V
 
 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 8 5
 
 "guy aylmer saves the king's life at the battle of 
 
 agincourt."
 
 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 A TALE OF 
 THE WHITE HOODS OF PARIS 
 
 BY 
 
 G. A. HENTY 
 
 Author of" Beric the Briton," " St. Bartholomew's Eve," " In the Reign of Terror,' 
 "St. George for England," " The Tiger of Mysore," etc. 
 
 ..VUIT.H TWELVE' M.I.USXRATjaNSikY IVAl^l'AG'flt >' 
 
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 NEW YORK 
 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 
 1896
 
 Copyright, 1896, ev 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 
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 TROW DIRECTORT 
 
 PRINTING AND BOOKBINDING COMPANY 
 NEW YORK
 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 The long and bloody feud between the houses of Orleans 
 and Burgundy — which for many years devastated France, 
 caused a prodigious destruction of life and property, and was 
 not even relaxed in tlie presence of a common enemy — is very 
 fully recorded in the pages of Monstrellet and other contem- 
 porary historians. I have here only attempted to relate the 
 events of the early portion of the struggle — from its commence- 
 ment up to the astonishing victory of Agincourt, won by a 
 handful of Englishmen over the chivalry of France. Here 
 the two factions, with the exception of the Duke of Bur- 
 gundy himself, laid aside their differences for the moment, 
 only to renew them while France still lay prostrate at the feet 
 of the English concpieror. 
 
 At this distance of time, even with all the records at one's 
 disposal, it is diffi( ult to say which party was most to blame 
 in tliis disastrous civil war. a war which (hd more to cripple 
 llie power of France than was ever accomplished by F^ng- 
 lish arms. Unquestionably Burgundy was the first to enter 
 upon the struggle, but the terrible vengeance taken by the 
 Arniagnacs, — as the Orleanists came to be called. — for the 
 murders committed by the mob of Paris in alliance with him, 
 
 444988
 
 VI PREFACE 
 
 was of almost unexampled atrocity in civil war, and was 
 mainly responsible for the terrible acts of cruelty afterwards 
 perpetrated upon each other by both parties. I hope some 
 day to devote another volume to the story of this desperate 
 and unnatural struggle. 
 
 G. A. HENTY.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAP. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I. 
 
 A Feudal Castle, r 
 
 II. 
 
 Troubles in France, 
 
 
 
 
 
 19 
 
 III. 
 
 A Siege, .... 
 
 
 
 
 
 . 36 
 
 IV. 
 
 A Fatal Accident, . 
 
 
 
 
 
 ■ 54 
 
 V. 
 
 Hostages, .... 
 
 
 
 
 
 73 
 
 VI. 
 
 In Paris, .... 
 
 
 
 
 
 91 
 
 VII. 
 
 In the Streets of Paris, 
 
 
 
 
 
 109 
 
 VIII. 
 
 A Riot, 
 
 
 
 
 
 125 
 
 IX. 
 
 A Stout Defence, 
 
 
 
 
 
 141 
 
 X. 
 
 After the Fray, 
 
 
 
 
 
 158 
 
 XI. 
 
 Danger Threatened, 
 
 
 
 
 
 175 
 
 XII. 
 
 In Hiding, .... 
 
 
 
 
 
 191 
 
 XIII. 
 
 The Masters of Paris, . 
 
 
 
 
 
 211 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Planning Massacre, . 
 
 
 
 
 
 22S 
 
 XV. 
 
 A Rescue, .... 
 
 
 
 
 
 246 
 
 XVI. 
 
 The Escape, 
 
 
 
 
 
 263 
 
 XVII. 
 
 A Long Pause, . 
 
 
 
 
 
 281 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 Katarina, .... 
 
 
 
 
 
 29S 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Agincourt, .... 
 
 
 
 
 
 • 315 
 
 XX. 
 
 Penshurst, .... 
 
 
 
 
 
 332
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Guy Aylmer Saves the King's Life at the Battle of 
 
 Agincourt Frontispiece, 326 
 
 Guy has his Head Bound up after a Bout at Quarter- 
 staff 24 
 
 " The two men who lit the alarm fires rode into the 
 castle," 36 
 
 " Sir Eustace gave a loud cry, for lying at the bottom 
 OF the stair was the form of his son," . . .64 
 
 The Lady Margaret makes her Obeisance to the Duke 
 of Burgundy, 90 
 
 Guy and Long Tom come to the Rescue of Count Charles, 117 
 
 "Tom's kow twanged, and the arrow struck the horse- 
 man under the arm-pit," 146 
 
