sothat it is little wonder that they could not make me out. I landed on theother bank a quarter of a mile beyond the walls, slept in the forest, started this morning from Versailles, where I got rid of my other clothesand bought these. I purchased this basket and the vegetables at Sèvres, then walked boldly in. No one could have seen my face in the darkness, andtherefore I am safe from detection, perhaps safer than I was before. "

"Well done, Master Guy; they would have killed you assuredly if they hadcaught you. "

"It was not that that I was afraid of--it was of being taken prisoner. Yousee, if they had captured me and carried me before the butchers in orderto inquire who I was before cutting my throat, they might have put me tothe torture and forced me to say who I was, and where my mistress was inhiding. I hope if they had, that I should have stood out; but none can saywhat he will do when he has red-hot pincers taking bits out of his flesh, and his nails, perhaps, being torn out at the roots. So even if I couldnot have swam a stroke I should have jumped off the bridge. "

"You did well, Master Guy, " the archer said admiringly; "for indeed theysay that the strongest man cannot hold out against these devilishtortures. "

At this moment a step was heard on the stairs, and Jules Varoy entered. 

"The saints be praised!" he exclaimed as he recognized Guy. "I thoughtthat you were drowned like a rat, Master Guy; and though Tom here told usthat you could swim well, I never thought to see you again. "

Guy told him in a few words how he had escaped, and begged him to carrythe news to his mistress. He was about to give him the address--for uptill now he had refrained from doing so, telling them that it was from nodoubt of their fidelity, but that if by any chance one of them fell intothe hands of the White Hoods they might endeavour to wring from them thesecret, and it was therefore best that they should not be burdened withit--but the man stopped him. 

"The count told us that he would be at his booth at the fair at eleveno'clock, and that if any of us obtained any news we were to take it to himthere. He said that there were several parties of White Hoods in thestreets, and that as he went past he heard them say that the boy of whomthey were in search was a messenger of some person of importance at court, and that doubtless the man who had rescued him was also in the plot, andthat a strict watch was to be kept on the quarter both for the boy and forthe man, who was said to be tall and young. Simon, who had been wounded byhim, had declared that he knew him to be connected with the boy; that hewas a young man with dark hair, and was in the habit of using disguises, sometimes wearing the dress of an apprentice, and at other times that of abutcher's assistant. He said that he was about twenty-three. "

Guy smiled. He understood that the butcher, who was a very powerful man, did not like to own that the man who had killed one of his comrades andhad severely wounded himself was but a lad. 

"As you go, Jules, " he said, "will you see Maître Leroux and ask him if hecan come hither, for I would consult him on the matter. "

CHAPTER XVI

THE ESCAPE

Maître Leroux came in shortly after Jules Varoy had left. He had not, until the man told him, heard of the events of the night before, and Guyhad to tell him all about it before anything else was said. 

"It was a lucky escape, Master Aylmer, if one can call luck what is due tothought and quickness. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"This black hue that I gave my hair has been of good service to mehitherto, but as it is a youth with black hair that they are now lookingfor, I would fain change its hue again. "

"What dye did you use?"

"It was bought for me at a perfumer's in the Rue Cabot. As you see, it isfading now, and the ducking last night has greatly assisted to wash itout. The shopman said that it was used by court ladies and would last fora long time, but I have already had to renew it four or five times. Iwould now colour my hair a red or a reddish-brown; if I cannot do that Imust crop it quite short. It matters nothing in this disguise whether itis altogether out of the fashion or not. What think you?"

"Doubtless you could get dyes of any shade at the perfumer's you speak of, for he supplies most of the court ladies with dyes and perfumes; and Ishould say that reddish-brown dye would suit you well, since that differsa good deal from your hair's original colour and still more from what itis at present. I will ask one of Lepelletiere's daughters to fetch it foryou. It would be better than cutting it short, though that might not gobadly with your present disguise, but should you need to adopt any otherit would look strange, since in our days there is scarce anyone but wearshis hair down to his shoulders. In the meantime I would have you wash yourhair several times with a ley of potash, but not too strong, or it willdamage it. I warrant me that will take out the dye altogether; but be surethat you wash it well in pure water afterwards, so as to get rid of thepotash, for that might greatly affect the new dye. I will send a boy upwith some potash to you at once, so that you may be ready to apply the dyeas soon as you get it. "

Late in the afternoon Guy sallied out in the disguise in which he hadarrived. His hair was a tawny brown. He had left his basket behind him, and carried a heavy cudgel in his hand. He sauntered quietly along, stopping often to stare at the goods on the stalls, and at nobles who rodepast followed generally by two or three esquires. No one would doubt thathe was a young countryman freshly arrived in Paris. 

He had sent a message to the count by Jules Varoy that he would pass alongthe street in the disguise of a young peasant as the clock struck seven, and that if he saw no White Hoods about he would look up at the casement, return a minute or two afterwards, and then try if the door wasunfastened. If so he would come in, while if it were fastened he shouldconsider that it was judged unsafe for him to enter. He caught sight ofKatarina's face at the window as he glanced up. There was a patrol of theWhite Hoods in sight, but it was far down the street, and after going afew yards past the house he crossed the road, and as he returned he pushedat the door. It yielded at once, and with a glance round to see that noone was watching he entered quickly and closed it behind him. 

"The Madonna be thanked that you are safe!" Katarina, now in her girl'sdress, exclaimed as she seized his hand. "Oh, Monsieur Guy, how I havesuffered! It was not until two o'clock that my father returned and told usthat you were safe; I should never have forgiven myself if harm had cometo you from your noble effort to save me. I heard their shouts as they ranin pursuit of you, and scarce thought it possible that you could escapewhen there was so many of their patrols about in the street. I cried allnight at the thought that you should have thrown away your life to try tosave mine, for I knew well enough what would have happened had that evilbutcher dragged me to his quarter. After my father had been out early andbrought back the news that you had leapt into the Seine we had some littlehope, for Dame Margaret declared that she knew that you could swim well. We had no one we could send out, for the old woman is too stupid, and myfather now strictly forbids me to stir outside the door. So here we allsat worn with anxiety until my father returned from the booth with thenews. He could not come back earlier, and he had no one to send, for theblack man must keep outside amusing the people as long as my father isthere. "

All this was poured out so rapidly that it was said by the time theyreached the door upstairs. Dame Margaret silently held out her hands toGuy as he entered, and Agnes kissed him with sisterly affection, whileCharlie danced round and round him with boisterous delight. 

"I hardly knew how much you were to me and how much I depended upon you, Guy, " Dame Margaret said presently, "until I feared that I had lost you. When, as I thought must be the case from what Katarina said, I believedyou were killed or a prisoner in the hands of those terrible people, itseemed to me that we were quite left alone, although there still remainedthe four men. Neither Agnes nor I closed our eyes all night Charlie sooncried himself to sleep, Katarina sat up with us till nigh morning, and wehad hard work to console her in any way, so deep was her grief at thethought that it was owing to her that you had run this peril. All night wecould hear the count walking up and down in the room above. He had pointedout the peril that might arise to us ail if you had fallen into the handsof the butchers, but at the time we could not dwell on that, though therewere doubtless grounds for his fears. "

"Great grounds, madame. That is what I most feared when I was flying fromthem, and I was resolved that I would not be taken alive, for had I notgained the bridge I was determined to force them to kill me rather than becaptured. It was fortunate, indeed, that I came along when I did, Katarina, for had I not heard what Simon said I should have passed onwithout giving a thought to the matter. There are too many evil deeds donein Paris to risk one's life to rescue a prisoner from the hands of apatrol of the White Hoods. "

"As for me, I did not realize it until it was all over, " Katarina said. "Ifelt too frightened even to think clearly. It was not until the shouts ofyour pursuers had died away that I could realize what you had saved mefrom, and the thought made me so faint and weak that I was forced to sitdown on a door-step for a time before I could make my way home. As to myfather, he turned as pale as death when I came in and told him what hadhappened. "

Shortly afterwards the count, who had been engaged with a person ofconsequence, came down. He thanked Guy in the warmest terms for theservice he had rendered his daughter. 

"Never was a woman in greater peril, " he said, "and assuredly St. Anthony, my patron saint, must have sent you to her rescue. She is all that I haveleft now, and it is chiefly for her sake that I have continued to amassmoney, though I say not that my own fancy for meddling in such intriguesmay not take some part in the matter. After this I am resolved of onething, namely, that she shall take no further part in the business. Forthe last year I had often told myself that the time had come when I mustfind another to act as my messenger and agent. It was difficult, however, to find one I could absolutely trust, and I have put the matter off. Ishall do so no longer; and indeed there is now the less occasion for it, since, as I have just learned, fresh negotiations have been opened forpeace. That it will be a lasting one I have no hope, but the Orleanistsare advancing in such force that Burgundy may well feel that the issue ofa battle at present may go against him. But even though it last but ashort time, there will come so many of the Orleanist nobles here withdoubtless strong retinues that Paris will be overawed, and we shall havean end of these riots here. I shall, therefore, have no need to trouble asto what is going on at the markets. As to other matters I can keep myselfwell informed. I have done services to knights and nobles of one party aswell as the other, and shall be able to learn what is being done in bothcamps. The important point at present is, Lady Margaret, that there islike to be a truce, at any rate for a time. As soon as this is made andthe Duke of Aquitaine has gained power to act you may be sure that theleaders of the White Hoods will be punished, and there will be no moreclosing of gates and examination of those who pass in and out. Therefore, madame, you will then be able to do what is now well-nigh impossible, namely, quit the town. At present the orders are more stringent than ever, none are allowed to leave save with orders signed by John de Troyes, whocalls himself keeper of the palace, Caboche, or other leaders and evenpeasants who come in with market goods must henceforth produce paperssigned by the syndics of their villages saying they are the inhabitants ofhis commune, and therefore quiet and peaceable men going about theirbusiness of supplying the city with meat or vegetables, as the case maybe. These papers must also be shown on going out again. Until a changetakes place, then, there is no hope of your making your way out throughthe gates with your children; but as soon as the truce is concluded andthe Orleanists come in you will be able to pass out without trouble. "

It was not, indeed, for another month that the truce was settled, althoughthe terms were virtually agreed upon at Pontois, where the Dukes of Berriand Burgundy met the Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon and the other Orleanistnobles, and the conditions were considered at a council to which thedelegates of the University and the municipality of Paris were admitted. The conduct of the insurgents of Paris was now repudiated by the Duke ofBurgundy, and the severest, censure passed upon them, in the conditions ofthe treaty. The greatest alarm was excited in the market quarter, and thiswas increased when, immediately afterwards, the Dukes of Bar and Bavariawere liberated. On the 12th of August and on the 4th of September the restof the prisoners still left alive were also set free. The bells of thechurches rang a joyful peal. De Jacqueville, John de Troyes, Caboche, andmany of the leaders of the butchers at once fled from Paris. 

Most of the knights who had been agents for the insurgents in the mocktrials also left Paris, and shortly afterwards the duke himself, findinghow strongly the tide had set against him, and fearing that he himselfmight shortly be seized and thrown into prison, went out from Paris underthe pretence of hunting, and fled. During this time Guy had remained withthe four men-at-arms. As soon as the power of the butchers diminished andthe guards were removed from the gates, and all who pleased could enter orleave, Dame Margaret prepared for flight. Along with the Burgundianknights and nobles who returned after the truce was proclaimed came CountCharles d'Estournel, and several of those who had fled with him. Guy metthe former riding through the street on the day after his return to Paris. Not caring to accost him there, he followed him and saw him dismount athis former lodging. As soon as he had entered Guy went up to the door. 

"What do you want?" one of the count's valets said. 

"I want to see your master, fellow, " Guy said sharply, "and I will pullyour ears for your insolence if you accost me in that style. "

The valet stared at him open-mouthed, then thinking that this peasantmight be deputed by the terrible butchers to see his lord, he inquired ina changed tone what message he should give to the count. 

"Say to him that the man of the street fray wants to see him. "

A minute later the young count himself ran downstairs and warmly embracedGuy, to the astonishment of the valet. 

"My dear friend, " he exclaimed, "I am indeed delighted to see you! Twicehave you saved my life, for assuredly had we not got through the Port St. Denis that day not one of us would ever have left Paris alive, and we areall under the deepest obligation to you. But even after our skirmish atthe gate we scarcely realized the danger that we had escaped, for webelieved that even had the Parisians been insolent enough to demand ourarrest for stopping them when engaged in attacking the houses of peaceablecitizens, the duke would treat their demand with the scorn that itdeserved. However, when next day we heard that some of the officers of hishousehold had headed them when they forced their way into the Duke ofAquitaine's hotel, and carried off the Duke of Bar and others from beforehis eyes, and that the duke in all things assisted them, we knew that hewould not have hesitated to deliver us up to the villains. 

"We held a council as to what we should do. We could not affirm that hehad failed, as our lord, in giving us protection, for he had not done so, seeing that we had taken the matter in our own hands. Had he actuallyconsented to hand us over to the Parisians, we should have issued adeclaration laying the matter before all the great vassals of Burgundy anddenouncing him as a false lord. There are many who would have been veryglad to have taken up the matter, for his truckling to these knaves hasgreatly displeased all save the men who are mere creatures of his. However, as we had no proof that he was willing to surrender us to thefury of the mob of Paris, we could do nothing, and the crafty fox calledupon my father the next day and expressed his satisfaction that we had allridden away, though at the same time saying that there was no reasonwhatever for our having done so, as he should of course have refused togive any satisfaction to the mob of Paris, and he caused several lettersto the same effect to be sent to my friends who escaped with me. 

"My father was very short with him, and told him that as it seemed theParisians were the masters of the city, and that he had no power torestrain them, however monstrous their doings, he thought that we had allacted very wisely in going. He himself left Paris the next day, andseveral other nobles, relations or friends to some of us, took theearliest opportunity also of leaving for their estates. Now that the powerof the butchers has been broken and that their leaders have fled, I cameback again, chiefly to find out what had become of you, and whether youand your charges have passed through these evil times unharmed. "

"We have all been in hiding, and save for an adventure or two have passedthe time quietly. Now that the gates are open we are going to make ourescape, for you see everything points to the probability that theOrleanists will very shortly be supreme here, and after the defeat SirEustace gave Sir Clugnet de Brabant they might be glad still to retain ourlady as hostage, though methinks they would treat her more honourably thanthe Duke of Burgundy has done. "

"Possibly they might, but I would not count upon it, for indeed whereverthey have taken a town they have treated those who fell into their handsmost barbarously. 'Tis true that they have some excuse for it in thetreatment of so many knights and ladies here. Indeed it seems to me thatFrance has been seized with madness, and that Heaven's vengeance will fallupon her for the evil things that are being done. And now, can we aid youin any way? The duke was extremely civil when I saw him on my arrival hereyesterday. He said that I and my friends were wrong in not having trustedin him to protect us from the demands of the butchers. I told him franklythat as he had in other matters been so overborne by them, and had beenunable to save noble knights and ladies from being murdered by them underthe pretence of a trial that all men knew was a mockery, it was just aswell that we had taken the matter into our own hands without adding it tohis other burdens; and that I and my friends felt that we had no reason toregret the step we had taken, and we knew that our feelings were shared bymany other nobles and knights in Burgundy. 

"He looked darkly at me, but at the present pass he did not care to sayanything that would give offence, not only to me, but to my friends, whowith their connections are too powerful to be alienated at a time when hemay need every lance. I could not, however, well ask from him a freeconduct for your people without naming them, but I might get such a passfrom his chancellor, and if your former host, Maître Leroux, be stillalive, he might doubtless get you one from the municipality. As anadditional protection I myself shall certainly ride with you. It is forthat that I have returned to Paris. I shall simply say to the chancellorthat I am riding to Arras on my own business, and that though in mostplaces I should be known to Burgundians, yet that it would be as well thatI should have a pass lest I be met by any rude body of citizens or otherswho might not know me, and I shall request him to make it out for mepersonally and for all persons travelling in my train. So that, as far asFlanders at any rate, there should be no difficulty. I only propose thatyou should also get a document from the city in case of anything befallingus on the way. 

"I see not indeed what can befall us; but it is always well in such timesas these, when such strange things occur, to provide for all emergencies. I may tell you that Louis de Lactre and Reginald Poupart have arrived withme in Paris bent on the same errand, and anxious like myself to testifytheir gratitude to you; so that we shall be a strong body, and could ifnecessary ride through France without any pass at all, since one or otherof us is sure to find a friend in every town which we may traverse. "

"Truly, I am thankful indeed to you and to your friends, Count. I own thatit has been a sore trouble to me as to how we should be able, however wemight disguise ourselves, to travel through the country in these disturbedtimes, without papers of any kind, when bodies of armed men are moving toand fro in all directions, and travellers, whoever they may be, arequestioned at every place on the road where they stop. "

"Do not speak of thanks, Guy; I twice owe you my life, and assuredly 'tislittle enough to furnish you in return with an escort to Artois. Now, tellme all that you have been doing since we left. "

Guy gave a short account of all that had happened. 

