ON the morning after the jousting, when Alleyne Edricson went, aswas his custom, into his master's chamber to wait upon him in hisdressing and to curl his hair, he found him already up and verybusily at work. He sat at a table by the window, a deerhound onone side of him and a lurcher on the other, his feet tucked awayunder the trestle on which he sat, and his tongue in his cheek,with the air of a man who is much perplexed. A sheet of vellumlay upon the board in front of him, and he held a pen in hishand, with which he had been scribbling in a rude schoolboy hand.So many were the blots, however, and so numerous the scratchesand erasures, that he had at last given it up in despair, andsat with his single uncovered eye cocked upwards at the ceiling,as one who waits upon inspiration.

"By Saint Paul!" he cried, as Alleyne entered, "you are the manwho will stand by me in this matter. I have been in sore need ofyou, Alleyne."

"God be with you, my fair lord!" the squire answered. "I trustthat you have taken no hurt from all that you have gone throughyesterday."

"Nay; I feel the fresher for it, Alleyne. It has eased myjoints, which were somewhat stiff from these years of peace. Itrust, Alleyne, that thou didst very carefully note and mark thebearing and carriage of this knight of France; for it is time,now when you are young, that you should see all that is best, andmould your own actions in accordance. This was a man from whommuch honor might be gained, and I have seldom met any one forwhom I have conceived so much love and esteem. Could I but learnhis name, I should send you to him with my cartel, that we mighthave further occasion to watch his goodly feats of arms."

"It is said, my fair lord, that none know his name save only theLord Chandos, and that he is under vow not to speak it. So ranthe gossip at the squires' table."

"Be he who he might, he was a very hardy gentleman. But I have atask here, Alleyne, which is harder to me than aught that was setbefore me yesterday."

"Can I help you, my lord?"

"That indeed you can. I have been writing my greetings to mysweet wife; for I hear that a messenger goes from the prince toSouthampton within the week, and he would gladly take a packetfor me. I pray you, Alleyne, to cast your eyes upon what I havewritten, and see it they are such words as my lady willunderstand. My fingers, as you can see, are more used to ironand leather than to the drawing of strokes and turning ofletters. What then? Is there aught amiss, that you shouldstare so?"

"It is this first word, my lord. In what tongue were you pleasedto write?"

"In English; for my lady talks it more than she doth French.

"Yet this is no English word, my sweet lord. Here are four t'sand never a letter betwixt them."

"By St. Paul! it seemed strange to my eye when I wrote it," saidSir Nigel. "They bristle up together like a clump of lances. Wemust break their ranks and set them farther apart. The word is'that.' Now I will read it to you, Alleyne, and you shall writeit out fair; for we leave Bordeaux this day, and it would begreat joy to me to think that the Lady Loring had word from me."

Alleyne sat down as ordered, with a pen in his hand and a freshsheet of parchment before him, while Sir Nigel slowly spelled outhis letter, running his forefinger on from word to word.

"That my heart is with thee, my dear sweeting, is what thine ownheart will assure thee of. All is well with us here, save thatPepin hath the mange on his back, and Pommers hath scarce yet gotclear of his stiffness from being four days on ship-board, andthe more so because the sea was very high, and we were like tofounder on account of a hole in her side, which was made by astone cast at us by certain sea-rovers, who may the saints havein their keeping, for they have gone from amongst us, as hasyoung Terlake, and two-score mariners and archers, who would bethe more welcome here as there is like to be a very fine war,with much honor and all hopes of advancement, for which I go togather my Company together, who are now at Montaubon, where theypillage and destroy; yet I hope that, by God's help, I may beable to show that I am their master, even as, my sweet lady, I amthy servant."

"How of that, Alleyne?" continued Sir Nigel, blinking at hissquire, with an expression of some pride upon his face. "Have Inot told her all that hath befallen us?"

"You have said much, my fair lord; and yet, if I may say so, itis somewhat crowded together, so that my Lady Loring can, mayhap,scarce follow it. Were it in shorter periods----"

"Nay, it boots me not how you marshal them, as long as they areall there at the muster. Let my lady have the words, and shewill place them in such order as pleases her best. But I wouldhave you add what it would please her to know."

"That will I," said Alleyne, blithely, and bent to the task.

"My fair lady and mistress," he wrote, "God hath had us in Hiskeeping, and my lord is well and in good cheer. He hath won muchhonor at the jousting before the prince, when he alone was ableto make it good against a very valiant man from France. Touchingthe moneys, there is enough and to spare until we reachMontaubon. Herewith, my fair lady, I send my humble regards,entreating you that you will give the same to your daughter, theLady Maude. May the holy saints have you both in their keepingis ever the prayer of thy servant,"ALLEYNE EDRICSON."

"That is very fairly set forth," said Sir Nigel, nodding his baldhead as each sentence was read to him. "And for thyself,Alleyne, if there be any dear friend to whom you would fain givegreeting, I can send it for thee within this packet."

"There is none," said Alleyne, sadly.

"Have you no kinsfolk, then?"

"None, save my brother."

"Ha! I had forgotten that there was ill blood betwixt you. Butare there none in all England who love thee?"

"None that I dare say so."

"And none whom you love?"

"Nay, I will not say that," said Alleyne.

Sir Nigel shook his head and laughed softly to himself, "I seehow it is with you," he said. "Have I not noted your frequentsighs and vacant eye? Is she fair?"