 " The king extended his hand to Guy, who went on one 
 knee to kiss it, ' . 178 
 
 "Well, comrade," said Simon, "I suppose you are ihe 
 
 MAN I was told would COME TO-NIGHT?" . . . 222 
 
 "Guy delivered a slashing blow on the butcher's cheek, 
 
 AND dashed past HIM," 256 
 
 Guv WELCOMES THE CoUNT OF MONTEPONE AND HIS DAUGH- 
 TER TO Villeroy. ........ 299 
 
 " KATARINA SWEPT A DEEP CURTSEY, AND WENT OFF WITH A 
 
 merry LAUGH," 333
 
 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 m FEUDAL CASTLE 
 
 Nl) is it true that our lord and lady sail next week 
 ■ for their estate in France? " 
 
 " Ay, it is true enough, and more is the 
 pity ; it was a sad day for us all when the king 
 gave the hand of his ward, our lady, to this 
 baron of Artois." 
 
 " They say she was willing enough, Peter." 
 " Ay, ay, all say she loved him, and, being a favourite with 
 the queen, she got her to ask the king to accede to the 
 knight's suit ; and no wonder, he is as proper a man as eyes 
 can want to look on — tall and stately, and they say brave. 
 His father and grandfather both were Edward's men. and 
 held their 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 gone well with us in France, and they say 
 that our lord has had difficulty in keeping clear of the (juarrels 
 that are always going on out there between the great French 
 lords; and, seeing that we have but little power in Artois, he 
 has to hold himself discreetly, and to keep aloof as far as he
 
 2 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 can from the strife there, and bide his time until the king 
 sends an army to win back his own again. But I doubt not 
 that, although our lady's wishes and the queen's favour may 
 have gone some way with him, the king thought more of the 
 advantage of keeping this French noble, — whose fathers have 
 always been faithful vassals of the crown, and who was him- 
 self English on his mother's side, — faithful to us, ready for the 
 time when the royal banner will flutter in the wind again, and 
 blood will flow as it did at Cressy and Poitiers. 
 
 " The example of a good knight like Sir Eustace taking the 
 field for us with his retainers might lead others to follow his 
 example ; besides, there were several suitors for our lady's 
 hand, and, by giving her to this French baron, there would 
 be less offence and heart-burning than if he had chosen one 
 among her English suitors. And, indeed, I know not that 
 we have suffered much from its being so; it is true that our 
 lord and lady live much on their estates abroad, but at least 
 they are here part of their time, and their castellan does not 
 press us more heavily during their absence than does our lord 
 when at home." 
 
 " He is a goodly knight, is Sir Aylmer, a just man and 
 kindly, and, being a cousin of our lady's, they do wisely and 
 well in placing all things in his hands during their absence." 
 
 "Ay, we have nought to grumble at, for we might have 
 done worse if we had had an English lord for our master, 
 who might have called us into the field when he chose, and 
 have pressed us to the utmost of his rights whenever he needed 
 money. ' ' 
 
 The speakers were a man and woman, who were standing 
 looking on at a party of men practising at the butts on the 
 village green at Summerley, one of the hamlets on the estates 
 of Sir Eustace de Villeroy, in Ham])shire. 
 
 "Well shot! " the man exclaimed, as an archer pierced
 
 A FEUDAL CASTLE 3 
 
 a white wand at a distance of eighty yards. " They are good 
 shots all, and if our lord and lady have fears of troubles in 
 France, they do right well in taking a band of rare archers 
 with them. There are but five-and-twenty of them, but they 
 are all of the best. When they offered prizes here a month 
 since for the bowmen of Hants and Sussex and Dorset, 
 methought they had some good reason why they should give 
 such high prizes as to bring hither the best men from all 
 three counties, and we were all proud that four of our own 
 men should have held their own so well in such company, 
 and especially that Tom, the miller's son, should have beaten 
 the best of them. He is captain of the band, you know, but 
 almost all the others shoot nigh as well ; there is not one of 
 them who cannot send an arrow straight into the face of a 
 foe at a hundred and twenty yards. There were some others 
 as good who would fain have 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 man fights all 
 the better when he knows there is no one in England praying 
 for his return, and that if he falls, there is no widow or 
 children to bewail his loss. There are as many stout men-at- 
 arms going too ; so the Castle of Villeroy will be a hard nut 
 for anyone to crack, for I hear they can put a hundred and 
 fifty of their vassals there in the field." 
 
 " We shall miss Sir Aylmer's son Guy," the woman said ; 
 " he is ever down at the village green when there are sports 
 going on. There is ikjI one of his age who can send an 
 arrow so straight to the mark, and not many of the men ; 
 and he can hold his own with a <|uarter-staff too." 
 
 "Ay, dame ; he is a stout lad. and a hearty one. They 
 say that at the castle he is ever practising with arms, and that 
 though scarce sixteen he can wield a sword and heavy battle- 
 axe as well as anv nian-at-arms there."
 