"It has been fortunate for us both, " the Count Charles said when he hadfinished, "that this astrologer should have made your acquaintance; it washis warning that enabled you to save us as well as your lady. I have heardseveral times of him as one who had wondrous powers of reading the stars, but now I see that it is not only the stars that assist him. "

"I can assure you that he himself believes thoroughly in the stars, Count;he says that by them he can read the danger that is threatening any personwhose horoscope he has cast. I had not heard much of such things inEngland, but I cannot doubt that he has great skill in them. To myknowledge he has saved several lives thereby. "

"He certainly saved ours, Guy, and should he like to join your party andride with us he will be heartily welcomed. "

"I will return at once, " Guy said, "and give my lady the good news. I willnot ask you to go with me now, for if the count--for he is really anobleman though an exile--decides to stay here he would not care toattract the attention of his neighbours by the coming of a noble to hishouse in daylight. Though I cannot without his permission take you there, I will return here this evening at eight o'clock, if you will be at homeat that hour. "

"I will be here, and De Lactre and Poupart will be here to meet you. Iwill go now direct to the chancellor and obtain the pass both in theirnames and mine, then we shall be ready to start whenever your lady isprepared. We have all brought some spare horses, so that you will have notrouble on that score. Your men-at-arms will, of course, ride with ours. We have brought eight horses, knowing the number of your company; if yourItalian and his daughter go with us Lady Agnes and Charles can ride behindsome of us. "

Dame Margaret, Agnes, and Charlie were delighted indeed when they heardfrom Guy of his meeting with the young Count d'Estournel, and of thelatter's offer to escort them to Artois. 

"The saints be praised!" his lady said. "I have spoken little about it, Guy, but I have dreaded this journey far more than any of the dangershere. In times so disturbed I have perceived that we should runinnumerable risks, and eager as I am to return to my lord I have doubtedwhether, with Agnes with me, I should be right in adventuring on such ajourney. Now there can be no risk in it, saving only that of falling inwith any of the bands of robbers who, as they say, infest the country, andeven these would scarce venture to attack so strong a party. We shall beready to start to-morrow, if Count d'Estournel is prepared to go so soon. We will be veiled as we ride out. It is most unlikely that anyone willrecognize us, but 'tis as well for his sake that there should be no riskwhatever of this being known. The count is out and will not return untilsix, therefore it will be best that you should go at once and warn theothers that we start to-morrow. "

The pleasure of Long Tom and his companions at the news was scarcely lessthan had been that of Dame Margaret, and they started at once to recovertheir steel caps and armour from the place where they had been hidden, saying that it would take them all night to clean them up and make themfit fox service. Then Guy went in to Maître Lepelletiere and saw thesilversmith, who was also sincerely glad at the news he gave him. 

"I was but yesterday arranging for a house where I could open my shopagain until my own was rebuilt, " he said, "for there is an end now of allfear of disturbances, at any rate for the present, and I was heartilygreeted by many old friends, who thought that I was dead. I will go downwith Lepelletiere this afternoon to the offices of the municipality andask for a pass for madame--what shall I call her?"

"Call her Picard: it matters not what surname she takes. "

"Madame Picard, her daughter and son, and her cousin Jean Bouvray ofParis, to journey to St. Omer. It does not seem to me that the pass islikely to be of any use to you; at the same time it is as well to befortified with it. Now that the tyranny of the market-men is over theywill be glad to give us the pass without question. "

On the Italian's return that afternoon Dame Margaret herself told him ofthe offer the Count d'Estournel had made. He sat silent for a minute ortwo and then said: "I will talk it over with Katarina; but at present itdoes not seem to me that I can accept it. I am a restless spirit, andthere is a fascination in this work; but I will see you presently. "

An hour later he came down with Katarina. 

"We have agreed to stay, Lady Margaret, " he said gravely, "I cannot bringmyself to go. It is true that I might continue my work in London, but as astranger it would be long before I found clients, while here my reputationis established. Two of the knights I enabled to escape have alreadyreturned. One called upon me last night and was full of gratitude, declaring, and rightly, that he should have been, like so many of hisfriends, murdered in prison had I not warned him. I have eight requestsalready for interviews from friends of these knights, and as, for a timeat any rate, their faction is likely to be triumphant here, I shall havemy hands full of business. This is a pleasant life. I love the exercise ofmy art, to watch how the predictions of the stars come true, to fit thingstogether, and to take my share, though an unseen one, in the politics andevents of the day. I have even received an intimation that the queenherself is anxious to consult the stars, and it may be that I shall becomea great power here. I would fain that my daughter should go under yourprotection, though I own that I should miss her sorely. However, sherefuses to leave me, and against my better judgment my heart has pleadedfor her, and I have decided that she shall remain. She will, however, takeno further part in my business, but will be solely my companion andsolace. I trust that with such protection as I shall now receive there isno chance of even the Church meddling with me, but should I see dangerapproaching I will send or bring her to you at once. "

"I shall be glad to see her whenever she comes, and shall receive her as adaughter. We owe our lives to your shelter and kindness, and we alreadylove her. "

"The shelter and the kindness have already been far more than repaid bythe inestimable service your esquire rendered us, " the Italian said. "Ihave since blamed myself bitterly that I neglected to consult the starsconcerning her. I have since done so, and found that a most terribledanger threatened her on that day; and had I known it, I would have kepther indoors and would on no account have permitted her to go out. However, I shall not be so careless of her safety in future. I see that, at anyrate for some time, her future is unclouded. She herself will bitterlyregret your absence, and has already been weeping sorely at the thought ofyour leaving. Save myself she has never had a friend, poor child, and youand your daughter have become very dear to her. "

Dame Margaret had no preparations to make, for in their flight from thesilversmith's each had carried a bundle of clothes. Guy brought Countd'Estournel round in the evening, and the arrangements were thencompleted. It was thought better that they should not mount at the house, as this would be certain to attract considerable observation and remark, but that Count Charles should come round at seven in the morning andescort them to his lodging. There the horses would be in readiness, andthey would mount and ride off. Guy then went round to the Rue des Fossesand warned the men of the hour at which they were to assemble at thecount's. He found them all hard at work burnishing up their armour. 

"We shall make but a poor show, Master Guy, do what we will, " Tom said;"and I doubt whether this gear will ever recover its brightness, so deeplyhas the rust eaten into it. Still, we can pass muster on a journey; andthe swords have suffered but little, having been safe in their scabbards. I never thought that I should be so pleased to put on a steel cap again, and I only wish I had my bow slung across my shoulder. "

"It will be something for you to look forward to, Tom, and I doubt notthat you will find among the spare ones at Villeroy one as good as yourown, and that with practice you will soon be able to shoot as truly withit. "

Tom shook his head doubtfully. "I hope so, but I doubt whether I shall besuited again till I get home, and Master John the bowyer makes onespecially suitable for me, and six inches longer than ordinary. Still, Idoubt not that, if it be needed, I shall be able to make shift with one ofthose at Villeroy. "

The evening before the departure of Dame Margaret and her children, MaîtreLeroux and his wife, with a man bearing a large parcel, had called uponDame Margaret at the house of the astrologer, whose address Guy had given, the provost that day. 

"We could not let you leave, Lady Margaret, " his wife said, "withoutcoming to wish you God speed. Our troubles, like yours, are over for thepresent, and I trust that the butchers will never become masters of Parisagain, whatever may happen. "

"Maître Lepelletiere, " said the silversmith, "is going to organize thewhole of his craft, the workmen and apprentices, into an armed body, andthe master of the smiths will do the same. I shall endeavour to prevailupon all the traders of my own guild and others to raise such a body amongtheir servitors; and while we have no wish whatever to interfere in thepolitical affairs of state, we shall at least see that the market peopleof Paris shall not become our masters again. Master Aylmer, I have broughthither for you a slight token of my regard and gratitude for the manner inwhich you saved not only our property but our lives. Within this packageare two suits of armour and arms. One is a serviceable one suitable toyour present condition of an esquire; the other is a knightly suit, whichI hope you will wear in remembrance of us as soon as you obtain thathonour, which I cannot but feel assured will not be far distant. Had youbeen obliged to leave Paris in disguise I should have made an endeavour tosend them to you in England by way of Flanders; but as you will issue outin good company, and without examination or question asked, you can wearthe one suit and have the other carried for you. "

Guy thanked the silversmith most heartily, for, having lost his armour atthe burning of the house, he had felt some uneasiness at the thought ofthe figure that he would cut riding in the train of the three Burgundianknights. But at the same time his own purse had been exhausted in thepurchase of the disguises for himself and the men-at-arms, and that of hismistress greatly reduced by the expenses of the keep of the men, and hehad determined not to draw upon her resources for the purchase of armour. His thanks were repeated when, on the package being opened, the beauty ofthe knightly armour was seen. It was indeed a suit of which any knightmight be proud. It was less ornate in its inlaying and chasing than someof the suits worn by nobles, but it was of the finest steel and best make, with every part and accessory complete, and of the highest workmanship andfinish. 

"It is a princely gift, sir, " Guy said as he examined it, "and altogetherbeyond my poor deserts. "

"That is not what I think, Master Aylmer. You have shown all through thisbusiness a coolness and courage altogether beyond your years, and whichwould have done honour to an experienced knight. My store of silver-warethat was saved by your exertions, to say nothing of our lives, was worthvery many times the value of this armour, and I am sure that your ladywill agree with me that this gift of ours has been well and honourablyearned. "

"I do indeed, Maître Leroux, " Dame Margaret said warmly; "and assure youthat I am as pleased as Guy himself at the noble gift you have made him. Imyself have said but little to him as to the service that he has renderedhere, leaving that until we reach our castle in safety, when Sir Eustace, on hearing from me the story of our doings, will better speak in both ournames than I can do. "

In the morning Dame Margaret and her children set out for the lodging ofD'Estournel, escorted by the count and Guy, followed by a porter carryingthe latter's second suit of armour and the valises of Dame Margaret. Guyhimself had charge of a casket which the Count de Montepone had thatmorning handed to Dame Margaret. 

"These are gems of value, " he said, "In the course of my business I moreoften receive gifts of jewels than of money. The latter, as I receive it, I hand to a firm here having dealings with a banker of Bruges, who holdsit at my disposal. The gems I have hitherto kept; but as it is possiblethat we may, when we leave Paris, have to travel in disguise, I would fainthat they were safely bestowed. I pray you, therefore, to take them withyou to your castle in England, and to hold them for us until we come. "

Dame Margaret willingly took charge of the casket, which was of steel, strongly bound, and some nine inches square. 

"Its weight is not so great as you would think by its appearance, " theItalian said, "for it is of the finest steel, and the gems have been takenfrom their settings. It will, therefore, I hope, be no great inconvenienceto you. "

At parting, Katarina, who was greatly affected, had given Guy a small box. 

"Do not open it until you reach Villeroy, " she said; "it is a littleremembrance of the girl you saved from deadly peril, and who will neverforget what she owes to you. "

On reaching the count's lodgings they found the other two knights inreadiness. Dame Margaret's four men-at-arms were holding the horses. 

"I am glad to see you all again, " she said as she came up. "This is a farbetter ending than our fortunes seemed likely to have at one time, and Ithank you all for your faithful service. "

"I am only sorry, my lady, that we have had no opportunity of doing aughtsince we were cooped up, " Tom replied; "nothing would have pleased usbetter than to have had the chance again of striking a stout blow in yourdefence. "

"We may as well mount at once, if it is your pleasure, Dame Margaret, "Count d'Estournel said, "for the other men-at-arms are waiting for usoutside the gates. "

The packages were at once fastened on the two pack-horses that were toaccompany them; all then mounted. The three knights with Dame Margaretrode first, then Guy rode with Agnes by his side, and the four men-at-armscame next, Charlie riding before Jules Varoy, who was the lightest of themen-at-arms, while two of the count's servants brought up the rear, leading the sumpter horses. 

CHAPTER XVII

A LONG PAUSE

A quarter of a mile beyond the gate the party was joined by eighteen men-at-arms, all fully armed and ready for any encounter; eight of them fellin behind Dame Margaret's retainers, the other ten took post in rear ofthe sumpter horses. With such a train as this there was little fear of anytrouble with bands of marauders, and as the road lay through a countrydevoted to Burgundy there was small chance of their encountering anOrleanist force. They travelled by almost the same route by which DameMargaret had been escorted to Paris. At all the towns through which theypassed the Burgundian knights and their following were well entertained, none doubting that they were riding on the business of their duke. One orother of the knights generally rode beside Guy, and except that the heatin the middle of the day was somewhat excessive, the journey wasaltogether a very pleasant one. From Arras they rode direct to Villeroy. As soon as their coming was observed from the keep the draw-bridge wasraised, and as they approached Sir Eustace himself appeared on the wallabove it to hear any message the new-comers might have brought him. Asthey came near, the knights reined back their horses, and Dame Margaretand Agnes rode forward, followed by Guy having Charlie in front of him. Ashe recognized them Sir Eustace gave a shout of joy, and a moment later thedrawbridge began to descend, and as it touched the opposite side SirEustace ran across to the outwork, threw open the gate, and fondlyembraced his wife and children, who had already dismounted. 

"Ah, my love!" he exclaimed, "you cannot tell how I have suffered, and howI have blamed myself for permitting you and the children to leave me. Ireceived your first letter, saying that you were comfortably lodged atParis, but since then no word has reached me. I of course heard of thedreadful doings there, of the ascendency of the butchers, of the massacresin the streets, and the murders of the knights and ladies. A score oftimes I have resolved to go myself in search of you, but I knew not how toset about it when there, and I should assuredly have been seized byBurgundy and thrown into prison with others hostile to his plans. But whoare these with you?"

"They are three Burgundian knights, who from love and courtesy, and inrequital of a service done them by your brave esquire here, have safelybrought us out of Paris and escorted us on our way. They are Count Charlesd'Estournel, Sir John Poupart, and Sir Louis de Lactre. "

Holding his hand she advanced to meet them and introduced them to him. 

"Gentlemen, " Sir Eustace said, "no words of mine can express the gratitudethat I feel to you for the service that you have rendered to my wife andchildren. Henceforth you may command me to the extent of my life. "

"The service was requited before it was rendered, Sir Eustace, " CountCharles said; "it has been service for service. In the first place youresquire, with that tall archer of yours, saved my life when attacked by aband of cutthroats in Paris. This to some small extent I repaid when, withmy two good friends here and some others, we charged a mob that wasbesieging the house in which your dame lodged. Then Master Aylmer laid afresh obligation on us by warning us that the butchers demanded our livesfor interfering in that business, whereby we were enabled to cut our wayout by the Port St. Denis and so save our skins. We could not rest thus, matters being so uneven, and therefore as soon as the king's party arrivedin a sufficient force to put down the tyranny of the butchers, we returnedto Paris, with the intention we have carried out--of finding Dame Margaretin her hiding-place, if happily she should have escaped all these perils, and of conducting her to you. And now, having delivered her into yourhands, we will take our leave. "

"I pray you not to do so, Count, " the knight said; "it would mar thepleasure of this day to me, were you, who are its authors, thus to leaveme. I pray you, therefore, to enter and accept my hospitality, if only fora day or two. "

The knights had previously agreed among themselves that they would returnthat night to Arras; but they could not resist the earnestness of theinvitation, and the whole party crossed the drawbridge and entered thecastle, amid the tumultuous greeting of the retainers. 

"You have been away but a few months, " Sir Eustace said to his wife, asthey were crossing the bridge, "though it seems an age to me. You are butlittle changed by what you have passed through, but Agnes seems to havegrown more womanly. Charlie has grown somewhat also, but is scarcelylooking so strong!"

"It has been from want of air and exercise; but he has picked up a greatdeal while we have been on the road, and I, too, feel a different woman. Agnes has shared my anxiety, and has been a great companion for me. "

"You have brought all the men back, as well as Guy?"

"You should rather say that Guy has brought us all back, Eustace, for 'tisassuredly wholly due to him that we have escaped the dangers thatthreatened us. "

The knights and men-at-arms dismounted in the courtyard, and Sir Eustaceand Dame Margaret devoted themselves at once to making them welcome withall honour. The maids hurried to prepare the guest-chambers, the servitorsto get ready a banquet. Guy and his men-at-arms saw to the comfort of theknights' retainers and their horses, and the castle rang with sounds ofmerriment and laughter to which it had been a stranger for months. Afterthe cup of welcome had been handed round Sir Eustace showed the knightsover the castle. 

"We heard the details of the siege, Sir Eustace, from your esquire, and itis of interest to us to inspect the defences that Sir Clugnet de Brabantfailed to capture, for, foe though he is to Burgundy, it must be ownedthat he is a very valiant knight, and has captured many towns and strongplaces. Yes, it is assuredly a strong castle, and with a sufficientgarrison might well have defeated all attempts to storm it by foes who didnot possess means of battering the walls, but the force you had was quiteinsufficient when the enemy were strong enough to attack at many points atthe same time, and I am surprised that you should have made good yourdefence against so large a force as that which assailed you. 