"She is indeed," cried Alleyne from his heart, all tingling atthis sudden turn of the talk.

"And good?"

"As an angel."

"And yet she loves you not?"

"Nay, I cannot say that she loves another."

"Then you have hopes?"

"I could not live else."

"Then must you strive to be worthy of her love. Be brave andpure, fearless to the strong and humble to the weak; and so,whether this love prosper or no, you will have fitted yourself tobe honored by a maiden's love, which is, in sooth, the highestguerdon which a true knight can hope for."

"Indeed, my lord, I do so strive," said Alleyne; "but she is sosweet, so dainty, and of so noble a spirit, that I fear me that Ishall never be worthy of her."

"By thinking so you become worthy. Is she then of noble birth?"

"She is, my lord," faltered Alleyne.

"Of a knightly house?"

"Yes."

"Have a care, Alleyne, have a care!" said Sir Nigel, kindly. "Thehigher the steed the greater the fall. Hawk not at that whichmay be beyond thy flight."

"My lord, I know little of the ways and usages of the world,"cried Alleyne, "but I would fain ask your rede upon the matter.You have known my father and my kin: is not my family one of goodstanding and repute?"

"Beyond all question."

"And yet you warn me that I must not place my love too high."

"Were Minstead yours, Alleyne, then, by St. Paul! I cannot thinkthat any family in the land would not be proud to take you amongthem, seeing that you come of so old a strain. But while theSocman lives----Ha, by my soul!" if this is not Sir Oliver's stepI am the more mistaken."

As he spoke, a heavy footfall was heard without, and the portlyknight flung open the door and strode into the room.

"Why, my little coz," said he, "I have come across to tell youthat I live above the barber's in the Rue de la Tour, and thatthere is a venison pasty in the oven and two flasks of the rightvintage on the table. By St. James! a blind man might find theplace, for one has but to get in the wind from it, and follow thesavory smell. Put on your cloak, then, and come, for Sir WalterHewett and Sir Robert Briquet, with one or two others, areawaiting us."

"Nay, Oliver, I cannot be with you, for I must to Montaubon thisday."

"To Montaubon? But I have heard that your Company is to comewith my forty Winchester rascals to Dax."

"If you will take charge of them, Oliver. For I will go toMontaubon with none save my two squires and two archers. Then,when I have found the rest of my Company I shall lead them toDax. We set forth this morning."

"Then I must back to my pasty," said Sir Oliver. "You will findus at Dax, I doubt not, unless the prince throw me into prison,for he is very wroth against me."

"And why, Oliver?"

"Pardieu! because I have sent my cartel, gauntlet, and defianceto Sir John Chandos and to Sir William Felton."

"To Chandos? In God's name, Oliver, why have you done this?"

"Because he and the other have used me despitefully."

"And how?"

"Because they have passed me over in choosing those who shouldjoust for England. Yourself and Audley I could pass, coz, foryou are mature men; but who are Wake, and Percy, and Beauchamp?By my soul! I was prodding for my food into a camp-kettle whenthey were howling for their pap. Is a man of my weight andsubstance to be thrown aside for the first three half-grown ladswho have learned the trick of the tilt-yard? But hark ye, coz, Ithink of sending my cartel also to the prince."

"Oliver! Oliver! You are mad!"

"Not I, i' faith! I care not a denier whether he be prince orno. By Saint James! I see that your squire's eyes are startingfrom his head like a trussed crab. Well, friend, we are allthree men of Hampshire, and not lightly to be jeered at."

"Has he jeered at you than?"

"Pardieu! yes, 'Old Sir Oliver's heart is still stout,' said oneof his court. 'Else had it been out of keeping with the rest ofhim,' quoth the prince. 'And his arm is strong,' said another.'So is the backbone of his horse,' quoth the prince. This veryday I will send him my cartel and defiance."

"Nay, nay, my dear Oliver," said Sir Nigel, laying his hand uponhis angry friend's arm. "There is naught in this, for it was butsaying that you were a strong and robust man, who had need of agood destrier. And as to Chandos and Felton, bethink you that ifwhen you yourself were young the older lances had ever beenpreferred, how would you then have had the chance to earn thegood name and fame which you now bear? You do not ride as lightas you did, Oliver, and I ride lighter by the weight of my hair,but it would be an ill thing if in the evening of our lives weshowed that our hearts were less true and loyal than of old. Ifsuch a knight as Sir Oliver Buttesthorn may turn against his ownprince for the sake of a light word, then where are we to lookfor steadfast faith and constancy?"

"Ah! my dear little coz, it is easy to sit in the sunshine andpreach to the man in the shadow. Yet you could ever win me overto your side with that soft voice of yours. Let us think no moreof it then. But, holy Mother! I had forgot the pasty, and itwill be as scorched as Judas Iscariot! Come, Nigel, lest thefoul fiend get the better of me again."

"For one hour, then; for we march at mid-day. Tell Aylward,Alleyne, that he is to come with me to Montaubon, and to chooseone archer for his comrade. The rest will to Dax when the princestarts, which will be before the feast of the Epiphany. HavePommers ready at mid-day with my sycamore lance, and place myharness on the sumpter mule."

With these brief directions, the two old soldiers strode offtogether, while Alleyne hastened to get all in order for theirjourney.