 4 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " He is gentle too," the woman said. " Since his 
 mother's death he often comes down with wine and other 
 goodies if anyone is ill, and he speaks as softly as a girl. 
 There is not one on the estate but has a good word for him, 
 nor doubts that he will grow up as worthy a knight as his 
 lather, though gentler perhaps in his manner, and less grave 
 in face, for he was ever a merry lad. Since the death of his 
 lady mother two years ago he has gone about sadly, still of 
 late he has gotten over his loss somewhat, and he can laugh 
 heartily again. I wonder his father can bear to part with 
 him." 
 
 " Sir Eustace knows well enough that he cannot always 
 keep the boy by his side, dame ; and that if a falcon is to 
 soar well, he must try his wings early. 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 of a stalwart knight in him. 
 His young brother Charles is a sturdy little chap, and bids 
 fair to take after his father ; and little Lady Agnes, who comes 
 between them, is full of fire and spirit. 
 
 " Yes; methinks Guy will have a pleasant time of it out 
 there : that is, if there are no fresh troubles. I doubt not 
 that in two or three years he will be one of our lord's es- 
 quires, and if he has a chance of displaying his courage and 
 skill, may be back among us a dubbed knight before many 
 years have passed over our heads. France is a rare place for 
 gaining honours, and so it may well l)e, for I see not that we 
 gain much else by our 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 say that each man that fought there brought
 
 A FEUDAL CASTLE 
 
 home a goodly share of spoil, I will warrant me the best part 
 went down their throats ere many months had passed." 
 
 " 'Tis ever so, dame; but I agree with you, and deem 
 that it would be better for England if we did not hold a foot 
 of ground in France, and if English 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 were 
 our kings to become indeed, as they claim, kings of France 
 as well as England, 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 willing to vote money 
 always when the kings want it for wars with France. The 
 wars in France don't affect us as much as those with Scotland 
 and Wales. When our kings go to France to fight they take 
 with them only such as are willing to go, men-at-arms and 
 archers ; but when we have troubles such as took place but 
 five or six years ago, when Douglas and Percy and the Welsh 
 all joined against us, then the lords call out their vassals and 
 the sheriffs 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 at Shrewsbury. Nigh thirty never came 
 back again. That is worse than the French wars, dame." 
 
 " Don't I know it, for wasn't my second boy one of those 
 who never came back. Ay, ay, they had better be fighting 
 in France, perhaps, for that lets 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 always see 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 they were accom])anied. First 
 there passed half a dozen mounted men-at-arms, who were to
 
 6 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 accompany the party but half a clay's march and then to re- 
 turn with Sir Aylmer. Next to these rode Sir Eustace and 
 Lady Margaret, still a beautiful woman, a worthy mate of 
 her noble - looking husband. On her other side rode Sir 
 Aylmer ; then came John Harpen, Sir Eustace's esquire ; be- 
 side whom trotted Agnes, a bright, merry - faced girl of 
 twelve. Guy rode with the two boys ; then came twenty- 
 four men-at-arms, many of whom had fought well and stoutly 
 at Shrewsbury; while Tom, the miller's son, or, as he was 
 generally called. Long Tom, strode along at the head of 
 twenty-four bowmen, each of whom carried the long English 
 bow and quiver full of cloth-yard arrows, and, in addition, a 
 heavy axe at his leathern girdle. 
 
 Behind these were some servitors leading horses carrying 
 provisions for the journey, and valises with the clothes of 
 Sir Eustace, his wife, and children, and a heavy cart drawn 
 by four strong horses with the bundles of extra garments for 
 the men-at-arms and archers, and several large sheaves of 
 spare arrows. The men-at-arms wore iron caps, as also breast 
 and back pieces. On the shoulders and arms of their leathern 
 jerkins iron rings were sewn thickly, forming a sort of chain 
 armour, while permitting perfect 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. They had 
 on tough leathern frocks, girded in at the waist, and falling to 
 the knee ; some of them had also iron rings- sewn on the 
 shoulders. English archers were often clad in green cloth, 
 but Sir Eustace had furnished the garments, and had chosen 
 leather, both as being far more durable, and as offering a 
 certain amount of defence. 
 
 The frocks were sleeveless, and each man wore cloth 
 
 Sleeves of a colour according to his fancy. The band was in 
 
 all respects a well-appointed one. As Sir Eustace wished to
 
 A FEUDAL CASTLE 7 
 
 avoid exciting comment among his neighbours, he had ab- 
 stained from taking a larger body of men ; and it was partly 
 for this reason that he had decided not to dress the archers in 
 green. But every man had been carefully picked ; the men- 
 at-arms were all powerful fellows who had seen service ; the 
 archers were little inferior in physique, for strength as well as 
 skill was required in archery, and in choosing the men Sir 
 Eustace had, when there was no great difference in i)oint of 
 skill, selected the most powerful among those who were will- 
 ing to take service with him. 
 