"But it was doubtless in no slight degree due to your English archers. Wesaw in Paris what even one of these men could do. "

"I am all anxiety to know what took place there, " Sir Eustace said, "and Ishall pray you after supper to give me an account of what occurred. "

"We will tell you as far as we know of the matter, Sir Eustace; but intruth we took but little share in it, there was just one charge on ourpart and the mob were in flight. Any I can tell you that we did it withthorough good-will, for in truth we were all heartily sick of thearrogance of these butchers, who lorded over all Paris; even our Lord ofBurgundy was constrained to put up with their insolence, since their aidwas essential to him. But to us, who take no very great heed of politicsand leave these matters to the great lords, the thing was well-nighintolerable; and I can tell you that it was with hearty good-will weseized the opportunity of giving the knaves a lesson. "

As soon as the visitors had arrived, mounted men had ridden off to thetenants, and speedily returned with a store of ducks and geese, poultry, wild-fowl, brawn, and fish; the banquet therefore was both abundant andvaried. While the guests supped at the upper table, the men-at-arms wereno less amply provided for at the lower end of the hall, where all theretainers at the castle feasted royally in honour of the return of theirlady and her children. The bowmen were delighted at the return of LongTom, whom few had expected ever to see again, while the return of RobertPicard and his companions was no less heartily welcomed by their comrades. After the meal was concluded Dame Margaret went round the tables with herhusband, saying a few words here and there to the men, who received herwith loud shouts as she passed along. 

Then the party from the upper table retired to the private apartment ofSir Eustace, leaving the men to sing and carouse unchecked by theirpresence. When they were comfortably seated and flagons of wine had beenplaced on the board, the knight requested Count Charles to give him anaccount of his adventure with the cut-throats and the part he hadsubsequently played in the events of which he had spoken. D'Estournelgave a lively recital, telling not only of the fray with the White Hoods, but of what they saw when, after the defeat of the mob, they entered thehouse. "Had the passage and stairs been the breach of a city attacked byassault it could not have been more thickly strewn with dead bodies, " thecount said; "and indeed for my part I would rather have struggled up abreach, however strongly defended, than have tried to carry the barricadeat the top of the stairs, held as it was. I believe that, even had we notarrived, Master Aylmer could have held his ground until morning, exceptagainst fire. "

"I wonder they did not fire the house, " Sir Eustace remarked. 

"Doubtless the leaders would have done so as soon as they saw the taskthey had before them; but you see plunder was with the majority the mainobject of the attack, while that of the leaders was assuredly to get ridof the provost of the silversmiths, who had powerfully withstood them. Thecry that was raised of 'Down with the English spies!' was but a pretext. However, as all the plate-cases with the silverware were in the barricade, there would have been no plunder to gather had they set fire to the house, and it was for this reason that they continued the attack so long; butdoubtless in the end, when they were convinced that they could not carrythe barricade, they would have resorted to fire. "

Then he went on to recount how Guy had warned himself and his friends ofthe danger that threatened, and how difficult it had been to persuade themthat only by flight could their safety be secured; and how at last he andthe two knights with him had returned to Paris to escort Dame Margaret. 

"Truly, Count, your narrative is a stirring one, " Sir Eustace said; "but Iknow not as yet how Guy managed to gain the information that the house wasgoing to be attacked and so sent to you for aid, or how he afterwardslearned that your names were included with those of the Duke of Bar andothers whom the butchers compelled the Duke of Aquitaine to hand over tothem. "

"Dame Margaret or your esquire himself can best tell you that, " the countsaid. "It is a strange story indeed. "

"And a long one, " Dame Margaret added. "Were I to tell it fully it wouldlast till midnight, but I will tell you how matters befell, and to-morrowwill inform you of the details more at length. "

She then related briefly the incidents that had occurred from the day ofher interview with the Duke of Burgundy to that of her escape, telling ofthe various disguises that had been used, the manner in which Guy hadoverheard the councils of the butchers before they surrounded the hotel ofthe Duke of Aquitaine and dragged away a large number of knights andladies to prison, and how the four men-at-arms had re-entered Paris aftertheir escape, and remained there in readiness to aid her if required. 

Guy himself was not present at the narration, as he had, after staying fora short time in the room, gone down into the banqueting-hall to see thatthe men's wants were well attended to, and to talk with the English men-at-arms and archers. 

"It seems to me, " Sir Eustace said when his wife had finished the story, "that my young esquire has comported himself with singular prudence aswell as bravery. "

"He has been everything to me, " Dame Margaret said warmly; "he has been myadviser and my friend. I have learned to confide in him implicitly. It washe who secured for me in the first place the friendship of Count Charles, and then that of his friends. He was instrumental in securing for us theassistance of the Italian who warned and afterwards sheltered us--one ofthe adventures that I have not yet told, because I did not think that Icould do so without saying more than that person would like known; but Guyrendered him a service that in his opinion far more than repaid him forhis kindness to us. The messenger he employed was a near relation of his. "

And she then related how Guy had rescued this relation from the hands ofthe butchers, how he had himself been chased, and had killed one andwounded another of his assailants; and how at last he escaped from fallinginto their hands by leaping from the bridge into the Seine. 

"You will understand, " she said, "that not only our host but we all shouldhave been sacrificed had not the messenger been rescued. He would havebeen compelled by threats, and if these failed by tortures, to reveal whohis employer was and where he lived, and in that case a search would havebeen made, we should have been discovered, and our lives as well as thatof our host would have paid the penalty. "

"It is impossible to speak too highly of the young esquire, " Sir JohnPoupart said warmly. "For a short time we all saw a good deal of him atthe fencing-school, to which D'Estournel introduced him. He made greatprogress, and wonderfully improved his swordsmanship even during the shorttime he was there, and the best of us found a match in him. He was quietand modest, and even apart from the service he had rendered toD'Estournel, we all came to like him greatly. He is a fine character, andI trust that ere long he may have an opportunity of winning his spurs, forthe courage he has shown in the defence of his charges would assuredlyhave gained them for him had it been displayed in battle. "

The knights were persuaded to stay a few days at the castle, and then rodeaway with their retainers with mutual expressions of hope that they wouldmeet again in quieter times. Guy had opened the little packet thatKatarina had given him at starting. It contained a ring with a diamond ofgreat beauty and value, with the words "With grateful regards. "

He showed it to Sir Eustace, who said:

"It is worth a knight's ransom, lad, and more, I should say. Take it notwith you to the wars, but leave it at home under safe guardianship, forshould it ever be your bad luck to be made a prisoner, I will warrant itwould sell for a sufficient sum to pay your ransom. That is a noble suitof armour that the silversmith gave you. Altogether, Guy, you have noreason to regret that you accompanied your lady to Paris. You have gaineda familiarity with danger which will assuredly stand you in good steadsome day, you have learned some tricks of fence, you have gained thefriendship of half a score of nobles and knights; you have earned thelasting gratitude of my dame and myself, you have come back with a suit ofarmour such as a noble might wear in a tournament, and a ring worth I knownot how much money. It is a fair opening of your life, Guy, and your goodfather will rejoice when I tell him how well you have borne yourself. Itmay be that it will not be long before you may have opportunities ofshowing your mettle in a wider field. The English have already madeseveral descents on the coast, and have carried off much spoil and manyprisoners, and it may not be long before we hear that Henry is gathering apowerful army and is crossing the seas to maintain his rights, and recoverthe lands that have during past years been wrested from the crown. 

"I propose shortly to return to England. My dame has borne up bravelyunder her troubles, but both she and Agnes need rest and quiet. It istime, too, that Charlie applied himself to his studies for a time andlearnt to read and write well, for methinks that every knight should atleast know this much. I shall take John Harpen back with me. Such of themen-at-arms and archers as may wish to return home must wait here until Isend you others to take their places, for I propose to leave you hereduring my absence, as my castellan. It is a post of honour, Guy, but Ifeel that the castle will be in good hands; and there is, moreover, anadvantage in thus leaving you, as, should any message be sent byBurgundian or Orleanist, you will be able to reply that, having beenplaced here by me to hold the castle in my absence, you can surrender itto no one, and can admit no one to garrison it, until you have sent to meand received my orders on the subject. Thus considerable delay may beobtained. 

"Should I receive such a message from you, I shall pass across at once toCalais with such force as I can gather. I trust that no such summons willarrive, for it is clear that the truce now made between the two Frenchfactions will be a very short one, and that ere long the trouble willrecommence, and, as I think, this time Burgundy will be worsted. TheOrleanists are now masters of Paris and of the king's person, whileassuredly they have the support of the Duke of Aquitaine, who must long torevenge the indignities that were put upon him by Burgundy and the mob ofParis. They should therefore be much the stronger party, and can, moreover, issue what proclamations they choose in the king's name, asBurgundy has hitherto been doing in his own interest. The duke willtherefore be too busy to think of meddling with us. Upon the other hand, if the Orleanists gain the mastery they are the less likely to interferewith us, as I hear that negotiations have just been set on foot again forthe marriage of King Henry with Katherine of France. The English raidswill therefore be stopped, and the French will be loath to risk thebreaking off of the negotiations which might be caused by an assaultwithout reason upon the castle of one who is an English as well as aFrench vassal, and who might, therefore, obtain aid from the garrison ofCalais, by which both nations might be again embroiled. "

"If you think well, my lord, to leave me here in command I will assuredlydo the best in my power to prove myself worthy of your confidence; but itis a heavy trust for one so young. "

"I have thought that over, Guy, but I have no fear that you will fail inany way. Were the garrison wholly a French one I might hesitate, but halfthe defenders of the castle are Englishmen; and in Tom, the captain of thearchers, you have one of whose support at all times you will be confident, while the French garrison will have learned from the three men who wentwith you that they would as readily follow you as they would a knight ofexperience. Moreover, good fighters as the English are, they are far moreindependent and inclined to insubordination than the French, who havenever been brought up in the same freedom of thought. Therefore, althoughI have no doubt that they will respect your authority, I doubt whether, were I to put a Frenchman in command, they would prove so docile, whilewith the French there will be no difficulty. I might, of course, appointJohn Harpen, who is ten years your senior, to the command; but John, though a good esquire, is bluff and rough in his ways, and as obstinate asa mule, and were I to leave him in command he would, I am sure, soon setthe garrison by the ears. As an esquire he is wholly trustworthy, but heis altogether unfitted for command, therefore I feel that the choice Ihave made of you is altogether for the best, and I shall go away confidentthat the castle is in good hands, and that if attacked it will be asstaunchly defended as if I myself were here to direct the operations. "

Two days later Sir Eustace with his family started, under the guard of tenEnglish and ten French men-at-arms, for Calais. Before starting heformally appointed Guy as castellan in his absence, and charged thegarrison to obey his orders in all things, as if they had been given byhimself. He also called in the principal tenants and delivered a similarcharge to them. The English men-at-arms were well pleased to be commandedby one whom they had known from childhood, and whose father they had beenaccustomed to regard as their master during the absences of Sir Eustaceand Dame Margaret. The archers had not, like the men-at-arms, been drawnfrom the Summerley estate, but the devotion of their leader to Guy, andthe tales he had told them of what had taken place in Paris rendered themequally satisfied at his choice as their leader. As for the French men-at-arms, bred up in absolute obedience to the will of their lord, theyaccepted his orders in this as they would have done on any other point. Sir Eustace left Guy instructions that he might make any further additionto the defences that he thought fit, pointing out to him several that hehad himself intended to carry out. 

"I should have set about these at once, " he had said, "but it is only nowthat the vassals have completed the work of rebuilding their houses, and Iwould not call upon them for any service until that was completed. I havetold them now that such works must be taken in hand, and that, as they sawupon the occasion of the last siege, their safety depends upon the powerof the castle to defend itself, I shall expect their services to bereadily and loyally rendered, especially as they have been remitted forover six months. It would be well also to employ the garrison on theworks--in the first place, because they have long been idle, and idlenessis bad for them; and in the second place because the vassals will all workmore readily seeing that the garrison are also employed. While so engagedan extra measure of wine can be served to each man, and a small additionof pay. Here are the plans that I have roughly prepared. Beyond the moat Iwould erect at the centre of each of the three sides a strong work, similar to that across the drawbridge, and the latter I would also havestrengthened. 

"These works, you see, are open on the side of the moat, so that ifcarried they would offer the assailants no shelter from arrows from thewalls, while being triangular in shape they would be flanked by our fire. Each of these three forts should have a light drawbridge running acrossthe moat to the foot of the wall, thence a ladder should lead to anentrance to be pierced through the wall, some fifteen feet above the levelof the moat; by this means the garrison could, if assailed by anoverwhelming force, withdraw into the castle. These outposts would renderit--so long as they were held--impossible for storming-parties to crossthe moat and place ladders, as they did on the last occasion. The firsttask will, of course, be to quarry stones. As soon as sufficient areprepared for one of these outworks you should proceed to erect it, as itwould render one side at least unassailable and diminish the circuit to bedefended. As soon as one is finished, with its drawbridge, ladder, andentrance, proceed with the next. I would build the one at the rear first. As you see from this plan, the two walls are to be twenty feet high andeach ten yards long, so that they could be defended by some twenty men. After they are built I would further strengthen them by leading ditchesfrom the moat, six feet deep and ten feet wide, round them. The earth fromthese ditches should be thrown inside the walls, so as to strengthen theseand form a platform for the defenders to stand on. If the earth isinsufficient for that purpose the moat can be widened somewhat. "

"I will see that your wishes are carried out, Sir Eustace; assuredly theselittle outworks will add greatly to the strength of the castle. Are thebridges to be made to draw up?"

"No; that will hardly be necessary. Let them consist of two beams withplanks laid crosswise. They need not be more than four feet wide, and theplanks can therefore be easily pulled up as the garrison falls back. Ihave told the tenants that during the winter, when there is but little fortheir men to do, they can keep them employed on this work, and that I willpay regular wages to them and for the carts used in bringing in thestones. "

Guy was very glad that there was something specific to be done that wouldgive him occupation and keep the men employed. Sir Eustace had informedthe garrison of the work that would be required of them, and of the rationof wine and extra pay that would be given, and all were well satisfiedwith the prospect. For the English especially, having no friends outside, found the time hang very heavy on their hands, and their experience duringthe last siege had taught them that the additional fortifications, of thenature of which they were ignorant, however, would add to their safety. 

As soon, therefore, as Sir Eustace had left, Guy commenced operations. Afew men only were kept on guard, and the rest went out daily to preparethe stones under the direction of a master mason, who had been broughtfrom Arras by Sir Eustace. Some fifty of the tenants were also employed onthe work, and as the winter closed in this number was doubled. 

The quarry lay at a distance of half a mile from the castle, and as fastas the stones were squared and roughly dressed they were taken in carts tothe spot where they were to be used. Guy had the foundations for the wallsdug in the first place, to a depth below that of the bottom of the moats, and filled up with cement and rubble. The trenches were then dug at adistance of five feet from the foot of the walls. With so many hands thework proceeded briskly, and before springtime the three works were allcompleted, with their bridges and ladders, passages pierced through thecastle wall, and stone steps built inside by which those who passedthrough could either descend into the court yard or mount to thebattlements. At the end of September fifteen archers and men-at-armsarrived from England to take the place of those who had desired to returnhome, and who on their coming marched away to Calais. 

From time to time reports were received of the events happening in Paris. Paris had been strongly occupied by the Orleanists, and a proclamation hadat once been issued in the name of the king condemning all that had beendone in the city, and denouncing by name all the ringleaders of the latetumults, and such of these as were found in Paris were arrested. Anotherproclamation was then issued enjoining all parties to keep the peace, torefrain from gathering in armed bodies, and to abstain from the use ofexpressions against each other that might lead to a breach of the peace. 

On the 13th of November, the year being 1413, fresh and more stringentorders were issued by the king against any assemblies of men-in-arms, andat the end of this month the Duke of Burgundy sent to the king a letter ofcomplaint and accusation against his enemies. Those surrounding Charlespersuaded him to send no answer whatever to what they considered hisinsolent letter. Some of the Burgundian knights had still remained inParis, and on the advice of the Dukes of Berri and Orleans and otherprinces, the queen caused four knights of the suite of the Duke ofAquitaine to be carried away from the Louvre. This so much enraged theduke that he at first intended to sally out and call upon the populace ofParis to aid him to rescue the prisoners. The princes of the blood, however, restrained him from doing this; but although he pretended to beappeased he sent secret letters to the Duke of Burgundy begging him tocome to his assistance. 

This served as an excuse for Burgundy to gather all his adherents and tomarch towards Paris, and as he collected the force he sent letters to allthe principal towns saying that at the invitation of his son-in-law, theDuke of Aquitaine, and in consequence of the breach of the peace committedby his enemies, he was forced to take up arms to rescue his beloveddaughter and the duke from the hands of those who constrained them. Uponthe other hand, letters were written in the king's name to the varioustowns on the line by which Burgundy would advance from Artois, beggingthem not to open their gates to him. 

The Burgundian army advanced and occupied St. Denis, thence the duke sentdetachments to the various gates of Paris in hopes that the populace wouldrise in his favour. However, the citizens remained quiet, and the duke, being unprovided with the engines and machines necessary for a siege, fellback again, placing strong garrisons in Compiègne and Soissons. Then theOrleanists took the offensive, besieged and captured town after town, andrevenged the murder of their friends in Paris by wholesale massacres andatrocities of the worst description. The Burgundians in vain attempted toraise an army of sufficient strength to meet that of the king, who himselfaccompanied the Orleanist forces in the field. The fact that he waspresent with them had a powerful influence in preventing many lords whowould otherwise have done so from joining Burgundy, for although all knewthat the king was but a puppet who could be swayed by those who happenedto be round him, even the shadow of the royal authority had great weight, and both parties carried on their operations in the king's name, protesting that any decrees hostile to themselves were not the trueexpression of his opinion, but the work of ambitious and traitorouspersons who surrounded him. After occupying Laon, Peronne, and otherplaces, the king's army entered Artois, captured Bapaume, and advancedagainst Arras, where Sir John of Luxemburg, who commanded a Burgundiangarrison, prepared for the siege by sending away the greater part of thewomen and children, and destroying all the buildings and suburbs outsidethe walls. 

