Show 0 1 I I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 4 il U 0 ff 0 f 11 I 1 I 1 r I 1 ci 11 titi RT 11 1 r z t 31 v 1 57 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 E 1 I 1 ai 4 1 1 ax IF I 1 I 1 1 I 1 74 I 1 7 ill I 1 1 ly 1111 tr fe 4 1 t I 1 0 11 1 I I 1 M I 1 I 1 ir i ad I 1 I 1 I 1 4 aa I 1 I 1 1 I 1 ag j i X Q 04 IP I 1 6 4 sj sted 1894 B y haver E batot 11 ot of chapters at end of this installment CHAPTER IX sir MO who had entered the room with a a salvery ivery haired old lady upon his arm stared bared aghast at this sudden burst of candor maude 31 maude audel I 1 said bald lie he shaking ills head it la Is more hard for fop mo me to gain obedience from you than from tile the ten score drunken archers who followed m ma e to guinne yet hush little one for your fair lady mother will w bo be hero here anon and there Is no need that site she should know it we will keep you from the provost marshal this journey away to your chamber sweating sweet lne and keep a blithe face for she who confesses Is shriven and now fair mother he be continued when his daughter had bild gone sit alt you here by the fire for your blood runs rung colder than it did A alleyne leyne I 1 would hive have a word with ath you for I 1 would fain th that lit you oil should take service under me an and d liero here in good time cornea comes my lady without whose counsel set it its Is not iny ay iy wont vont to decide aught to import but indeed it was her own thought that you should come tor for I 1 havo have formed a good opinion of you and can see that you aro are one who may inay be trusted said tile tho lady loring and in good sooth rny my dear lord hath need of such n one by his big side for he rocks reeks so 0 o little ot of himself that there should bo be one there to look to his needs and meet hta film wants you have seen the chols cloister ter it well that you should see tile world to too 0 ero ern you make mak choice tor for I 1 life ife between them you can ride agneil sir nigel looking at the youth with p puckered u eyes yes ye I 1 have ridden much at tho the abbey be iv 1 1 yet et there to Is a difference betwixt a friars friar B hack and a warriors lors you can al sine ng and play on of c lute flute anil and rebe cli good you cin can read and blazonry indifferent well I 1 trust that you sue dixe lowly and serviceable vi 1 I have hae served nil my life my lord canet carve too 1 I have carved amr vo days das a week for ahn brethren A model truly wilt make it a squire of quires squires but toll tell me pray calest curl hair no my lord but I 1 could learn it li Is of import said lie he tor for I 1 love to keep my hair well ordered seeing that the weight of my 11 helmet eime t for thirty years hath both in some degree finsod tins d i it upon the top it Is for you also to bear tile purse said the lady tor for my sweet for lord curse Is of so BO free and gracious a temper that lio lie would rive give it gayly to the first who 10 asked alms alma of 0 liln all these things with some knowledge kno wedge of ve vener nerle lc and of the management manag ament of horse hawk and hound bound with the grace and hardihood ind find courtesy which are proper to your ape w will if to make ak you a alt t L tor for sir nagel 1 let in al alas I 1 lady d alleyne answered 1 I hanow well vel I 1 the he great honor that you have done mo me in deeming mo me worthy to wait upon so renowned a knight yet I 1 am so conse conscious fous or of my own weakness that I 1 scarce dare clare incur duties which I 1 might be so BO ill fitted to fulwil fulfil modesty and a humble mind said she e are the very first and rarest sifts gifts in page or squire your words prove that you have these and till all the rest Is hut but the work of uso use find and of time we can scarce hops hope said sir nigel 0 O t to have all ready for our start before th the e feast of st luke tor for there thera Is much t to be done in the time you will havo have leisure therefore it if it please you to take service under me in which to learn your devoir and I 1 havo have one favor to crave from you 1 I 1 added the lady imay or of the castle as yke alleyne 11 eyne turned to leave their presence you have as I 1 understand much learning which you have acquired at beaulieu beaullieu Beau I 1 would hove have you give an hour or two it a lay day whilst you are with us in discoursing with my daughter daug liter the lady maude for or she Is somewhat backward I 1 rear and hath no lovo love for letters save for these thesa poor fond romances which do but flit fill her empty head w with t it dreams of enchanted maidens and of errant ca cavalier valler father christopher comes over after nones from the priory but lie ho la Is stricken with years and slow 0 of speech so that slit sho gets bets small pr profit wit from his teaching I 1 would have you do what you can with her and with agatha my young tire woman and with dorothy pierpont pont and so alleyne found himself not only chosen as squire to a knight hut but also as squire to three damo which was a even v an further lier from the part which lie ho had thought to play in the world and now there came it a time of stir and bustle of furbishing of firms arms and clang ot of liam hammer me r from froin all tho the southland counties fast spread the tidings from rom thorpe to t