 Guy enjoyed the two days' ride to Southampton greatly. 
 It was the first time that he had been away from home, and 
 his spirits were high at thus starting on a career that would, 
 he hoped, bring him fame and honour. Ilcnry and his 
 brother and sister were also in good glee, although the jour- 
 ney was no novelty to them, for they had made it twice pre- 
 viously. Beyond liking change, as was natural at their age, 
 they cared not whether they were at their English or at their 
 P'rench home, as they spoke both languages with equal 
 fluency, and their life at one castle differed but little from 
 that at the other. 
 
 Embarking at Portsmouth in a ship that was carrying 
 military stores to Calais, they coasted along the shores of 
 Sussex and of Kent as far as Dungeness, and then made 
 across to Calais. It was early in April, the weather was ex- 
 ceptionally favourable, and they encountered no rough seas 
 whatever. On the way Sir iMistace related to Guy and his 
 sons the events that had taken place in l-'rance, and had led 
 up to the civil war that was raging so furiously there. 
 
 " In 1392, the King of France being seized with madness, 
 the Dukes of Burgundy and Orleans in a very short time ' 
 wrested the power of the state from the hands of his faithful 
 councillors, the Constable de Clisson, La Riviere, and others.
 
 8 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 De Clisson retired to his estate and castle at Montelhery, the 
 two others were seized and thrown into prison. De Clisson 
 was prosecuted before Parliament as a false and wicked traitor ; 
 but the king, acting on the advice of Orleans, who had not 
 then broken with the Dukes of Burgundy and Berri, had, 
 after La Riviere and another had been in prison for a year, 
 stoppfed the prosecution, and restored their estates to them. 
 Until 1402 the Dukes of Burgundy and Berri were all-power- 
 ful, and in 1396 a great number of knights and nobles, led 
 by John, Count of Nevers, the eldest son of the Duke of Bur- 
 gundy, went to the assistance of the King of Hungary, 
 which country was being invaded by the Turks. They were, 
 however, on the 28th of September, utterly defeated. The 
 greater portion of them were killed ; Nevers and the rest were 
 ransomed and brought home. 
 
 "In 1402 the king, influenced by his wife, Isobel, and his 
 brother, the Duke of Orleans, who were on terms of the 
 closest alliance, placed the entire government in the hands 
 of the latter, who at once began to abuse it to such an extent, 
 by imposing enormous taxes- upon the clergy and the people, 
 that he paved the way for the return of his uncle of Bur- 
 gundy to power. On the 27th of April, 1404, Philip the 
 Bold of Burgundy died. He was undoubtedly ambitious, but 
 he was also valiant and able, and he had the good of France 
 at heart. He was succeeded by his son John, called the 
 Fearless, from the bravery that he had displayed in the unfort- 
 unate Hungarian campaign. The change was disastrous for 
 France. John was violent and utterly unscrupulous, and 
 capable of any deed to gratify either his passions, jealousies, 
 or hatreds. At first he cloaked his designs against Orleans by 
 an appearance of friendship, paid him a visit at his castle near 
 Vincennes, where he was at the time lying ill. When he re- 
 covered, the two princes went to mass together, dined at
 
 A FEUDAL CASTLE 9 
 
 their uncle's, the Duke of Bern", and together entered Paris; 
 and the Parisians fondly hoped that there 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 
 the queen, and was riding with only two esquires and four or 
 five men on foot carrying torches, twenty armed men sprang 
 out from behind a house and rushed upon him. 
 
 " ' I am the Duke of Orleans,' the prince cried ; but they 
 hurled him from his mule, and as he tried to rise to his feet 
 one blow struck off the hand he raised to protect his head, 
 other blows rained down upon him from axe and sword, and 
 in less than a minute the duke lay dead. The Duke of Bur- 
 gundy at first affected grief and indignation, but at the coun- 
 cil the ne.xt day he boldly avowed that Orleans had been 
 killed by his orders. He at once took horse and rode to the 
 frontier of Flanders, which he reached safely, 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 Paris with her children, and appealed for justice to the 
 king, who declared that he regarded the deed done to his 
 brother as done to himself. The Dukes of Berri and Bour- 
 bon, the Constable and Chancellor, all a.ssured her that she 
 should have justice ; but there was no force that could hope to 
 cope with that which Burgundy could bring into the field, and 
 when, two months later. Burgundy entered Paris at the head 
 of a thousand men-at-arms, no attempt was made at resistance, 
 and the murderer was received with acclamations by the fickle 
 populace. 
 