As soon as it was evident that the Orleanist army was marching againstArtois, Guy despatched one of the English soldiers to Summerley to informhis lord that if, as it seemed, the Orleanists intended to subdue all theBurgundian towns and fortresses in the province, it was probable thatVilleroy would be besieged. The messenger returned with twenty morearchers, and brought a letter from Sir Eustace to Guy saying that DameMargaret had been ill ever since her return from France, and that she wasat present in so dangerous a state that he could not leave her. 

"I trust, " he said, "that as the negotiations for the marriage of the kingwith the French princess are still going on, you will not be disturbed. The main body of the French army will likely be engaged on more importantenterprises, and if you are attacked it will probably be only by strongplundering detachments; these you need not fear. Should you be besiegedstrongly, hold out as long as you can. I shall be sure to receive news ofit from Calais, and will go at once to the king and pray for hisprotection, and beg him to write to the King of France declaring that, tohis knowledge, I have ever been as loyal a vassal of France as of England. Should you find that the pressure upon you is too great, and that thecastle is like to be taken, I authorize you to make surrender on conditionthat all within the castle are permitted to march away free and unmolestedwhithersoever they will. "

CHAPTER XVIII

KATARINA

As soon as the king's army approached Arras, Guy repeated all theprecautions that had before been taken, but as this time there had beenlong warning, these were carried out more effectually. A considerablenumber of the cattle and sheep of the tenants were driven to Calais andthere sold, the rest, with the horses, were taken into the castle. Thecrops were hastily got in, for it was near July, and these were thrashedand the grain brought in, with the household furniture and all belongings. A great store of arrows had been long before prepared, and Guy feltconfident that he could hold out for a long time. The women and childrentook up their abode in the castle, and the former were all set to work tomake a great number of sacks. A hundred cart-loads of earth were broughtin, and this was stored in a corner of the court-yard. The earth was to beemployed in filling the sacks, which were to be lowered from the walls soas to form a protection against heavy missiles, should an attempt be madeto effect a breach. 

[Illustration: GUY WELCOMES THE COUNT OF MONTEPONE AND HIS DAUGHTER TOVILLEROY. ]

A few days after the king's army sat down before Arras, the look-outinformed Guy that a horseman, together with a lady and two attendants, were riding towards the castle. Wondering who these visitors could be, Guycrossed the drawbridge to the outwork, where a small party were nowstationed. As they rode up, he saw, to his surprise and pleasure, thatthey were the Count of Montepone and his daughter. He ran out to meetthem. 

"I am delighted to see you, Count, and you also Mistress Katarina. Iregret that Sir Eustace and Dame Margaret are not here to receive youproperly. "

"We were aware that she was absent, " the count said as he dismounted, while Guy assisted Katarina from her saddle. "I received a letter threemonths since; it came by way of Flanders from Sir Eustace, expressing histhanks for what slight services I had rendered to his wife. He told methat they had crossed over to England, and that you were his castellanhere. But I thought that ere this he might have returned. "

"I heard from him but a few days ago, " Guy said. "He is detained inEngland by the illness of Dame Margaret, or he would have hastened hitheron hearing that the French army was moving north. I need scarcely ask howyou are, Mistress Katarina, for you have changed much, and if I may say itwithout offence, for the better. "

The girl flushed a little and laughed, and her father said: "It is nighthree months since we left Paris; the country air has done her good. Sincewe left she has till now been in disguise again, and has ridden as mypage, for I could not leave her behind, nor could I in an army, with somany wild and reckless spirits, take her in the dress of a girl. "

By this time they had crossed the drawbridge, the servants leading theirhorses after them. 

"My stay must be a short one, " the count said as they entered thebanqueting-hall, and Guy gave orders for a repast to be served. 

"I hoped that you were come to stay for a time, Count; I would do all inmy power to make your visit a pleasant one. "

The Italian shook his head. "No, I must ride back tonight. I have comehere for a double purpose. In the first place I must send Katarina toEngland; she is almost a woman now, and can no longer wander about with mein times like these. In the second place, I have come to tell you that Ithink you need have no fear of an attack upon the castle. That news yougave me, which enabled me to save those three Orleanist nobles, has, addedto what I had before done in that way, helped me vastly. One of them is agreat favourite with Aquitaine, and the latter took me under his specialprotection; and he and many other great lords, and I may tell you even thequeen herself, consult me frequently. Shortly after you left I moved to alarger house, and as there was no longer any need for me to assume thecharacter of a vendor of medicines I abandoned that altogether, and tookhandsome apartments, with my negro from the booth to open the door, andtwo other lackeys. 

"My knowledge of the stars has enabled me with some success to predict theevents that have taken place, and Aquitaine and the queen have bothimplicit confidence in me and undertake nothing without my advice. TheDuke of Orleans, too, has frequently consulted me. I have used myinfluence to protect this castle. I have told them that success willattend all their efforts, which it was easy enough to foresee, as Burgundyhas no army in the field that can oppose them. But I said that I haddescribed a certain point of danger. It was some time before I revealedwhat this was, and then said that it appeared to me that the evil in someway started from the west of Arras. I would go no further than this formany days, and then said that it arose from a castle held by one who wasnot altogether French, and that were an attack made upon it evil wouldarise. I saw that it would lead to a disturbance, I said, in thenegotiations for the marriage, and perhaps the arrival of an English army. More than this I said the stars did not tell me. 

"Aquitaine made inquiries and soon found that my description applied toVilleroy, and he and the queen have issued strict orders that noplundering party is to come in this direction, and that on no account isthe castle to be interfered with, and I shall take care that theirintentions in this matter are not changed. I had the royal orders toaccompany the army. This I should have done in any case, but of course Iprofessed a certain reluctance, by saying that I had many clients inParis. However, I received various rich presents, and was thereforeprevailed upon to travel with them. "

"I thank you most heartily, Count, for, as you saw on crossing the court-yard, I have already called all the vassals in and made preparations tostand a siege. As to your daughter, I will, if you wish it, appoint two ofthe tenants' daughters as her attendants, and send an elderly woman as hercompanion, with an escort under Robert Picard, --one of those who were withme in Paris, --and four other men-at-arms to accompany her to Summerley andhand her over to the charge of Dame Margaret, who will, I trust, be inbetter health than when Sir Eustace wrote to me. It will be a great reliefto our lord and lady to know that their presence is not urgently requiredhere. The escort can start to-morrow at daybreak if you wish that theyshould do so. "

The count hesitated, and Guy went on: "I will appoint the woman and thetwo maids at once. Mistress Katarina can occupy Dame Margaret's chamber, and the woman and the maids can sleep in those adjoining it. "

"That will do well, " the count said cordially. "We have ridden twentymiles already, and she could hardly go on to-day, while if she starts atdaybreak they may reach Calais to-morrow. "

"I will give Picard a letter to the governor, asking him in my lord's nameto give honourable entertainment to the young lady, who is under DameMargaret's protection, and to forward her upon her journey to join them bythe first vessel sailing to Southampton, or if there be none sailingthither, to send her at once by ship to Dover, whence they can travel byland. One of the four men-at-arms shall be an Englishman, and he can actas her spokesman by the way. "

"That will do most excellently, " the count said, "and I thank youheartily. As soon as I have finished my meal I must ride for the campagain. I started early this morning in order not to be observed; in thefirst place because I did not wish my daughter to be seen in her femaledress, and in the second because I would not that any should notice mycoming in this direction, and indeed we rode for the first mile backwardsalong the road to Bapaume, and I shall return by the same way. "

"What will the end of these troubles be, Count?"

"As I read the stars there will be peace shortly, and indeed it is clearto me that the Duke of Burgundy must by this time see that if the war goeson he will lose all Artois and perhaps Flanders, and that therefore hemust make peace, and perhaps keep it until the royal army has marched awayand dispersed; after that we may be sure that the crafty duke will notlong remain quiet. I have a trusty emissary in Burgundy's household, andas soon as the duke comes to the conclusion that he must beg for peace Ishall have intelligence of it, and shall give early news to the queen andto Aquitaine, who would hail it with gladness; for, seeing that thelatter's wife is Burgundy's daughter, he does not wish to press him hard, and would gladly see peace concluded. "

An hour later the count rode off with his two followers, after taking anaffectionate leave of his daughter, and telling her that it would not belong before he joined her--if only for a time--in England. Before he wentGuy had chosen the woman who, with her two daughters, was to accompanyKatarina, and had installed them in the private apartments. 

"What shall we do with ourselves for the day?" he asked the girl, who was, he saw, shy and ill at ease, now that her father had left. If you are nottired we might take a ride. We have some hawks here, and now that theharvest has been gathered we shall doubtless find sport with the game-birds. "

 "I am not at all tired, " she said eagerly, "and should like it much. "

Calling upon Long Tom and another to accompany them, horses were broughtup, and they started and remained out until supper-time, bringing homewith them some seven or eight partridges that had been killed by thehawks. Guy suggested that perhaps she would prefer to have the meal servedin her own apartments and to retire to bed early. She accepted the offer, and at once went to her room, which she did not leave again that evening. Guy, as he ate alone, wondered to himself at the change that some nine orten months had made in her. 

"I suppose she feels strange and lonely, " he said to himself. "She wasmerry enough when we were out hawking; but directly we got back again sheseemed quite unlike herself. I suppose it is because I always used totreat her as if she were a boy, and now that she has grown up into a womanshe wants to forget that time. "

The town of Arras resisted sturdily. The garrison made frequent sorties, took a good many prisoners, and inflicted heavy loss upon the besiegersbefore these could gather in sufficient numbers to drive them in again, and all assaults were repulsed with loss. The Castle of Belle Moote, nearArras, also repulsed all the efforts of the king's army to take it. Foraging parties of Orleanists committed terrible devastations in thecountry round, but gained no advantage in their attacks on any fortifiedplace. 

On the 29th of August the Duke of Brabant arrived with some deputies fromFlanders to negotiate a peace between Burgundy and the king. They werewell received, and an armistice was at once arranged. The French troopswere suffering severely from disease, and the failure of all theirattempts to capture Arras made them ready to agree willingly upon a peace. This was accordingly concluded on the 4th of September, and the next daythe royal army marched away. 

Three weeks after Katarina had gone to England, Sir Eustace himself, toGuy's great joy, arrived at the castle, bringing with him his esquire andeight men-at-arms, as well as the three serving-women and their escort. Assoon as his pennon was seen Guy leapt on a horse that was standing saddledin the court-yard, and rode to meet them. As he came up he checked hishorse in surprise, for his father was riding by the side of Sir Eustace. Recovering himself, however, he doffed his cap to his lord. 

"Welcome back, my lord!" he said. "I trust that our dear lady is better. "

"Much better, Guy. You see I have brought your father over with me. "

Guy bent low to his father. 

"I am right glad to see you, " the latter said, "and to hear such goodaccounts of you. Dame Margaret and Mistress Agnes were never tired ofsinging your praises, and in truth I was not weary of hearing them. "

"Are you going to make a long stay, father?"

"I shall stay for some little time, Guy. Our lady is going to be her owncastellan for the present. And in truth things are so quiet in Englandthat Summerley could well go on without a garrison, so Sir Eustacesuggested that I should accompany him hither, where, however, just atpresent things have also a peaceful aspect. The young countess arrivedsafely, Guy, and was heartily welcomed, the more so since, as your lettertold me, it is to her father that we owe it that we did not have theking's army battering our walls, or, even if they did not try that, devastating the fields and ruining the farmers. "

By this time they were at the gate. Long Tom had the garrison drawn up inthe court-yard, and they hailed the return of their lord with heartycheers, while the retainers of Summerley were no less pleased at seeingSir John Aylmer. "And now, Guy, " said Sir Eustace, "I will tell you why Ihave come hither. It is partly to see after the estate, to hear thecomplaints of my vassals and to do what I can for them, and in the nextplace I wanted to see these fortifications that you have raised, and, thirdly, I shall shortly ride to Paris in the train of the Earl of Dorset, the Lord Grey, Admiral of England, some bishops, and many other knightsand nobles, amounting in the whole to 600 horse. They go to treat for themarriage of the princess of France with the English king. I had anaudience with the king at Winchester as soon as we heard that the royalarmy was marching towards Artois, and he gave assurance that he wouldinstruct the governor of Calais to furnish what assistance he could shouldthe castle be attacked, and that he himself would at once on hearing of itsend a remonstrance to the King of France, urging that I, as a vassal ofhis as well as of France, had avoided taking any part in the troubles, andhad ever borne myself as a loyal vassal of his Majesty. 

"He was at Winchester when the young countess arrived, and I rode over tohim to tell him that I had news that it was not probable that Villeroywould be attacked. It was then that his Majesty informed me that the Earlof Dorset with a large body of nobles would ere long cross the Channel forthe purpose that I have named, and begged me to ride with them. The king, being disengaged at the time, talked with me long, and questioned me as tothe former defence of the castle, and how Dame Margaret had fared when, ashe had heard, she was obliged to go as a hostage to Paris. I told him allthat had befallen her, at which he seemed greatly interested, and bade mepresent you to him at the first opportunity. 

"'He must be a lad after my own heart, ' he said, 'and he shall have anopportunity of winning his spurs as soon as may be, which perchance is notso far away as some folks think. '"

Guy thanked Sir Eustace for having so spoken of him to the English king, and asked: "What do you think he meant by those last words, my lord?"

"That I cannot say, Guy; but it may well be that he thinks that thismarriage which has been so long talked of may not take place, and that thenegotiations have been continued solely for the purpose of keeping himquiet while France was busied with her own troubles. Moreover, I know thatthe king has been already enlisting men, that he is impatient at havingbeen put off so often with soft words, and that embassy is intended tobring matters to a head; therefore if, as I gathered from some of myfriends at his court, he is eager for fighting, it may be that hisambassadors will demand conditions which he is sure beforehand the King ofFrance will not grant. At any rate I shall ride with Dorset to Paris;whatever the sentiments of the Burgundians or Orleanists may be towards mewill matter nothing, riding as I shall do in the train of the earl. I amgoing to take you with me, as well as John Harpen, for I must do as wellas others, and have had to lay out a goodly sum in garments fit for theoccasion, for the king is bent upon his embassy making a brave show. Yourfather will be castellan here in my absence. I shall also take with meLong Tom and four of his archers, and five French men-at-arms. I havebrought some Lincoln-green cloth to make fresh suits for the archers, andalso material for those for the men-at-arms. "

Both Sir Eustace and Sir John Aylmer expressed great satisfaction at themanner in which the new outworks had been erected. 

"Assuredly it is a strong castle now, Sir Eustace, " Sir John said, "andwould stand a long siege even by a great army. "

"What is all that earth for in the corner, Guy?" Sir Eustace asked as theyre-entered the castle after having made a survey of the new works. "I hadthat brought in, my lord, to fill sacks, of which I had three hundredmade, so that if guns and battering machines were brought against us, wemight cover the wall at the place they aimed at with sacks hanging closelytogether, and so break the force of the stones or the cannon balls. "

"Excellently well arranged, Guy. You thought, Sir John, that I wassomewhat rash to leave the defence solely to the charge of this son ofyours, but you see the lad was ready at all points, and I will warrant methat the castle would have held out under him as long a time as if you andI both had been in command of it. "

It was not until January, the year being 1414, that the Earl of Dorset anda great company arrived at Calais. As they passed not far from the castlethey were joined by Sir Eustace and his retinue. The king's wishes hadbeen carried out, and the knights and nobles were so grandly attired andtheir retinues so handsomely appointed that when they rode into Paris thepeople were astonished at the splendour of the spectacle. A few days afterthey reached the capital the king gave a great festival in honour of thevisitors, and there was a grand tournament at which the king and all theprinces of the blood tilted. The English ambassadors were splendidlyentertained, but their proposals were considered inadmissible by theFrench court, for Henry demanded with Katherine the duchy of Normandy, thecounty of Pontieu, and the duchy of Aquitaine. 

No direct refusal was given, but the king said that he would shortly sendover an embassy to discuss the conditions. Many handsome presents weremade to all the knights and noblemen, and the embassy returned to England. Sir Eustace left them near Villeroy with his party, and stayed two days atthe castle. Sir John Aylmer said that he would prefer that Guy shouldreturn home with Sir Eustace and that he himself should remain ascastellan, for he thought that there was little doubt that war would soonbe declared; he said that he himself was too old to take the field onactive service, and preferred greatly that Guy should ride with SirEustace. Long Tom made a petition to his lord that he too should go toEngland for a time. 

"If there was any immediate chance of fighting here, my lord, " he said, "Iwould most willingly remain, but seeing that at present all is quiet, Iwould fain return, were it but for a month; for I have a maid waiting forme, and have, methinks, kept her long enough, and would gladly go home andfetch her over here. "

The request was at once granted, and Sir Eustace, his two esquires, andthe archer rode to Calais, and crossed with the company of the Earl ofDorset. 