borao and from castle to castle that hat the tha old game was afoot once more and tho the lions and lilles lilies to 11 be I 1 in tile tho field with tho the early spring great news this tor for that fi berce area old country whose choso trade for a generation had bad been war her exports archers rind and her filet imports prisoners for six years her ber sons had chafed chafee under tin an unwonted pez peace now they lew flew to thel their r arms as to their birthright tho the of old II 11 soldiers ot of cracy of nogent and 0 of f cletic rg were creer e glad ad v to think that they might all hear r the e war tr trumpet once more and gladder still acro we ro tile the hot youth wit who vadder bad ad chatted for years yeara under the martial marcal tales of their elrea to pierce tho the great mountains mount alna of tile tha south to fight the tamers tamera ot of the fiera flery moors to follow the greatest calta captain I 1 n of tho the to find sunny bunny cornfields and vincy ards when tile tha marches of and no normandy were as bare and ble bleak a k as tho the jedburgh Jed burgh forests hero was wag golden goiden prospects for or a race of warriors from sea to sea there ans stringing of bows in tho the cottage and clans clang of steel in tile tha castle nor did it take long for every stronghold to pour forth its cavalry and th through rough tho ell every ry hamlet its footmen footman late autumn and tile tho early winter every late road and country lane inne sounded ic ro with and trumpet with tile tho neigh of the warhorse war horse and the clatter of marching men in tho the ancient t find populous county count V of hampshire there was no lack of leaders or 0 of s soldiers c for a service which prom promised 1 sed e cither t tile r honor or profit greatest of all tile musters lio however wever was that at twynham castle for the name and the fame fam e e of f sir nigel loring drew toward him the that a and nil boldest spirits nil eager a ger to aerie under tinder so go vallant valiant a leader leade er archers Arc liers from tho ilia now new forest find tho the forest of noro bore bollmen from the plena ant coun country try which lu Is watered by the stour tile tho av avon on and the itchen young cavaliere cavaliers cava liers h houses ous a nil 11 fr from 0 in the ancient hampshire W were re pushing for to tako take errico under tho the banner of the live five scarlet roses and now could sir nigel havo shown the bach bacheller bac helles elfes of land which h tile the laws of rank required he might well have cut tits his forked pennon into a square banner and anle taken n all h a following into the aleid neld as would havo have supported the dignity of a dut but poverty was heavy upon him ills his land ans scant his coffers empty and the very castle which covered him the holding of another sore bore was his heart when he saw rare bowman and war hardened spearman sp earmen burneil awny n y from his hig gates for the lack of the n bonev 1 nev which equip in anil and pay them yet tile tho letter act which ell aylward bad brought him gave him powers which ho he was not slow flow to we use tn in it sir claude Tn Tnt tour nur the gascon of at the white co company m pony assured him tint there remain vl in hla his ice keeping e pang cental enough agh to nt fit out ti a hundred benat menat nt arms ar archers chers anti twenty man w which ich joined to tc I 1 the three hundred veteran companions already in france would main it a force which tiny any leader might be ba proud arolla to command care carea full fulla and sagaciously tile the veteran knight chose chleo out his men from the abo swarm ot of volunteers many an anxious consultation he held with black simon sam aylward and others of cf ills his more experienced followers as to who should come and who should stay il ay iy A all I 1 I 1 saints day however ho he had if filled 11 yd up his full numbers and mustered under his banner as an stout a fol following lowin g of hampshire foresters as ever twanged their war bows twenty men at ar arms in s too well mounted and equipped formed tile cavalry of the party while young peter of Fare bareham fareham ham and W walter alter ford of botley the martial a sons is of martial sires came at their own own 0 cost to wait upon sir nigel and to share with at alleano Ed erricson the cut dunes es ot tits his yet even after tho the enrolment there was much to be done ere the par party t 3 r proceed upon its way for a armor r s words swords and nil lances there was no need flood to take much forethought for they were to be had better and cheaper in bordeaux than in england with I 1 t 11 tho the longbow long lone bow however it was different yew staves indeed might bo be rot got in spain but it was well to take enough and to spare with him then bhreel spare cords should be carried for each bow with a great store of arrowheads arrow heads besides the brigan brigandines dines of chain mall mail the wadded steel caps and the bras marts or arm guards which were ft ere tho the proper equipment of the archer above all the women for miles round acro hard bard at work cutting the white sur coats coata which were the badge of the compana and adorning them with the red lion ion of st george upon the centre centra of the breast when all was completed and the muster called in tile the castle