 " The king at the time was suffering from one of his terri- 
 ble fits of insanity, but a great assembly was held, at which 
 princes, councillors, lords, doctors of law, and prominent citi- 
 zens were present. A monk of the Cordeliers, named John
 
 10 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Petit, then spoke for five hours in justification of the duke, 
 and the result was that the poor insane king was induced to 
 sign letters cancelling the penalty of the crime. For four 
 months the duke remained absolute master of Paris, disposing 
 of all posts and honours, and sparing no efforts to render him- 
 self popular with the burghers. A serious rebellion breaking 
 out at Liege, and the troops sent against the town being re- 
 pulsed, he was obliged to leave Paris to put down the re- 
 volt. As soon as he had left, the queen and the partisans of 
 Orleans prepared to take advantage of his absence, and two 
 months later Queen Isobel marched with the dauphin, now 
 some thirteen years old, from Melun with three thousand 
 men. 
 
 " The Parisians received her with applause, and as soon as 
 she had taken up her quarters at the Louvre, the Dukes of 
 Berri, Bourbon, and Brittany, the Constable, and all the great 
 officers of the court rallied round her. Two days later the 
 Duchess of Orleans arrived with a long train of mourning 
 coaches. A great assembly was held, and the king's advocate 
 announced to them the intention of the king to confer the 
 government upon the queen during his illness, aud produced 
 a document signed by the king to that effect. The Duchess 
 of Orleans then came forward, and kneeling before the dau- 
 phin, begged for justice for the death of her husband, and that 
 she might be granted an opportunity of refuting the calumnies 
 that John Petit had heaped on the memory of her husband. 
 A week later another great assembly was held, and the justi- 
 fication of the duke was read, refuting all these imputations, 
 and the duchess's advocate demanded that the duke should be 
 forced to make public reparation, and then to be exiled for 
 twenty years. The dauphin replied that he and all the princes 
 of blood royal present held that the charges against the Duke 
 of Orleans had been amply refuted, and that the demands
 
 A FEUDAL CASTLE 11 
 
 with reference to the Duke of Burgundy should be provided 
 for in course of justice. 
 
 " Scarcely had the assenibly broken up when it became 
 known tliat Burgundy and his army was on the way back to 
 Paris. Resistance was out of the question ; therefore, taking 
 the young dauphin with her, and accom[)anied by all the 
 members of the royal family, the queen retired to Tours. 
 Burgundy, unscrupulous as he was, finding that although he 
 might remain master of Paris, he could not hope to rule 
 France, except when acting under the pretence of the king's 
 authority, soon sent an embassy to Tours to endeavour to ar- 
 range matters. He was able to effect this with the less diffi- 
 culty, that the Duche.ss of Orleans had just died from grief at 
 her husband's death, and at the hopelessness of obtaining ven- 
 geance on his murderer. The queen was won to the cause of 
 Burgundy by secret proposals submitted to her for a close 
 league between them, and in March a treaty was concluded, 
 and a meeting took place at Cliartres, at which the duke, the 
 king, the queen, the royal ])rinces, and the young Duke of 
 Orleans and his adherents were present. 
 
 " The king declared that he pardoned the duke, and the 
 princes of Orleans consented to obey his orders and to lay 
 aside all hatred and thoughts of vengeance, and shortly after- 
 wards Paris welcomed witli shouts of joy the return of the 
 king and queen and the apparent reconciliation of all parties. 
 But the truce was a brief one ; for the princes and adherents 
 of Orleans might bend before circumstances at the moment, 
 but their feelings were unchanged. 
 
 " A head of the party was needed, and the young duke 
 married the daughter of Count Bernard d'Armagnac, one of 
 the most powerful and ambitious nobles of the south of 
 France, who at once. — in concert with the Dukes of Berri 
 and Brittany and other lords, — put himself at the head of the
 
 12 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Orleans party. On the loth of July, 141 1, the three princes 
 of Orleans sent a long letter to the king, complaining that no 
 reparation whatever had been made for the murder of their 
 father, and begging him that, as what was done at Chartres 
 was contrary to every principle of law, equity, reason, and 
 justice, the case should be reopened again. They also made 
 complaints against the Duke of Burgundy for his conduct and 
 abuse of power. 
 
 "As the king was surrounded by Burgundy's creatures no 
 favourable reply was returned, and a formal challenge or dec- 
 laration of war was, on the i8th of July, sent by the princes 
 to the Duke of Burgundy, and both parties 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 to blows, adding that 
 Burgundy would be viewed by him with most favour. 
 
 " ' My father and grandfather ever fought faithfully in the 
 service of England,' I said ; ' but for years past now, the 
 line betwixt your majesty's possessions and those of France 
 has been drawn in, and my estates and Castle of Villeroy now 
 lie beyond the line, and I am therefore a vassal of France as 
 well as of your majesty. It being known to all men that even 
 before I became Lord of Summerley, on my marriage with 
 your majesty's ward. Mistress Margaret, I, like my father, 
 held myself to be the liege man of the King of England. I 
 am therefore viewed with much hostility by my neighbours, 
 and right gladly would they seize upon any excuse to lay com- 
 plaint against me before the king, in order that I might be 
 deprived of my fief and castle. 
 