For some months Guy remained quietly at Summerley. Agnes, though nearlysixteen, was still but a young girl, while Katarina had grown still morewomanly during the last six months. The former always treated him as abrother, but the latter was changeable and capricious. Occasionally shewould laugh and chat when the three were alone, as she had done of old inParis, but more often she would tease and laugh at him, while sometimesshe would be shy and silent. 

"I cannot make out the young countess, my lady, " he said to Dame Margaretwhen Katarina had been teasing him even more than usual. "She was neverlike this in Paris, and I know not that I have done aught to offend herthat she should so often pick up my words, and berate me for a meaningthey never had. "

"You see, things have changed since then, " Dame Margaret said with asmile; "'tis two years since you were in Paris, and Katarina, although butlittle older than Agnes, is already a young woman. You were then stillunder seventeen, now you are nineteen, and in growth and stature well-nigha man. You can hardly expect her to be the same with you as when she wasrunning about Paris in boy's attire, for then you regarded her rather as acomrade than as a girl. I think, perhaps, it is that she a little resentsthe fact that you knew her in that guise, and therefore feels all the lessat her ease with you. Do not trouble about it, the thing will right itselfin time; and besides, you will shortly be going off to the war. "

In fact, preparations were being already made for it. A French embassy ofnobles and knights, with three hundred and fifty horsemen, had come over, and, after passing through London, had gone to Winchester, and there metthe king and his great lords. The Archbishop of Bourges, who was theirspokesman, at once set forth that the king could not hand over so large aportion of his kingdom, but that he would give with his daughter largeestates in France, together with a great sum in ready money. This offerwas refused, and preparations for war went on in both countries. Francewas, indeed, but in poor condition to defend itself, for the Duke ofAquitaine had seriously angered both parties. He had made a pretext to getthe great lords to ride out from Paris, he being with them; but he hadsecretly returned, and had ordered the gates to be closed, had called thecitizens to arms, and had resumed the supreme authority of the realm. 

Having done this, he sent his wife, Burgundy's daughter, to a castle at adistance, and surrounding himself with young nobles as reckless anddissipated as himself, led a life of disorder, squandering money on hispleasures, and heavily taxing the city for his wants. The Duke ofBurgundy, indignant at the treatment of his daughter, sent an ambassadorto demand that she should be taken back, and that all the persons, fivehundred in number, who had been exempted from the terms of the treaty, should be allowed to return to Paris. Both requests were refused, and theconsequence was that the Duke of Burgundy, with his partisans, returned tohis own country in deep anger; he would take no part in the war againstthe English, although he permitted his vassals to do so. 

In July the English levies gathered at Southampton. The king was to haveembarked immediately, and a great fleet had been collected for thepurpose; but, as he was on the point of sailing, Henry obtained news of aplot against his life on the part of Sir Thomas Grey, Lord Scroop, andRichard, Earl of Cambridge, the king's cousin. As Scroop was in constantattendance upon the king and slept in his room, the conspirators hadlittle doubt that their purpose could be carried out, their intentionbeing to proclaim the Earl of March king, and to summon assistance fromScotland. The three conspirators were tried by a jury and were all foundguilty. Grey was beheaded, but his companions claimed to be tried again bytheir peers. No time was lost in carrying out the trial; all the lordsassembled at Southampton were called together, and, after hearing theevidence, at once found the two nobles guilty, and they were immediatelybeheaded. 

Orders were then given for the embarkation. Sir Eustace had brought withhim thirty archers and as many men-at-arms, and, as they were waiting onthe strand for the boats that were to take them out to the ships to whichthey had been appointed, the king, who was personally superintending theoperations, rode past. Sir Eustace saluted him. 

"Is this your following, Sir Eustace?" the king asked. 

"It is, my lord king, and would that it were larger. Had we landed atCalais I should have been joined by another fifty stout Englishmen fromVilleroy, and should we in our marches pass near it I will draw them tome. Your majesty asked me to present to you my esquire, Guy Aylmer, who, as I had the honour of telling you, showed himself a brave and trustygentleman, when, during the troubles, he was in Paris with my wife. Stepforward, Guy!"

The latter did so, saluted the king, and stood erect in military attitude. 

"You have begun well, " the king said graciously; "and I hereby requestyour lord that in the day of battle he will permit you to fight near me, and if you bear yourself as well when righting for your king as you didwhen looking after your lady mistress, you shall have your share ofhonours as well as of blows. "

The king then rode on, and Sir Eustace and Guy took their places in a boatwhere the men had already embarked. 

"This is something like, Master Guy, " said Long Tom, who was in command ofthe archers. "It was well indeed that I asked to come home to England whenI did, else had I been now mewed up at Villeroy while my lord was rightingthe French in the open field. Crecy was the last time an English kingcommanded an army in battle against France; think you that we shall do aswell this time?"

"I trust so, Tom; methinks we ought assuredly not to do worse. It is truethat the French have been having more fighting of late than we have, butthe nobles are less united now than they were then, and are likely to bejust as headstrong and incautious as they were at Crecy. I doubt not thatwe shall be greatly outnumbered, but numbers go for little unless they arewell handled. The Constable d'Albrett is a good soldier, but the nobles, who are his equals in rank, will heed his orders but little when theirblood is up and they see us facing them. We may be sure, at any rate, thatwe shall be well led, for the king has had much experience against theScotch and Welsh, and has shown himself a good leader as well as a bravefighter. I hope, Tom, that you have by this time come to be wellaccustomed to your new bow. "

"That have I. I have shot fourscore arrows a day with it from the time Ireached home, not even omitting my wedding day, and I think that now Imake as good shooting with it as I did with my old one. 'Tis a pity we arenot going to Calais; if we had been joined by thirty archers there weshould have made a brave show, and more than that, they would have donegood service, for they are picked men. A few here may be as good, but notmany. You see when we last sailed with our lord the times were peaceful, and we were able to gather the best shots for fifty miles round, but nowthat the king and so many of the nobles are all calling for archers wecould not be so particular, and have had to take what we could get; still, I would enlist none who were not fair marksmen. "

This conversation took place as they were dropping down Southamptonwaters. Their destination was known to be Harfleur, which, as it wasstrongly fortified and garrisoned, was like to offer a sturdy resistance. The fleet was a great one, consisting of from twelve to fourteen hundredsail, which the king had collected from all the ports of England andIreland, or hired from Holland and Friesland. The army consisted of sixthousand five hundred horsemen and twenty-four thousand footmen of allkinds. On the 13th of August the fleet anchored in the mouth of the Seine, three miles from Harfleur. The operation of landing the great army andtheir horses occupied three days, the French, to the surprise of all, permitting the operation to be carried on without let or hindrance, although the ground was favourable for their attacks, As soon as thelanding was effected the army took up its position so as to prevent anysupplies from entering the town. They had with them an abundance ofmachines for battering the walls, and these were speedily planted, andthey began their work. 

The garrison had been reinforced by four hundred knights and picked men-at-arms, and fought with great determination and valour, making severalsorties from the two gates of the town. There were, however, strong bodiesof troops always stationed near to guard the engines from such attacks, and the French sorties were not only repulsed, but their knights had muchdifficulty in winning their way back to the town. The enemy were unable touse their cannon to much effect, for a large supply of gunpowder sent bythe French king was, on the day after the English landed, captured on itsway into the town. The besiegers lost, however, a good many men from thecrossbowmen who manned the walls, although the English archers endeavouredto keep down their shooting by a storm of arrows. The most formidableenemy, however, that the English had to contend with was dysentery, brought on by the damp and unhealthy nature of the ground upon which theywere encamped. No less than two thousand men died, and a vastly largernumber were so reduced by the malady that they were useless for fighting. The siege, however, was carried on uninterruptedly. The miners who hadbeen brought over drove two galleries under the walls, and the gates wereso shattered by stones and cannon-balls that they scarce hung together. 

The garrison surrendered after having by the permission of the Englishking sent a messenger to the King of France, who was at Vernon, to saythat unless they were succoured within three days they must surrender, asthe town was already at the mercy of the English, and received for answerthat no army was as yet gathered that could relieve them. 

In addition to the ravages of dysentery the English army had suffered muchfrom want of food. Large bodies of French troops were gathered at Rouenand other places, and when knights and men-at-arms went out to forage, they fell upon them and drove them back. Still a large amount of booty wasgathered, together with enough provisions to afford a bare subsistence tothe army. A considerable amount of booty was also obtained when Harfleurfell. The greater portion of the inhabitants of the town were forced toleave it, the breaches in the walls were repaired and new gates erected. Aportion of the treasure obtained was divided by the king among the troops. The prisoners and the main portion of the booty--which, as Harfleur wasthe chief port of Normandy, and indeed of all the western part of France, was very great--he sent direct to England, together with the engines ofwar. The sick and ailing were then embarked on ships, with a considerablefighting force under the Earl of Warwick. They were ordered to touch atCalais, where the fighting-men were to be landed and the sick carriedhome, and Henry then prepared to march to Calais by land. 

CHAPTER XIX

AGINCOURT

The English king waited some time for an answer to a challenge he had sentto the Duke of Aquitaine to decide their quarrel by single combat; butAquitaine cared more for pleasure than for fighting, and sent no answer tothe cartel. It was open to Henry to have proceeded by sea to Calais, andit was the advice of his counsellors that he should do so; but the kingdeclared that the French should never say that he was afraid to meet them, and that as the country was his by right he would march wherever hepleased across it; and so, after leaving a thousand archers and fivehundred men-at-arms under the command of the Duke of Exeter, he set out onthe 6th of October on his adventurous journey. 

Accounts differ as to the number that started with him, some Frenchhistorians put it as high as 17, 000, but it is certain that it could nothave exceeded nine thousand men, of whom two thousand were men-at-arms andthe rest archers. Now, while the siege of Harfleur had been going on, thearrangements for the embarkation of the troops and stores carried out, andthe town put in a state of defence, troops had been marching from allpoints of France at the command of the French king to join him at Rouen, so that here and in Picardy two great armies were already assembled, thelatter under the command of the constable. 

The English force marched by the sea-shore until it arrived at the riverSomme. No great resistance was encountered, but large bodies of theenemy's horse hovered near and cut off all stragglers, and rendered itdifficult to obtain food, so that sickness again broke out among thetroops. On reaching the Somme Henry followed its left bank up, intendingto cross at the ford of La Blanche-Tache, across which Edward the Thirdhad carried his army before fighting at Crecy. 

The French, as on the previous occasion, held the ford; but they this timehad erected defences on each of the banks, and had strong posts driveninto the bed of the river. Still ascending along the river bank theEnglish found every bridge broken and every ford fortified, while a greatbody of troops marched parallel with them on the right bank of the river. At Pont St. Remy, Ponteau de Mer, and several other points they tried invain to force a passage. Seven days were spent in these attempts; thetroops, suffering terrible hardships, were disheartened at their failureto cross the river, and at finding themselves getting farther and fartherfrom the sea. On the morning of the 19th, however, a ford was discoveredwhich had not been staked. The English vanguard at once made a dash acrossit, repulsed its defenders on the other bank, and the whole army with itsbaggage, which was of scanty dimensions, swarmed across the river. 

Sir Eustace, with his little force, now reduced to half its number, was, as it happened, in front of the army when the ford was discovered, and, followed by his two esquires and ten mounted men-at-arms, dashed into theriver, while the archers, slinging their bows behind them, drew their axesand followed. For a short time there was a desperate conflict, but asreinforcements hurried across, the fight became more even and the Frenchspeedily gave way. When the king had crossed he thanked Sir Eustace forhis prompt action. 

"Had you waited to send back for orders, " he said, "the French would havecome up in such numbers that the ford would not have been won withoutheavy loss, whereas by dashing across the moment it was discovered, youtook the defenders by surprise and enabled us to get over without the lossof a single man. "

The constable, disconcerted at finding that all his plans for keeping theEnglish on the left bank of the river were foiled, fell back to St. Pol inArtois. Henry followed, but without haste. His small force was greatlyreduced by sickness, while by this time the whole of the royal army hadmarched round and joined that of the constable. On the day after thepassage had been effected three heralds arrived in the English camp toacquaint the king with the resolution of the constable and of the Dukes ofOrleans and Brabant to give his army battle before he reached Calais. Henry replied that fear of them would not induce him to move out of hisway or to change the order of his march; he intended to go on straight bythe road to Calais, and if the French attempted to stop him it would be attheir peril; he accordingly continued to advance at the same rate asbefore. 

The constable fell back from St. Pol and took up his post between thevillages of Ruissanville and Agincourt, where, having received all thereinforcements he expected, he determined to give battle. On the 24th theEnglish crossed the Ternois at Blangi, and soon afterwards came in sightof the enemy's columns. These fell back as he advanced, and towardsevening he halted at the village of Maisoncelles, within half a mile ofthe enemy's position. Fortunately provisions had been obtained during theday's march; these were cooked and served out, and the English lay down tosleep. The king sent for Sir Eustace. 

"You know this ground well, I suppose, Sir Eustace, " he said, "for yourCastle of Villeroy is not many miles distant?"

"'Tis but six miles away, " the knight replied. "It is a good ground tofight on, for facing it are fields, and on either flank of these are largewoods, so that there will be little space for the enemy to move. "

"That is just what I would have, " the king said. "Were they but half asstrong as they are I should feel less confident that we should defeatthem; their numbers will hinder them, and the deep wet ground will hampertheir movements. As for ourselves, I would not have a man more with me ifI could; the fewer we are the greater the glory if we conquer, while if weare defeated the less the loss to England. Does your young esquire alsoknow the ground, Sir Eustace?"

"Yes, sire; he has, I know, often ridden here when hawking. "

"Then let him go with four of my officers, who are about to reconnoitrethe ground and see where we had best fight. "

Guy was accordingly called up and started with the officers. He first tookthem up to the wood on the right of the French division, then they movedacross its front at a distance of fifty yards only from the French line. The contrast between it and the English camp was great. In the latter allwas quiet. The men after a hearty meal had lain down to sleep, heedinglittle the wet ground and falling rain, exhausted by their long marching, and in good spirits, --desperate though the odds seemed against them, --thatthey were next day to meet their foes. In the French camp all was noiseand confusion. Each body of troops had come on the ground under its owncommander, and shouts, orders, and inquiries sounded from all quarters. Many of the Frenchmen never dismounted all the night, thinking it betterto remain on horseback than to lie down on wet ground. Great fires werelighted and the soldiers gathered round these, warming themselves anddrinking, and calculating the ransoms to be gained by the capture of theking and the great nobles of England. Knights and men-at-arms rode aboutin search of their divisions, their horses slipping and floundering in thedeep clay. 

Passing along the line of the French army Guy and the officers proceededto the wood on the left, and satisfied themselves that neither there noron the other flank had any large body of men been posted. They thenreturned and made their report to the king. Guy wrapped himself in hiscloak and lay down and slept until the moon rose at three o'clock, whenthe whole army awoke and prepared for the day's work. The English kingordered the trumpeters and other musicians who had been brought with thearmy to play merry tunes, and these during the three hours of darknesscheered the spirits of the men and helped them to resist the depressinginfluence of the cold night air following upon their sleep on the wetground. The French, on the other hand, had no manner of musicalinstruments with their army, and all were fatigued and depressed by theirlong vigil. 

The horses had suffered as-much as the men from damp, sleeplessness, andwant of forage. There was, however, no want of confidence in the Frencharmy--all regarded victory as absolutely certain. As the English had lostby sickness since they left Harfleur fully a thousand men out of the9, 000, and as against these were arrayed at least a hundred thousand--someFrench historians estimate them at 150, 000--comprising most of thechivalry of France, the latter might well regard victory as certain. Therewere, however, some who were not so confident; among these was the oldDuke of Berri, who had fought at Poitiers sixty years before, andremembered how confident the French were on that occasion, and howdisastrous was the defeat. His counsel that the English should be allowedto march on unmolested to Calais, had been scouted by the French leaders, but he had so far prevailed that the intention that Charles should placehimself at the head of the army was abandoned. 

"It would be better, " the duke had urged, "to lose the battle than to losethe king and the battle together. "

As soon as day broke the English were mustered and formed up, and threemasses were celebrated at different points in order that all might hear. When this was done the force was formed up into three central divisionsand two wings, but the divisions were placed so close together that theypractically formed but one. The whole of the archers were placed inadvance of the men-at-arms. Every archer, in addition to his arms, carrieda long stake sharpened at both ends, that which was to project above theground being armed with a sharp tip of iron. When the archers had taken uptheir positions these stakes were driven obliquely into the ground, eachbeing firmly thrust in with the strength of two or three men. As thearchers stood many lines deep, placed in open order and so that each couldshoot between the heads of the men in front of him, there were sufficientstakes in front of the line to form a thick and almost impassable_chevaux-de-frise_. The baggage and horses were sent to the rear, near thevillage of Maisoncelles, under a guard of archers and men-at-arms. Whenall the: arrangements were made, the king rode along the line from rank torank, saying a few words of encouragement to each group of men. Herecounted to them the victories that had been won against odds as great asthose they had to encounter, and told them that he had made up his ownmind to conquer or die, for that England should never have to pay ransomfor him. 