yard the oldest soldier of the 1 rench french wars was fain to confess th tint he hid never looked u upon p a better equipped or more warlike body of men from the knight with his silk bilk sitting his great black war borso in tho the front of them to hordlow john the giant recruit who leaned carelessly care carelessly lessl r u upon p oll n 1 hugro hugo black bow stave in the re rear n r of the six score fully halt half had seen seri service vice aco before while a fair sprinkling were men who hid had followed time the wars wara all their lives and had a hand in those battles which hid had made tile the whole world ring with the time fame and the wonder of the english infantry six long weeks were taken in these preparations and it wag ivas close on ere all was ready for rl a start nigh two months had allyne alleyne r edric heroes of gallant deoda deeds and lofty alms aim 1 I r ho he might hold forth upon moon ana and stars and lot let his fancy wander over tho the hidden secrets of tile universe and lio to would have a rapt listener with f hushed 8 cheeks and eloquent eyes who cou could id repeat after him the very words which ha had d fallen from lit his a lips but when it camo came to and astral a able ble tile tho counting of figures and rock onins of opi epicycles cycles away wo would aid so go her thou thoughts bh ts to horse and hound and a vacant oye eye and listless faco face would warn tho that teacher teach er that be had ost lost his hold upon tits his scholar then ho he had but to tiring bring out tho the old romance book from tho the priory with be fingered cover of ae a askin and gold 10 letters aters upon it a pur plo file graur ground d to entice her wayward mind back to the paths of learning at times too whon when tho the wild HI fit was u upon pon her she would break into pertness and robel rebel openly against Al Alle leynes ynos ant 0 firmness Irm ness s a yet ho he aou would id taklo jog quietly on with his lechl taking ng no hood heed to liar mutiny until suddenly she would bo be conquered by bv tits his patience and break into self a hundred times stronger than liar her fault demanded it chanced however that on oil ono one ot of these mornings when the evil mood was upon her agatha the young tire woman thinking to please tier her mistress began also to toss liar head and mako make tart rejoinder to tho the teachers questions in un tin instant install t the lady I 1 idy maude had turned upon hor her two blasting eyes and a face which was blanched with anger you would fare dare sald said she you would dare tho the frightened tire woman tried to excuse herself nut but my fair lady silo sho stammered what have I 1 done I 1 have said tin no more than I 1 heard you would lire dare repeated the lady in a choking voice you a graceless baggage a foolish lack brain with no thought above tile the hemming of anti and lie he so kindly and hendy handy and loni lone suffering you would ha you may well noo flee the room sho she had spoken with a rising voice find and a clasping and opening of her long white walto fingers so that it was no marvel that ere cro the speech was over tho the skirts of agatha were whisking bk ing round tile the door and the click of her sobs to lie ho heard dying swiftly away down tho the corridor alleyne stared open eyed nt this tigress who had sprung so suddenly to his rescue there Is no need for such linger anger ho said mildly tho the maids tu lu the slope elope of the he down hill sure am I 1 th that it 13 sir 1 nisei would bo be olathe at such euch a match hut how the lady Allo yno with d dry r lips ali ah ILI bladl thoro there lies iles nn mi trouble lo it Is a toss of 0 the head 1 uini tj t i drucia of the e yes eyes it 1 I say bayone one won ta i hat is in my mind I 1 did but ab aba it ari i aste night for or her green veil lh itin i might bear it as a t token or lanium annn ila upon my helni e in abut but aha alaan i n it at me that she h kept c pt it tor for a built i tit u n and then all in a breath naked flaked v alun for that sho she had spoke ao 11 ill bui yet sho she would not talco take back it in words vorda elthe either r nor would she aha gruelt it veil I 1 alaa 1 a s it to bilue A aicone Ai ca cine lie that t she bhe loves any one nay I 1 cannot say bad id alleyne alley no avith a wild throb n aarti lu in his heart q 1 I havo have thought a ri yet I 1 cannot name the man ald lid nr I 1 live my mv aalf 0 f and walter ira l furj tl d yo u w who ll 11 0 are hair bait a clerk it in I 1 1 lt t i her er C christopher h ris t 0 or of the priory aill ai bertrand nur ano page who la Is there wl li she sees 1 I cannot toll tell ileyne n yno shortly and the two s 1 on a kan gain each intent upon ii ln na i thoughts next day at lesson the tha teacher observed thit lis iia pupil was indeed looking p rl ie ind jailed jaded with listless eyes and t 11 weary I 1 n anner lie he was heavyhearted heavy hearted tu to allot aiuto 0 the change in her ber your mistress mt stross tf T r ir la Is ill agatha hei ha said to the tir man when tile tho lady maude had liar her chamber the maid looker locker aslant at him with laughing eyes it is not an illness that kills quoit si fit pray god not lie cried but tell me a agatha ae 1101 what I 1 lt it that ala ails liar er mo me thinks that I 1 c uld lay my hand upon another who is 19 |