 " 'This I would fain hold always for your majesty; and, 
 seeing how it is situated but a few miles across the frontier, 
 it is, I would humbly submit to you, of importance to your
 
 A FEUDAL CASTLE 13 
 
 majesty that it should be held l)y one faithful to you — since 
 its possession in the hands of an enemy would greatly hinder 
 any English army marching out from Calais to the invasion 
 ot France. It is a place of some strength now ; but were it 
 in French hands it might be made very much stronger, and 
 would cost much time and loss of men to besiege. At present 
 your majesty is in alliance with Burgundy, but none can say 
 how the war will go, or what changes will take place ; and 
 should the Orleanists gain the upper hand, they will be quick 
 to take advantage of my having fought for Burgundy, and 
 would confiscate my estates and hand them over to one who 
 might be hostile to England, and pledged to make the castle a 
 stronghold that would greatly hinder and bar the advance of 
 an English army upon Paris. Therefore, Sire, I would, not 
 for my own sake but for the sake of your majesty's self and 
 your successors, pray you to let me for a while remain quietly 
 at Summerley until the course of events in France is deter- 
 mined.' 
 
 "The king was pleased to see the force of what I urged. 
 As far as I had inclinations in the case, they were towards the 
 cause, not of Burgundy himself, whose murder of Orleans was 
 alike treacherous and indefensible, but of his cause, seeing that 
 Flanders is wholly under his authority, and that in Artois he 
 is well - nigh paramount at i)resent. 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 standing aloof. So far the fortune of war has been 
 so changeable that one cannot say that the chances incline 
 towards one faction more than the other. Even the Church 
 has failed to bring about the end of the troubles. The Or- 
 leanists have been formally placed under interdicts, and cursed 
 l)y book, bell, and candle. The king's commands have been 
 laid upon all to put aside their quarrels, but both the ban of
 
 14 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 the Church and the king's commands have been ineffectual. 
 I am as anxious as ever to abstain from taking any part in the 
 trouble, the more so as the alliance between our king and 
 Burgundy has cooled somewhat. But I have received such 
 urgent prayers from my vassals at Villeroy to come among 
 them, since they are now being plundered by __both parties, 
 that I feel it is time for me to take up my abode there. When 
 the king stayed at Winchester, a month since, I laid the mat- 
 ter before him. He was pleased to say that what I had urged 
 a year ago had turned out to be as I foretold, and that he 
 would give me leave to go over and establish myself at Ville- 
 roy, and to hold myself aloof from both parties until the mat- 
 ter should further ripen. What will come of it I cannot say. 
 The English king seemed to me to be ailing, and I fear that 
 it may not be long before young Henry comes to the throne. 
 He is a wild young prince, but has already shown himself in 
 the Northern war to be full of spirit and courage, and methinks 
 that when he comes to the throne he will not long observe the 
 peaceful policy of his father, but that we shall see the royal 
 standard once again spread to the winds of France." 
 
 "But, Sir Eustace," Guy said, when he had concluded, 
 ' ' how do these matters affect you ? I thought that by the 
 treaty the west part of Artois was English." 
 
 "Ay, lad, it was so settled ; but at that time the strength 
 of France had been broken at Poitiers, and the Black Prince 
 and his army were so feared that his terms were willingly ac- 
 cepted in order to secure peace. Much has happened since 
 then : war has been constantly going on, sometimes hotly, 
 sometimes sluggishly ; France has had her own troubles, and 
 as the English kings have been more pacific, and England 
 has become weary of bearing the heavy expenses of the war, 
 the treaty has become a dead letter. Gascony, in which prov- 
 ince x\rmagnac is the greatest lord, is altogether lost to Eng^
 
 A FEUDAL CASTLE 15 
 
 land, as is the greater part of Guienne. A great proportion 
 of the people there were always bitterly opposed to the change, 
 and, as you know, even in the time of the Black Prince him- 
 self there were great rebellions and troubles ; since then town 
 after town and castle after castle has declared for France, and 
 no real efforts have ever been made by the English to win 
 them back again. 1, who in England am an English baron, 
 and — so long as things go on as at present — a French noble 
 while in France, am in a j^erilous position between my two 
 Suzerains. Were an English army to land, I should join 
 them, for 1 still hold myself to be a vassal of the king of Eng- 
 land, as we have been for three generations. As to the French 
 disputes, 1 fear that sooner or later 1 shall have to declare in 
 favour of one party or the other, for it will be difficult to stand 
 altogether aloof from these conflicts, because all men, at least 
 all men of condition, are well-nigh forced to take one side or 
 the other. The plea that 1 am a baron of England will be ot 
 no avail, for both sides would turn against me and be glad of 
 an excuse for pillaging and confiscating my estate. At pres- 
 ent, then, I must regard myself solely as a French noble, for 
 Villeroy has passed into the hands of France, just as for a 
 while it passed into the hands of England, and if this war goes 
 on we shall have to take a side." 
 