The archers he fired especially by reminding them that when the Orleanistshad taken Soissons a few months before they had hung up like dogs threehundred English archers belonging to the garrison. He told them that theycould expect no mercy, for that, as the French in other sieges hadcommitted horrible atrocities upon their own countrymen and countrywomen, they would assuredly grant no mercy to the English; while the latter ontheir march had burned no town nor village, and had injured neither mannor woman, so that God would assuredly fight for them against their wickedfoes. The king's manner as much as his words aroused the enthusiasm of thesoldiers; his expression was calm, confident, and cheerful, he at leastevidently felt no doubt of the issue. 

The Duke of Berri had most strongly urged on the council that the Frenchshould not begin the attack. They had done so at Crecy and Poitiers withdisastrous effect, and he urged them to await the assault of the English. The latter, however, had no intention of attacking, for Henry hadcalculated upon the confusion that would surely arise when the immenseFrench army, crowded up between the two woods, endeavoured to advance. Themen were therefore ordered to sit down on the ground, and food and somewine were served, out to them. 

The constable was equally determined not to move; the French thereforealso sat down, and for some hours the two armies watched each other. Theconstable had, however, some difficulty in maintaining his resolution. TheDuke of Orleans and numbers of the hot-headed young nobles clamoured to beallowed to charge the English. He himself would gladly have waited untiljoined by large reinforcements under the Duke of Brittany and the Marshalde Loigny, who were both expected to arrive in the course of the day. Asan excuse for the delay, rather than from any wish that his overturesshould be accepted, he sent heralds to the English camp to offer Henry afree passage if he would restore Harfleur, with all the prisoners that hehad made there and on his march, and resign his claims to the throne ofFrance. Henry replied that he maintained the conditions he had laid downby his ambassadors, and that he would accept none others. He had, in fact, no wish to negotiate, for he, too, knew that the French would very shortlybe largely reinforced, and that were he to delay his march, even for a dayor two, his army would be starved. 

Perceiving at last that the constable was determined not to begin thebattle, he sent off two detachments from the rear of his army, so thattheir movements should be concealed from the sight of the French. One ofthese, composed of archers, was to take post in the wood on the left handof the French, the other was to move on through the wood, to come down intheir rear, and to set on fire some barns and houses there, and so createa panic. He waited until noon, by which time he thought that bothdetachments would have reached the posts assigned to them, and then gavethe orders for the advance. The archers were delighted when theircommander, Sir Thomas Erpingham, repeated the order. None of them had puton his armour, and many had thrown off their jerkins so as to have a freeruse of their arms either for bow or axe. Each man plucked up his stake, and the whole moved forward in orderly array until within bow-shot of theenemy. Then the archers again stuck their stakes into the ground, and, taking up their position as before, raised a mighty shout as they let flya volley of arrows into the enemy. 

The shout was echoed from the wood on the French left, and the archersthere at once plied their bows, and from both flank and front showers ofarrows fell among the French. As originally formed up, the latter's vanshould have been covered by archers and cross-bowmen, but, from theanxiety of the knights and nobles to be first to attack, the footmen hadbeen pushed back to the rear, a position which they were doubtless notsorry to occupy, remembering how at Crecy the cross--bowmen had beentrampled down and slain by the French knights, desirous of getting throughthem to attack the English. Therefore, there stood none between thearchers and the French array of knights, and the latter suffered heavilyfrom the rain of arrows. Sir Clugnet de Brabant was the first to take theoffensive, and with twelve hundred men-at-arms charged down upon thearchers with loud shouts. The horses, however, were stiff and weary fromstanding so long in order; the deep and slippery ground, and the weight oftheir heavily-armed riders caused them to stagger and stumble, and thestorm of arrows that smote them as soon as they got into motion added tothe disorder. 

So accurate was the aim of the archers, that most of the arrows struck theknights on their helmets and vizors. Many fell shot through the brain, andso terrible was the rain of arrows that all had to bend down their headsso as to save their faces. Many of the archers, too, shot at the horses;some of these were killed and many wounded, and the latter swerving andturning aside added to the confusion. And when at length Sir Clugnet andthe leaders reached the line of stakes in front of the archers, only abouta hundred and fifty of the twelve hundred men were behind them. 

The horses drew up on reaching the hedge of stakes. Their riders couldgive them no guidance, for without deigning to move from their order thearchers continued to keep up their storm of arrows, which at such closequarters pierced all but the very finest armour, while it was certaindeath to the knights to raise their heads to get a glance at thesituation. The horses, maddened with the pain of the arrows, soon settledthe matter. Some turned and rushed off madly, carrying confusion into theranks of the first division, others galloped off to the right or left, andof the twelve hundred men who charged, three only broke through the lineof stakes, and these were instantly killed by the bill-hooks and axes ofthe archers. 

The second line of battle was now in disorder, broken by the fugitive menand horses of Sir Clugnet's party, smitten with the arrows to which theyhad been exposed as that party melted away, and by those of the Englisharchers in the wood on their flank. The confusion heightened every momentas wounded knights tried to withdraw from the fight, and others frombehind struggled to take their places in front. Soon the disorder becameterrible. The archers plucked up their stakes and ran forward; the Frenchline recoiled at their approach in order to get into fairer order; and thearchers, with loud shouts of victory, slung their bows behind them, dropped the stakes, and with axe and bill-hook rushed at the horsemen. These were too tightly wedged together to use their lances, and as theyhad retired they had come into newly-ploughed ground, which had been sosoaked by the heavy rain that the horses sank in the deep mud to theirknees, many almost to their bellies. Into the midst of this helpless crowdof armed men the English archers burst. Embarrassed by their strugglinghorses, scarcely able to wield their arms in the press, seeing butscantily, and that only in front through the narrow slits of their vizors, the chivalry of France died almost unresistingly. 

The Constable of France and many of the highest nobles and mostdistinguished knights fell, and but few of the first line made theirescape: these, passing through the second division, in order to draw upbehind, threw this also into some confusion. The Duke de Brabant, who hadjust arrived on the field, charged down upon the flank of the archers. These met him fearlessly, and he and most of those with him were killed. This fight had, however, given time to the second division to close uptheir ranks. The archers would have attacked them, but the king caused thesignal for them to halt to be sounded, and riding up formed them in orderagain. The French were unable to take advantage of the moment to try andrecover their lost ground, for the horses were knee-deep in the ground, upon which they had all night been trampling, and into which the weight oftheir own and their riders' armour sunk them deeply. 

"Now, my lords, " the king said, turning to those around him, "our bravearchers have done their share; it is our turn;" and then, as arranged, alldismounted and marched forward against the enemy. 

In accordance with his orders, Sir Eustace de Villeroy and Guy were postedclose to the king, while John Harpen led the men-at-arms from Summerley. For a time the battle raged fiercely. In the centre fought the king withhis nobles and knights; while the archers, who had most of them thrown offtheir shoes and were able to move lightly over the treacherous ground, threw themselves upon the enemy's flanks, and did dreadful executionthere. In the centre, however, the progress of the English was slower. TheFrench knights made the most desperate efforts to attack the king himself, and pressed forward to reach the royal banner. His brother, the Duke ofClarence, was wounded, and would have been killed had not the kinghimself, with a few of his knights, taken post around him, and kept offthe attacks of his foes until he recovered his feet. Almost immediatelyafterwards a band of eighteen knights, under the banner of the Lord ofCroye, who had bound themselves by an oath to take or kill the king, charged down upon him. One of them struck him so heavy a blow on the headwith a mace that the king was beaten to his knee, but his knights closedin round him, and every one of his assailants was killed. 

The Duke of Alençon next charged down with a strong following; he cut hisway to the royal standard, and struck the Duke of York dead with a blow ofhis battle-axe. Henry sprung forward, but Alençon's weapon again fell, andstriking him on the head clipped off a portion of the crown which Henrywore round his helmet. But before the French knight could repeat thestroke Guy Aylmer sprung forward and struck so heavy a blow full on theduke's vizor that he fell from his horse dead. His fall completed theconfusion and dismay among the French, and the second division of theirarmy, which had hitherto fought gallantly, now gave way. Many were takenprisoners. The third division, although alone vastly superior in numbersto the English, seeing the destruction of the others, began to draw off. They had moved but a short distance when loud shouts were heard in theEnglish rear. Two or three French knights, with a body of several hundredarmed peasants, had suddenly fallen upon the English baggage and horseswhich had been left at Maisoncelles. Many of the guard had gone off tojoin in the battle, so that the attack was successful, a portion of thebaggage, including the king's own wardrobe, and a great number of horsesbeing captured. 

Ignorant of the strength of the attacking party, Henry believed that itwas the reinforcements under the Duke of Brittany that had come up. At thesame moment the third division of the French, whose leaders were alsosimilarly deceived, halted and faced round. Believing that he was about tobe attacked in front and rear by greatly superior forces, Henry gave theorder that all prisoners should be killed, and the order was to a greatextent executed before the real nature of the attack was discovered andthe order countermanded. The third division of the French now continuedits retreat, and the battle was over. There remained but to examine thefield and see who had fallen. 

The king gave at once the name of Agincourt to the battle, as this villagepossessed a castle, and was therefore the most important of those nearwhich the fight had taken place. Properly the name should have beenAzincourt, as this was the French spelling of the village. The loss of theFrench was terrible, and their chivalry had suffered even more than atPoitiers. Several of the relations of the French king were killed. TheDuke of Brabant, the Count de Nevers, the Duke of Bar and his twobrothers, the constable, and the Duke of Alençon all perished. No lessthan a hundred and twenty great lords were killed, and eight thousandnobles, knights, and esquires lost their lives, with some thousands oflower degree, while the Duke of Orleans, the Duke of Bourbon, and manyothers were taken prisoners. 

The accounts of the English loss differ considerably, the highest placingit at sixteen hundred, the lowest at one-fourth of that number. Theplunder taken by them in the shape of costly armour, arms, rich garments, and the trappings of horses, was great; but of food there was but little, many of the victors lay down supperless around the village ofMaisoncelles. 

The knights who had led the peasants to the attack of the baggage-train, instead of joining in the fight, and had thereby caused the unfortunatemassacre of so many prisoners, fell into great disgrace among the Frenchfor their conduct, and were imprisoned for some years by the Duke ofBurgundy. 

That evening the English king knighted many esquires and aspirants ofnoble families, among them Guy Aylmer, who was indeed the first to receivethe honour. 

"No one fought more bravely than you did, young knight, " he said, as Guyrose to his feet after receiving the accolade; "I will see that you havelands to support your new dignity. Twice you were at my side when I was inthe greatest danger, and none have won their spurs more fairly. "

John Harpen would also have been among those knighted, but he declined thehonour, saying that he was not come of gentle blood, and wished fornothing better than to remain his lord's esquire so long as he hadstrength to follow him in the field. 

The next morning the army marched to Calais. The king turned aside withSir Eustace, and with a strong party rode to Villeroy. Guy had gone onwith the men-at-arms at daybreak, and a banquet had been prepared, andtwenty cartloads of grain and a hundred bullocks sent off to meet the armyon its march. 

"'Tis a fine castle, Sir Eustace, " the king said as he rode in, "but trulyit is perilously situated. If after this I can make good terms with FranceI will see that the border shall run outside your estates; but if not, methinks that it were best for you to treat with some French noble for itssale, and I will see that you are equally well bestowed in England, for intruth, after fighting for us at Agincourt, you are like to have but littlepeace here. "

"I would gladly do so, my lord king, " Sir Eustace replied. "During thelast three years it has been a loss rather than a gain to me. I have hadto keep a large garrison here; the estate has been wasted, and the housesand barns burned. Had it not been that there was for most of the time atruce between England and France I should have fared worse. And now I maywell be attacked as soon as your majesty and the army cross to England. "

"You will have a little breathing time, " the king said; "they will haveenough to do for a while to mourn their losses. I will not leave behindany of your brave fellows who have fought so hard here, but when I arriveat Calais will order two hundred men of the garrison to come over toreinforce you until you can make arrangements to get rid of the castle, ifit is not to remain within my territory. "

Sir Eustace introduced Sir John Aylmer as the father of the newly-madeknight. 

"You have a gallant son, Sir John, " the king said, "and one who is like tomake his way to high distinction. I doubt not that before we have donewith the French he will have fresh opportunities of proving his valour. "

After the meal was over the king went round the walls. 

"'Tis a strong place, " he said, "and yet unless aid reached you, you couldnot resist an army with cannon and machines. "

"I have long seen that, your majesty, and have felt that I should have tochoose between England and France, for that, when war broke out again, Icould not remain a vassal of both countries. "

"It shall be my duty to show you that you have not chosen wrongly, SirEustace. I cannot promise to maintain you here, for you might be attackedwhen I have no army with which I could succour you. As soon as I returnhome and learn which of those who have fallen have left no heirs, andwhose lands therefore have come into my gift, I will then make choice of anew estate for you. "

The army marched slowly to Calais. It was weakened by sickness and hunger, and every man was borne down by the weight of the booty he carried. Onarriving there the king held a council, and it was finally determined toreturn to England. The force under his command was now but the skeleton ofan army. Fresh men and money were required to continue the war, and heaccordingly set sail, carrying with him his long train of royal and nobleprisoners. The news of the victory created the greatest enthusiasm inEngland. At Dover the people rushed into the sea and carried the king toshore on their shoulders. At Canterbury and the other towns through whichhe passed he received an enthusiastic welcome, while his entry into Londonwas a triumph. Every house was decorated, the conduits ran with wineinstead of water, and the people were wild with joy and enthusiasm. Greatsubsidies were granted him by Parliament, and the people in their joywould have submitted to any taxation. However, throughout his reign Henryalways showed the greatest moderation; he kept well within constitutionalusages, and his pleasant, affable manner secured for him throughout hisreign the love and devotion of his subjects. 

On his arrival at Calais Guy discovered that among the prisoners was hisfriend Count Charles d'Estournel. 

"I am grieved indeed to see you in this plight, " he exclaimed as he methim. 

"'Tis unfortunate truly, Aylmer, but it might have been worse; better aprisoner than among the dead at Agincourt, " the light-hearted young countsaid; "but truly it has been an awful business. Who could have dreamt ofit? I thought myself that the council were wrong when they refused all theoffers of the towns to send bodies of footmen to fight beside us; had theybeen there, they might have faced those terrible archers of yours, forthey at least would have been free to fight when we were all but helplessin that quagmire. I see that you have knightly spurs on, and Icongratulate you. "

"Now, Count, what can I do to ensure your release at once? Whose prisonerare you?"

"I surrendered to one John Parsons, an esquire, and I shall, of course, assoon as we get to England, send home to raise money for my ransom. "

"I know him well, " Guy said; "his lord's tent was pitched alongside thatof Sir Eustace, before Harfleur, and we saw much of each other, and oftenrode together on the march. If I gave him my guarantee for your ransom, Idoubt not that he will take your pledge, and let you depart at once. "

"I should be glad indeed if you would do so, Aylmer. "

"At any rate he will take the guarantee of Sir Eustace, " Guy said, "whichwill, I know, be given readily, after the service you rendered to hisdame, and it may be that you will have it in your power to do him aservice in return. " He then told the count of the intention of Sir Eustaceto sell the estate, or rather to arrange for its transfer. 

"It is held directly from the crown, " he said, "but just at present thecrown is powerless. Artois is everywhere Burgundian, and it wouldcertainly be greatly to the advantage of Burgundy that it should be heldby one of his followers, while it would be to the safety of France that itshould be held by a Frenchman, rather than by one who is also a vassal ofEngland. "

"I should think that that could he managed, " the count said thoughtfully. "I will speak to my father. I am, as you know, his second son, but throughmy mother, who is a German, I have an estate on the other side of theRhine. This I would gladly exchange--that is to say, would part with tosome German baron--if I could obtain the fief of Villeroy. I have no doubtthat Burgundy would not only consent, but would help, for, as you know bythe manner in which your lady was made a hostage, he looked with greatjealousy on this frontier fortress, which not only gives a way for theEnglish into Artois, but which would, in the hands of an Orleanist, greatly aid an invasion of the province from Pontoise and the west. And, although the court would just at present object to give the fief to aBurgundian, it is powerless to interfere, and when the troubles are over, the duke would doubtless be able to manage it. "

Guy had no difficulty in arranging the matter with D'Estournel's captor, to whom Sir Eustace and he both gave their surety that his ransom shouldbe paid; and, before sailing, Guy had the satisfaction of seeing hisfriend mount and ride for St. Omar with a pass through the Englishterritory from the governor. 

CHAPTER XX

PENSHURST

After accompanying the king to London Sir Eustace and Guy rode toSummerley, where Long Tom and his companions had already arrived, havingmarched thither direct from Dover. There were great rejoicings at thecastle. Not only the tenants, but people from a long way round came in tojoin in welcoming home two of the heroes of Agincourt. The archer hadalready brought news of Guy having been knighted, and he was warmly, congratulated by Dame Margaret and by Agnes, who received him with herusual sisterly affection. Katarina, also, congratulated him, but it waswith less warmth of manner. In the evening, how ever, her mood changed, and she said to him:

"Though I do not say much, you know that I am pleased, Sir Guy. "

[Illustration: "KATARINA SWEPT A DEEP CURTSEY, AND WENT OFF WITH A MERRYLAUGH. "]

"I am not sure, Countess Katarina--since we are to be ceremonious to eachother--that I do quite know, for since I returned from France last time, Ihave seldom understood you; one moment you seem to me just as you used tobe, at another you hold me at a distance, as if I were well-nigh astranger. "

Katarina shrugged her shoulders. "What would you have, Guy? One can't bealways in the same humour. "

"You are always in the same humour to Dame Margaret and Agnes, " he said;"so far as I can see I am the only one whom you delight to tease. "

"Now that you are a belted knight, Sir Guy, I shall not presume to teaseyou any more, but shall treat you with the respect due to your dignity. "Then she swept a deep curtsey, and turning, went off with a merry laugh, while Guy looked after her more puzzled than ever. 

That evening he received the news that during the absence of Sir Eustaceand himself Sir William Bailey, a young knight whose estates lay near, hadasked for the hand of Agnes, and that, although Dame Margaret had beenunable to give an answer during her lord's absence, Agnes would willinglysubmit herself to her father's orders to wed Sir William. 

Guy remained for some months quietly at Summerley. The Emperor Sigismundhad paid a visit to England, and then to Paris, to endeavour to reconcilethe two countries. His mediation failed. Henry offered, as a finalsettlement, to accept the execution, on the part of France, of the treatyof Trepigny. Nothing, however, came of it, for there was no government inFrance capable of making a binding treaty. In spite of the disgrace andthe slaughter of the nobles at Agincourt there was no abatement of theinternal dissensions, and the civil war between Burgundy and Armagnac wasstill raging, the only change in affairs being that the vicious andincapable Duke of Aquitaine had died, and the queen had once again goneover to the Burgundian faction. Count Charles d'Estournel had carried intoeffect the mission with which he had charged himself. Burgundy had eagerlyembraced the opportunity of attaching to his side the castle and estatesof Villeroy, and he and the Count d'Estournel between them raised a sum ofmoney which was paid to Sir Eustace for the relinquishment to Burgundy ofthe fief, which was then bestowed upon Count Charles. 

The sum in no way represented what would now be considered the value ofthe estate, but in those days, when fiefs reverted to the crown or otherfeudal superior upon the death of an owner without heirs, or wereconfiscated upon but slight pretence, the money value was far under thereal value of the estate. Sir Eustace was well satisfied, however, withthe sum paid him. Had his son Henry lived he had intended that theanomalous position of the lord of Villeroy, being also a vassal ofEngland, should have been got rid of by one of his sons becoming itsowner, and a vassal of France, while the other would inherit Summerley, and grow up a vassal of England only. Henry's death had put an end to thepossibility of this arrangement, and Charlie would now become, at hisfather's death, Lord of Summerley and of such other English lands as couldbe obtained with the money paid for the surrender of the fief of Villeroy. 

In the first week of July there were great rejoicings at Summerley overthe marriage of Agnes with Sir William Bailey. The king had not forgottenhis promise to Sir Eustace, and had raised him to the title of BaronEustace of Summerley, and had presented him with a royal manor nearWinchester. Guy was summoned to court to take part in the festivities thatwere held during the visit of Sigismund, and the king said to himpleasantly one day:

"I have not forgotten you, Sir Guy; but I have had many to reward, and youknow importunate suitors, and those who have powerful connections to keeptheir claims ever in front, obtain an advantage over those who are contentto hold themselves in the back-ground. "

"I am in all ways contented, your majesty. I have lived all my life in thehousehold at Summerley, and am so much one of my lord's family that I haveno desire to quit it. Moreover, my father has just returned from Villeroywith the garrison of the castle, and it is a great pleasure to me to havehis society again. "

"I thought that some day you would have married Dame Margaret's fairdaughter, after acting as their protector in the troubles in Paris, but Ihear that she is betrothed to Sir William Bailey. "

"Such an idea never entered my mind, your majesty. She was but a child inthose days, not so much in years as in thought, and brought up together aswe were I have always regarded her rather in the light of a sister. "

Guy's quiet stay at Summerley came to an end suddenly. A fortnight afterthe marriage of Agnes, Harfleur was besieged by the French by land andwater, and the Earl of Dorset, its governor, sent to England for aid. Theking sent hasty orders to his vassals of Kent, Surrey, and Hampshire, tomarch with their retainers to Rye, where a fleet was to gather for theirconveyance. A body of archers and men-at-arms were also sent thither bythe king, and the Duke of Bedford, his brother, appointed to the commandof the expedition. Sir Eustace was suffering somewhat from the effects ofa fever, the seeds of which he had contracted in France, and heaccordingly sent his contingent, thirty archers and as many men-at-arms, under the command of Guy. 

"I had hoped that we had done with Harfleur, " Long Tom said as theystarted on their march to the seaport. "I don't mind fighting, that comesin the way of business, but to see men rotting away like sheep withdisease is not to my fancy. "

"We shall have no fighting on land, Tom, " Guy replied, "at least I expectnot. When the French see that the garrison is reinforced they willprobably give up the siege, though we may have a fight at sea with theFrench ships that are blockading the town and preventing provisions fromreaching the garrison. Doubtless we shall take a good store of food withus, and the French will know well enough that as we had such hard work incapturing the town, they can have no chance whatever of taking it byassault when defended by us. "

Guy and his party had a small ship to themselves, with which he was wellcontent, as, being but a newly-made knight, he would, had he been in alarge ship, have been under the orders of any others who chanced to bewith him; while he was now free to act as he chose. The voyage wasfavourable, but when the fleet arrived off the mouth of the Seine theyfound that the work before them was far more serious than they hadexpected. In addition to their own fleet, which was itself considerablystronger than the English, the besiegers had hired the aid of some greatGenoese vessels, and a number of galleys, caravels, and many high-deckedships from Spain. They occupied a strong position off the town, and couldbe supported by some of the siege batteries. The English fleet lay to atthe mouth of the Seine, and at night the captains of the troops on boardthe various ships were rowed to Bedford's ship, which displayed a light atthe mast-head, so that the fleet could all lie in company round her. Hereafter much discussion a plan for the battle next day was agreed upon. Theenterprise would have been a very hazardous one, but, happily, at daybreakthe French ships were seen coming out to give battle. Confident in theirsuperior numbers, and anxious to revenge their defeat at Agincourt, theFrench commanders were eager to reap the whole glory of victory withoutthe assistance of their allies, whose ships remained anchored in theriver. 

Bedford at once made the signal to attack them, and a desperate fightensued. Great as was the slaughter in those days in battles on land, itwas far greater in sea-fights. Except to knights and nobles, from whomransom could be obtained, quarter was never given to prisoners either byland or sea, consequently as soon as soldiers in a land battle saw thatfortune was going against them they fled. But on sea there was no escape;every man knew that it was either death or victory, and therefore foughtwith determination and obstinacy to the end. The two first French shipsthat arrived were speedily captured, but when the rest came up a desperatebattle took place. Guy was on the point of ordering his ship to be laidalongside a French craft little larger than his own, when his eye fellupon a great ship carrying the flag of a French admiral, and at oncediverting the course of his vessel, he ran alongside her. The archers wereon the bow and stern castles of his ship, and as they came within a shortdistance of the Frenchman, they sent their arrows thick and fast into thecrowded mass on her deck. Two grapnels, to each of which were attachedtwenty feet of chain, were thrown into the shrouds of the French vessel, and Guy shouted to the men-at-arms in the waist to keep the enemy fromboarding by holding the vessels apart by thrusting out light spars andusing their spears. 

The French had a few cross-bowmen on board, but Guy, running up on to thecastle at the bow, where Long Tom himself was posted, bade him direct thefire of his men solely against them, and in a very short time thedischarge of missiles from the French ship ceased. In vain the Frenchattempted to bring the ships alongside each other by throwing grapnels;the ropes of these were cut directly they fell, and although many of theEnglish spears were hacked in two, others were at once thrust out, and thespars, being inclined so as to meet the hull of the enemy below the water-line, could not be reached by their axes. The wind was light, and therewas no great difference in point of sailing. The English sailors werevigilant, and when the Frenchman brailed up his great sail, so as to fallbehind, they at once followed his example. At the end of a quarter of anhour the effect of the arrows of the thirty archers was so great thatthere was much confusion on board the enemy, and Guy thought that, comparatively small as his force was, an attack might be made. So thespars were suddenly drawn in and the chains hauled upon. The archerscaught up their axes and joined the men-at-arms, and as the vessels cametogether they all leapt with a great shout upon the enemy's deck. 

The French knights, whose armour had protected them to some extent fromthe slaughter that the arrows had effected among the soldiers, foughtbravely and rallied their men to resistance; but with shouts of"Agincourt!" the men-at-arms and archers, led by Guy, --who now for thefirst time fought in his knightly armour, --were irresistible. They hadboarded at the enemy's stern so as to get all their foes in front of them, and after clearing the stern castle they poured down into the waist andgradually won their way along it. After ten minutes' hard fighting theFrench admiral and knights were pent up on the fore castle, and defendedthe ladder by which it was approached so desperately that Guy ordered Tom, with a dozen of the archers, to betake themselves to the English forecastle and to shoot from there, and in a short time the French leaderslowered their swords and surrendered. The French flag at the stern hadbeen hauled down and that of England hoisted as soon as they boarded, andthe latter was now run up to the mast-head amid the loud hurrahs of theEnglish. 

The moment the French surrendered, Guy called to his men to cease fromslaying and to disarm the prisoners, who were still much more numerousthan themselves. The common men he told to take to their boats and rowaway, while the admiral and knights were conducted to the cabin, and aguard placed over them. As soon as this was done Guy looked round; thebattle was still raging and many of the French ships had been captured, but others were defending themselves desperately. Twelve of Guy's men hadbeen killed, and several of the others more or less severely wounded, andseeing that his countrymen did not need his assistance, he ordered thedecks to be cleared and the dead bodies thrown overboard. In a quarter ofan hour, the last French ship had been taken. There was now breathing timefor half an hour, during which the Duke of Bedford, whose ship lay not farfrom Guy's prize, had himself rowed on board. 

"All have done well to-day, Sir Guy Aylmer, but assuredly the feat youhave performed surpasses any of the others, seeing that you have capturedthis great ship with one of the smallest in our fleet. Their crew musthave been three or four times as strong as yours, which was, as I know, but sixty strong. Has the Count de Valles fallen?"

"No, my lord duke, he is, with six of his knights, a prisoner in thecabin. "

"I will see him later, " the duke said; "we are now going to attack theGenoese and Spaniards. Is there aught that I can do for you?"

"Some twenty of my men are dead or disabled, " Guy said, "and I must leaveten in charge of this prize. I have suffered the French soldiers, afterdisarming them and the sailors, to leave in their boats, and ten men willtherefore be sufficient to hold her. If your grace can spare me thirtymen-at-arms I will go on in my own ship to attack the Genoese. "

"I will do so, " the duke replied. "I will send ten to keep this ship, andtwenty to fill the places of those of your men who have fallen. I canspare ten from my own ship and will borrow twenty from such of the othersas can best spare them. "

In a few minutes the thirty men came on board, with a sub-officer to takecharge of the prize. Guy returned with his own men and twenty new-comersto his vessel, and sailed in with the fleet to attack the great ships ofthe Genoese and Spaniards at their moorings. As they approached they werereceived with a heavy cannonade from the enemy's ships and shorebatteries, but without replying they sailed on and ranged themselvesalongside the enemy, their numbers permitting them to lay a vessel on eachside of most of the great caravels. Their task was by no means an easyone, for the sides of these ships were fifteen feet above those of the lowEnglish vessels, and they were all crowded with men. Nevertheless, theEnglish succeeded in boarding, forcing their way in through port-holes andwindows, clambering up the bows by the carved work, or running out ontheir yards and swinging themselves by ropes on to the enemy's deck, whilethe cannon plied them with shot close to the water-line. 

Most of the ships were taken by boarding, some were sunk with all onboard, a few only escaped by cutting their cables and running up the Seineinto shallow water. The loss of life on the part of the French and theirallies in this brilliant British victory was enormous. With the exceptionof those on board the few ships which escaped, and the men sent off in theboats by Guy, the whole of the crews of the French, Genoese, andSpaniards, save only the nobles and knights put to ransom, were killed, drowned, or taken prisoners, and during the three weeks that the Englishfleet remained off Harfleur, the sailors were horrified by the immensenumber of dead bodies that were carried up and down by the tide. Harfleurwas revictualled and put into a state of defence, and the Duke of Bedfordthen sailed with his fleet to England, having achieved the greatest navalvictory that England had ever won save when Edward the Third, with theBlack Prince, completely defeated a great Spanish fleet off the coast ofSussex, with a squadron composed of ships vastly inferior both in size andnumber to those of the Spaniards, which contained fully ten times thenumber of fighting men carried by the English vessels. 

This great naval victory excited unbounded enthusiasm in England. The kinggave a great banquet to the Duke of Bedford and his principal officers, and by the duke's orders Guy attended. Before they sat down to the tablethe duke presented his officers individually to the king. Guy, as theyoungest knight, was the last to be introduced. 

"The duke has already spoken to me of the right valiant deeds that youaccomplished, Sir Guy Aylmer, " the king said as he bowed before him, "andthat with but a small craft and only sixty men-at-arms and archers youcaptured the ship of the French admiral, which he estimates must havecarried at least three hundred men. We hereby raise you to the rank ofknight-banneret, and appoint you to the fief of Penshurst in Hampshire, now vacant by the death without heirs of the good knight Sir Richard Fulk. And we add thereto, as our own gift, the two royal manors of Stoneham andPiverley lying adjacent to it, and we enjoin you to take for your coat-of-arms a great ship. The fief of Penshurst is a sign of our royal approvalof your bravery at Harfleur, the two manors are the debt we owe you foryour service at Agincourt. We have ordered our chancellor to make out thedeeds, and tomorrow you will receive them from him and take the oaths. "

Guy knelt and kissed the hand that the king held out to him, andacknowledged the royal gift in fitting words. On the following day, aftertaking the oaths for his new possessions, he mounted, and the next dayrode into Summerley. Here to his surprise he found the Count of Montepone, who had arrived, by way of Calais and Dover, a few days previously. He wassuffering from a severe wound, and when Guy entered rose feebly from achair by the fire, for it was now October and the weather was cold. Hisdaughter was sitting beside him, and Lady Margaret was also in the room. Lord Eustace and Sir John Aylmer had met Guy as he dismounted below. 

"So you have gone through another adventure and come out safely, " thecount said after Guy had greeted him. "Truly you have changed greatlysince you left Paris, well-nigh three years ago. It was well that MaîtreLeroux had the armour made big for you, for I see that it is now none toolarge. I too, you see, have been at war; but it was one in which there wassmall honour, though, as you see, with some risk, for it was a privateduel forced upon me by one of the Armagnac knights. Up to that time mypredictions had wrought me much profit and no harm. I had told Aquitaineand other lords who consulted me that disaster would happen when theFrench army met the English. That much I read in the stars. And though, when Henry marched north from Harfleur with so small a following, itseemed to me that victory could scarce attend him against the host ofFrance, I went over my calculations many times and could not find that Ihad made an error. It was owing greatly to my predictions that the dukereadily gave way when the great lords persuaded him not to risk his lifein the battle. 

"Others whom I had warned went to their death, in some cases because theydisbelieved me, in others because they preferred death to the dishonour ofdrawing back. One of the latter, on the eve of the battle, confided to ahot-headed knight in his following that I had foretold his death; andinstead of quarrelling with the stars, the fool seemed to think that I hadcontrolled them, and was responsible for his lord's death. So when inParis some months since, he publicly insulted me, and being an Italiannoble as well as an astrologer, I fought him the next day. I killed him, but not before I received a wound that laid me up for months, and fromwhich I have not yet fairly recovered. While lying in Paris I decided upontaking a step that I had for some time been meditating. I could, whenKatarina left Paris with your lady, have well gone with her, with amplemeans to live in comfort and to furnish her with a fortune not unfitted toher rank as my daughter. 

"During the past three years the reputation I gained by my success insaving the lives of several persons of rank, increased so rapidly thatmoney has flowed into my coffers beyond all belief. There was scarcely anoble of the king's party who had not consulted me, and since Agincourtthe Duke of Aquitaine and many others took no step whatever without comingto me. But I am weary of the everlasting troubles of which I can see noend, and assuredly the aspect of the stars affords no ground for hope thatthey will terminate for years; therefore, I have determined to leaveFrance, and to practise my art henceforth solely for my own pleasure, Ishall open negotiations with friends in Mantua, to see whether, now thattwelve years have elapsed since I had to fly, matters cannot be arrangedwith my enemies; much can often be done when there are plenty of fundswherewith to smooth away difficulties. Still, that is in the future. Myfirst object in coming to England was to see how my daughter was faring, and to enjoy a period of rest and quiet while my wound was healing, whichit has begun to do since I came here. I doubted on my journey, which hasbeen wholly performed in a litter, whether I should arrive here alive. "

"And now, father, " Katarina said, "let us hear what Sir Guy has been doingsince he left; we have been all full of impatience since the news camefour days ago that the Duke of Bedford had destroyed a great fleet ofFrench, Spanish, and Genoese ships. "

"Guy has had his share of fighting, at any rate, " Lord Eustace said, as heentered the room while the girl was speaking, "for fifteen of our men havefallen; and, as Long Tom tells me, they had hot work of it, and gainedmuch credit by capturing single-handed a great French ship. "

"Yes, we were fortunate, " Guy said, "in falling across the ship of theFrench admiral, Count de Valles. Our men all fought stoutly, and thearchers having cleared the way for us and slain many of their crew, wecaptured them, and I hold the count and five French knights to ransom. "

"That will fill your purse rarely, Guy. But let us hear more of thisfighting. De Valles's ship must have been a great one, and if you took itwith but your own sixty men it must have been a brilliant action. "

Guy then gave a full account of the fight, and of the subsequent captureof one of the Spanish carracks with the aid of another English ship. 