 "And to which side do your thoughts incline, Sir Eustace, 
 if I may ask you? " 
 
 " I love not either side, Guy, and would fain, if it could 
 be so, that my sword sliould remain in its sheath. I fear that 
 1 shall have to go witli Burgundy, for he is all-powerful in 
 Artois ; but liad I been altogether free to choose, I should 
 have sided with Orleans. In the first place, it is certain that 
 the last duke was foully murdered by Burgundy, who thereby 
 laid the foundation for the present troubles. There were jeal- 
 ousies before, as there have always been between the great no-
 
 16 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 bles, but that act forced almost all to take sides. The Dukes 
 of Berri and Brittany, who had been of the party of the late 
 Duke of Burgundy, were driven by this foul act of his son to 
 range themselves with Orleans. Armagnac is very powerful 
 in the south, Berri's dukedom is in the north, that of Orleans 
 to the north-east. Burgundy's strength lies in his own duke- 
 dom, — which has ever been 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 and west. This is 
 broadly the case, but in a civil war provinces and countships, 
 neighbours, ay, and families, become split up into factions, as 
 interest, or family ties, or the desire to increase an estate by 
 annexing 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 France we smaller men may hope to hold aloof, but, 
 as it goes on, and evil deeds are done on both sides, men's 
 passions become heated, the spirit spreads until every man's 
 hand is against his neighbour, and he who joins not against 
 one or the other finds both ready to oppress and rob him. I 
 should not have cared to bring out an English following with 
 me had we been forced to march any distance through France ; 
 but as Villeroy is but a few miles from the frontier, and of 
 that distance well-nigh half is through my own estates, we can 
 reach the castle almost unnoticed. Once there, the fact that 
 I have strengthened my garrison will keep me from attack, 
 for either party would be chary in attacking one who can de- 
 fend himself stoutly. I was minded to leave your lady and 
 the two younger children in England, but in truth she begged 
 so hard to accompany me that I could not say her nay." 
 
 The Castle of Villeroy was somewhat larger than the one 
 in which Guy had been born and brought up. The plan, 
 however, was very similar : there was the central keep, but, 
 whereas at home this was the dwelling-house of the family,
 
 A FEUDAL CASTLE 17 
 
 it was here used as a storehouse, and the apartments of the 
 count and countess were in the range of buildings that formed 
 an inner court round the keep. In point of hixury the 
 French were in advance of the Enghsh, and they had aheady 
 begun to combine comfort with strengtli in their buildings. 
 The apartments struck Guy as being wonderfully spacious in 
 comparison to those with which he was accustomed. On the 
 ground floor of one side of the square was the banqueting-hall. 
 Its walls were decorated with arms and armour, the joists that 
 supported the floor above were carved, the windows large and 
 spacious, for, looking as they did into the inner court, there 
 was no occasion for their being mere loopholes. Above the 
 banqueting-hall was a room where Lady Margaret sat with 
 her maids engaged in working at tapestry ; here the priest 
 gave such slight instruction as was then considered necessary 
 to Agnes and Charles; Henry had already passed out of his 
 hands. 
 
 Next to this room was the knight's sleeping apartment, or 
 closet as it was then called, a room which would now be con- 
 sidered of ridiculously straitened dimensions ; and close to it 
 were the still smaller closets of the children. Beyond were a 
 series of guest-chambers. Another side of the court-yard 
 contained the apartments of the castellan, Jean Bouvard, a 
 sturdy soldier of long experience, and those of the other offi- 
 cers of the household ; the other two sides were occupied by 
 the chapel, the kitchens, and the offices of the servants and 
 retainers. All these rooms were loopholed on the side look- 
 ing into the outer court. This was considerably wider and 
 more extensive than the one surrounding the keep. Here 
 were the stables, storehouses for grain and forage, and a build- 
 ing, just erected, for the lodging of the English garrison. All 
 these buildings stood against the outer wall, so that they 
 would afford no shelter to an enemy wlio had obtained pos-
 
 18 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 session of the first defences and was making an attack against 
 the second line. The outer wall was twelve feet in thick- 
 ness, and thirty feet above the court ; outside the height was 
 considerably greater, as there was a moat faced with stone 
 fifteen feet deep entirely surrounding it, and containing seven 
 or eight feet of water. 
 