"If the Duke of Bedford himself came on board, " Lord Eustace said, "andsent you some reinforcements, he must have thought highly of the action;indeed he cannot but have done so, or he would not have come personally onboard. Did he speak to the king of it?"

"He did, and much more strongly, it seems to me, than the affairwarranted, for at the banquet the day before yesterday his majesty wasgraciously pleased to appoint me a knight-banneret, and to bestow upon methe estates of Penshurst, adding thereto the royal manors of Stoneham andPiverley. "

"A right royal gift!" Lord Eustace said, while exclamations of pleasurebroke from the others. 

"I congratulate you on your new honour, which you have right worthilyearned. Sir John, you may well be proud of this son of yours. "

"I am so, indeed, " Sir John Aylmer said heartily. "I had hoped well of thelad, but had not deemed that he would mount so rapidly. Sir Richard Fulkhad a fine estate, and joined now to the two manors it will be as large asthose of Summerley, even with its late additions. "

"I am very glad, " Dame Margaret said, "that the king has apportioned youan estate so near us, for it is scarce fifteen miles to Penshurst, and itwill be but a morning ride for you to come hither. "

"Methinks, wife, " Lord Eustace said with a smile, "we were somewhat hastyin that matter of Sir William Bailey, for had we but waited Agnes mighthave done better. "

"She chose for herself, " Dame Margaret replied with an answering smile. "Isay not that in my heart I had not hoped at one time that she and Guymight have come together, for I had learnt to love him almost as if he hadbeen my own, and would most gladly have given Agnes to him had it beenyour wish as well as theirs; but I have seen for some time past that itwas not to be, for they were like brother and sister to each other, andneither had any thought of a still closer relation. Had it not been so Ishould never have favoured Sir William Bailey's suit, though indeed he isa worthy young man, and Agnes is happy with him. You have not been to yourcastle yet, Guy?" she asked, suddenly changing the subject. 

"No, indeed, Lady Margaret, I rode straight here from London, deemingthis, as methinks that I shall always deem it, my home. "

"We must make up a party to ride over and see it to-morrow, " Lord Eustacesaid. "We will start early, wife, and you and Katarina can ride with us. Charlie will of course go, and Sir John. We could make a horse-litter forthe count, if he thinks he could bear the journey. 

"Methinks that I had best stay quietly here, " the Italian said. "I havehad enough of litters for a time, and the shaking might make my woundangry again. "

"Nonsense, child!" he broke off as Katarina whispered that she would staywith him; "I need no nursing now; you shall ride with the rest. "

Accordingly the next day the party started early. Charlie was in highspirits; he had grown into a sturdy boy, and was delighted at the goodfortune that had befallen Guy, whom he had regarded with boundlessadmiration since the days in Paris. Katarina was in one of her silentmoods, and rode close to Lady Margaret. Long Tom, who was greatly rejoicedon hearing of the honours and estates that had been bestowed on Guy, rodewith two of his comrades in the rear of the party. Penshurst was a strongcastle, though scarcely equal in size to Summerley; it was, however, amore comfortable habitation, having been altered by the late owner'sfather, who had travelled in Italy, with a view rather to theaccommodation of its inmates than its defence, and had been furnished withmany articles of luxury rare in England. 

"A comfortable abode truly, Guy!" his father said. "It was well enough twohundred years since, when the country was unsettled, for us to penourselves up within walls, but there is little need of it now in England, although in France, where factions are constantly fighting against eachother, it is well that every man should hold himself secure from attack. But now that cannon are getting to so great a point of perfection, wallsare only useful to repel sudden attacks, and soon crumble when cannon canbe brought against them. Me thinks the time will come when walls will begiven up altogether, especially in England, where the royal power is sostrong that nobles can no longer war with each other. "

"However, Guy, " Lord Eustace said, "'tis as well at present to have walls, and strong ones; and though I say not that this place is as strong asVilleroy, it is yet strong enough to stand a siege. "

Guy spent an hour with the steward, who had been in charge of the castlesince the death of Sir Richard Fulk, and who had the day before heard froma royal messenger that Sir Guy had been appointed lord of the estates. Thenew owner learned from him much about the extent of the feu, the number oftenants, the strength that he would be called upon to furnish in case ofwar, and the terms on which the vassals held their tenure. 

"Your force will be well-nigh doubled, " the steward said in conclusion, "since you tell me that the manors of Stoneham and Piverley have alsofallen to you. "

"'Tis a fair country, " Guy said as the talk ended, "and one could wish forno better. I shall return to Summerley to-day, but next Monday I willcome over here and take possession, and you can bid the tenants, and thosealso of the two manors, to come hither and meet me at two o'clock. "

"Well, daughter, " the Count of Montepone said to Katarina as she wassitting by his couch in the evening, "so you think that Penshurst is acomfortable abode?"

"Yes, father, the rooms are brighter and lighter than these and the wallsare all hung with arras and furnished far more comfortably. "

"Wouldst thou like to be its mistress, child?"

A bright flush of colour flooded the girl's face. 

"Dost mean it, father?" she asked in a voice hardly above a whisper. 

"Why not, child? You have seen much of this brave young knight, whom, methinks, any maiden might fall in love with. Art thou not more sensibleto his merits than was Mistress Agnes?"

"He saved my life, father. "

"That did he, child, and at no small risk to his own: Then do I understandthat such a marriage would be to your liking?"

"Yes, father, " she said frankly, "but I know not that it would be to SirGuy's. "

"That is for me to find out, " he said. "I asked Lady Margaret a few daysago what she thought of the young knight's inclinations, and she told methat she thought indeed he had a great liking for you, but that in truthyou were so wayward that you gave him but little chance of showing it. "

"How could I let him see that I cared for him, father, when I knew not forcertain that he thought aught of me, and moreover, I could not guess whatyour intentions for me might be. "

"I should not have sent you where you would often be in his company, Katarina, unless I had thought the matter over deeply. It was easy toforesee that after the service he had rendered you you would think well ofhim, and that, thrown together as you would be, it was like enough thatyou should come to love each other. I had cast your horoscope and his andfound that you would both be married about the same time, though I couldnot say that it would be to each other. I saw enough of him during thattime in Paris to see that he was not only brave, but prudent and discreet. I saw, too, from his affection to his mistress, that he would be loyal andhonest in all he undertook, that it was likely that he would rise tohonour, and that above all I could assuredly trust your happiness to him. He was but a youth and you a girl, but he was bordering upon manhood andyou upon womanhood. I marked his manner with his lady's daughter and sawthat she would be no rival to you. Had it been otherwise I should haveyielded to your prayers, and have kept you with me in France. Matters haveturned out according to my expectation. I can give you a dowry that anyEnglish noble would think an ample one with his bride; and though Guy isnow himself well endowed he will doubtless not object to such an additionas may enable him, if need be, to place in the field a following as largeas that which many of the great nobles are bound to furnish to theirsovereign. I will speak to him on the subject to-morrow, Katarina. "

Accordingly, the next morning at breakfast the count told Guy that therewas a matter on which he wished to consult him, and the young knightremained behind when the other members of the family left the room tocarry out their avocations. 

"Hast thought of a mistress for your new castle, Sir Guy?" the count beganabruptly. 

Guy started at the sudden question, and did not reply at once. 

"I have thought of one, Count, " he said; "but although, so for, all thatyou told me long ago in Paris has come true, and fortune has favoured mewonderfully, in this respect she has not been kind, for the lady cares notfor me, and I would not take a wife who came not to me willingly. "

"How know you that she cares not for you?" the count asked. 

"Because I have eyes and ears, Count. She thinks me but a boy, and asomewhat ill-mannered one. She mocks me when I try to talk to her, shunsbeing left alone with me, and in all ways shows that she has noinclination towards me, but very much the contrary. "

"Have you asked her straightforwardly?" the count inquired with a smile. 

"No, I should only be laughed at for my pains, and it would take morecourage than is required to capture a great French ship for me to put thematter to her. "

"I fancy, Sir Guy, that you are not greatly versed in female ways. A womandefends herself like a beleaguered fortress. She makes sorties andattacks, she endeavours to hide her weakness by her bravados, and when shereplies most disdainfully to a summons to capitulate, is perhaps on theeve of surrender. To come to the point, then, are you speaking of mydaughter?"

"I am, Sir Count, " Guy said frankly. "I love her, but she loves me not, and there is an end of it. 'Tis easy to understand that, beautiful as sheis, she should not give a thought to me who, at the best, can only claimto be a stout man-at-arms; as for my present promotion, I know that itgoes for nothing in her eyes. "

"It may be as you say, Sir Guy; but tell me, as a soldier, before you gaveup the siege of a fortress and retired would you not summon it tosurrender?"

"I should do so, " Guy replied with a smile. 

"Then it had better be so in this case, Sir Guy. You say that you wouldwillingly marry my daughter. I would as willingly give her to you. Thedifficulty then lies with the maiden herself, and it is but fair to youboth that you should yourself manfully ask her decision in the matter. "

He went out of the room, and returned in a minute leading Katarina. "SirGuy has a question to ask you, daughter, " he said; "I pray you to answerhim frankly. " He then led her to a seat, placed her there and left theroom. 

Guy felt a greater inclination to escape by another door than he had everfelt to fly in the hour of danger, but after a pause he said:

"I will put the question, Katarina, since your father would have me do it, though I know well enough beforehand what the answer will be. I desireabove all things to have you for a wife, and would give you a true andloyal affection were you willing that it should be so, but I feel only toowell that you do not think of me as I do of you. Still, as it is yourfather's wish that I should take your answer from your lips, and as, aboveall things, I would leave it in your hands without any constraint fromhim, I ask you whether you love me as one should love another beforeplighting her faith to him?"

"Why do you say that you know what my answer will be, Guy? Would you havehad me show that I was ready to drop like a ripe peach into your mouthbefore you opened it? Why should I not love you? Did you not save my life?Were you not kind and good to me even in the days when I was more like aboy than a girl? Have you not since with my humours? I will answer yourquestion as frankly as my father bade me. " She rose now. "Take my hand, Guy, for it is yours. I love and honour you, and could wish for no betteror happier lot than to be your wife. Had you asked me six months ago Ishould have said the same, save that I could not have given you my handuntil I had my father's consent. "

During the next month Guy spent most of his time at Penshurst gettingeverything in readiness for its mistress. Lord Eustace advanced him themonies that he was to receive for the ransoms of Count de Valles and thefive knights, and the week before the wedding he went up with the Count ofMontepone to London, and under his advice bought many rich hangings andpieces of rare furniture to beautify the private apartments. The countlaid out a still larger sum of money on Eastern carpets and otherluxuries, as well as on dresses and other matters for his daughter. Onjewels he spent nothing, having already, he said, "a sufficient store forthe wife of a royal duke. "

On his return Guy called upon the king at his palace at Winchester, andHenry declared that he himself would ride to Summerley to be present atthe wedding. 

"You stood by me, " he said, "in the day of battle, it is but right that Ishould stand by you on your wedding-day. Her father will, of course, giveher away, and it is right that he should do so, seeing that she is no wardof mine; but I will be your best man. I will bring with me but a smalltrain, for I would not inconvenience the Baron of Summerley and his wife, and I will not sleep at the castle; though I do not say that I will notstay to tread a measure with your fair bride. "

Two days later a train of waggons was seen approaching Summerley; they. Were escorted by a body of men-at-arms with two officers of the king. LordEustace, in some surprise, rode out to meet them, and was informed thatthe king had ordered them to pitch a camp near the castle for himself andhis knights, and that he intended to tarry there for the night. As soon asthe waggons were unloaded the attendants and men-at-arms set to work, andin a short time the royal tent and six smaller ones were erected andfitted with their furniture. Other tents were put up a short distance awayfor the grooms and attendants. This greatly relieved Lady Margaret, forshe had wondered where she could bestow the king and his knights if, atthe last moment, he determined to sleep there. 

For the next three days the castle was alive with preparations. Oxen andswine were slaughtered, vast quantities of game, geese, and poultry werebrought in, two stags from the royal preserves at Winchester were sentover by the king, and the rivers for miles round were netted for fish. Atten o'clock Guy rode in with fifty mounted men, the tenants of Penshurst, Stoneham, and Piverley, and these and all the tenants of Summerley rodeout under Lord Eustace and Guy to meet the king. They had gone but a milewhen he and his train rode up. He had with him the Earl of Dorset and fiveof the nobles who had fought at Agincourt and were all personallyacquainted with Guy. The church at Summerley was a large one, but it wascrowded as it had never been before. The king and his nobles stood on oneside of the altar, while Lord Eustace, his wife, Agnes, and Charlie wereon the other. Guy's tenants occupied the front seats, while the rest ofthe church was filled by the tenants of Summerley, their wives anddaughters, and the retainers of the castle, among them Long Tom, with hispretty wife beside him. When everything was in order the Count ofMontepone entered the church with his daughter, followed by the sixprettiest maidens on the Summerley estate. 

"In truth, Sir Guy, " the king whispered as the bride and her father cameup the aisle, "your taste is as good in love as your arms are strong inwar, for my eyes never fell on a fairer maid. "

After the ceremony there was a great banquet in the hall, while all thetenants, with their wives and families, sat down to long tables spread inthe court-yard. After the meal was over and the tables removed, the kingand the party in the banqueting-hall went out on the steps and werereceived with tremendous cheering. Guy first returned thanks for himselfand his bride for the welcome that they had given him, and then, to thedelight of the people, the king stepped forward. 

"Good people, " he said, "among whom there are, I know, some who foughtstoutly with us at Agincourt, you do well to shout loudly at the marriageof this brave young knight, who was brought up among you, and who has wonby his valour great credit, and our royal favour. Methinks that he haswon, also, a prize in his eyes even greater than the honours that we havebestowed upon him, and I doubt not that, should occasion occur, he willwin yet higher honours in our service. "

A great shout of "God bless the king!" went up from the assembly. Then theparty returned to the hall, while casks of wine were broached in thecourt-yard. As Lord Eustace had sent for a party of musicians fromWinchester, first some stately dances were performed in the hall, as manyas could find room being allowed to come into it to witness them. The kingdanced the first measure with Katarina, the Earl of Dorset led out LadyMargaret, and Guy danced with Lady Agnes, while the other nobles foundpartners among the ladies who had come in from the neighbourhood. After afew dances the party adjourned to the court-yard, where games of variouskinds, dancing and feasting were kept up until a late hour, when the kingand his companions retired to their tents. At an early hour next morningthe king and his retinue rode back to Winchester. 

Until he signed the marriage contract before going to the church, Guy wasaltogether ignorant of the dowry that Katarina was to bring, and wasastonished at the very large sum of money, besides the long list ofjewels, entered in it. 

"She will have as much more at my death, " the count said quietly; "thereis no one else who has the slightest claim upon me. "

Consequently, in the course of the wars with France, Guy was able to put acontingent of men-at-arms and archers, far beyond the force his feudalobligations required, in the field. Long Tom was, at his own request, allowed by his lord to exchange his small holding for a larger one atPenshurst, and always led Guy's archers in the wars. 

Sir John Aylmer remained at Summerley, refusing Guy's pressing invitationto take up his abode at Penshurst. "No, lad, " he said; "Lord Eustace and Ihave been friends and companions for many years, and Lady Margaret hasbeen very dear to me from her childhood. Both would miss me sorely did Ileave them, the more so as Agnes is now away. Moreover, it is best thatyou and your fair wife should be together also for a time. 'Tis best inall respects. You are but two hours' easy riding from Summerley, and Ishall often be over to see you. "

Four years after his marriage the king promoted Guy to the rank of Baronof Penshurst, and about the same time the Count of Montepone, who had beenfor some months in Italy, finding that his enemies at Mantua were still sostrong that he was unable to obtain a reversal of the decree of banishmentthat had been passed against him, returned to Penshurst. 

"I have had more than enough of wandering, and would fain settle downhere, Guy, if you will give me a chamber for myself, and one for myinstruments. I shall need them but little henceforth, but they have becomea part of myself and, though no longer for gain, I love to watch thestars, and to ponder on their lessons; and when you ride to the wars Ishall be company for Katarina, who has long been used to my society alone, and I promise you that I will no longer employ her as my messenger. "

Once established at Penshurst the count employed much of his time inbeautifying the castle, spending money freely in adding to the privateapartments, and decorating and furnishing them in the Italian style, untilthey became the wonder and admiration of all who visited them. In time hetook upon himself much of the education of Katarina's children, andthroughout a long life Guy never ceased to bless the day when he and DameMargaret were in danger of their lives at the hands of the White Hoods ofParis. 

THE END.