 Walls ran half across the outer court, and, from the end of 
 these, light wooden bridges formed a communication with 
 the wall of the inner court, so that in the event of the outer 
 wall being stormed or the gates being carried by assault, the 
 defenders could retire to the inner defences. The ends of 
 these bridges rested upon irons projecting from the wall, and 
 so arranged that they could be instantly withdrawn when the 
 last of the defenders had crossed over, when the bridges would 
 at once fall into the court-yard below. The inner wall was 
 twelve feet higher than the outer one, and, like it, was pro- 
 vided with a crenellated battlement four feet high ; there 
 were projecting turrets at each corner, and one in the middle 
 of each side. 
 
 The keep rose twenty feet higher than the wall of the inner 
 court. The lower portions of the cross walls of the outer 
 court were carried on as far as the inner wall, thereby divid- 
 ing the space into four; strong gates gave communication 
 from one to the other. Into these could be driven the cattle 
 of the tenantry, and one of them contained a number of huts 
 in which the tenants themselves would be lodged. The 
 court-yard facing the entrance was the largest of the areas 
 into which the space between the outer and inner walls was 
 divided, extending the whole width between the outer 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 
 the horses of guests, with rooms over them for the use of their 
 retainers. There was a strong exterior work defending the
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 19 
 
 approach to the drawbridge on the other side of the moat, 
 and in all respects the castle was well appointed, and to Guy. 
 it seemed almost impossible that it could be carried by as- 
 sault, however numerous the foe. 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 
 
 AS soon as it was heard that the lord and lady had returned, 
 the vassals of Villeroy came in to pay their respects, 
 and presents of fowls, game, and provisions of all kinds 
 poured in. The table in the banqueting-hall was bountifully 
 spread, casks of wine broached, and all who came received 
 entertainment. As French was still spoken a good deal at 
 the English court and among the nobles and barons, and was 
 considered ])art of the necessary education of all persons of 
 gentle blood, Guy, who had always used it in his conversa- 
 tion with his father, had no difficulty in performing his duty 
 of seeing that the wants of all who came were well attended 
 to. In a few days guests of higher degree came in, the 
 knights and barons of that part of the province; a few of 
 these expressed surprise at the height of the sturdy men-at- 
 arms and archers loitering about the court-yard. Sir Eus- 
 tace always answered any remarks made on the subject by 
 saying, "Yes, Dame Margaret and I thought that instead of 
 keeping all our retainers doing nothing in our castle in Eng- 
 land, where there is at present no use whatever for their ser- 
 vices, we might as well bring a couple of score of them over 
 here. I have no wish to take part in any of the troubles that
 
 20 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 seem likely to disturb France, but there is never any saying 
 what may happen, and at any rate it costs no more to feed 
 these men here than in England." 
 
 The English archers and men-at-arms were well satisfied 
 with their quarters and food, and were soon on good terms 
 with their French associates. The garrison, before their 
 arrival, had consisted of fifty men-at-arms, and although these 
 had no means of communicating verbally with the new ar- 
 rivals, they were not long in striking up such acquaintance 
 as 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 exer- 
 cises in the court-yard together, under the command of the 
 castellan, while the archers marched out across the draw- 
 bridge and practised shooting at some butts pitched there. 
 To the French men-at-arms their performances appeared as- 
 tounding. The French had never taken to archery, but the 
 cross-bow was in use among them, and half of 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 warfare in the field. While they were able to send their 
 bolts as far as the bowmen could shoot their arrows, there 
 was no comparison whatever in point of accuracy, and the 
 archers could discharge a score of arrows while the cross - bow- 
 men were winding up their weapons. 
 
 " Pardieu, master page," Jean Bouvard said one day as 
 he stood with Guy watching the shooting of the archers, '' I 
 no longer wonder at the way in which you English defeated 
 us at Cressy and Poitiers. I have heard from my father, who 
 fought at Poitiers, how terrible was the rain of arrows that 
 was poured upon our knights when they charged up the hill 
 against the English, but I had never thought that men could 
 shoot with such skill and strength. It was but yesterday that
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 31 
 
 I set my men-at-arms to try and bend one of these English 
 bows, and not one of them could draw an arrow anywhere 
 near the head with all their efforts ; while these men seem to 
 do so with the greatest ease, and the s[)eed with which they 
 can shoot off arrow after arrow well-nigh passes belief. That 
 tall fellow, who is tlieir chief, but now sent twenty arrows 
 into a space no greater than a hand's- breadth, at a hundred 
 and twenty yards, and that so tjuickly that he scarce seemed 
 to take time to aim at all, and the others are well-nigh as 
 skilful. 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 volley together at it. It was riddled like a col- 
 ander ; 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 not miss it, and it needs Milan armour, and that 
 of the best, to keep out their arrows." 
 
 •' By our Lady," the captain remarked, " 1 should be sorry 
 to attack a castle defended by them, and our lord has done 
 well indeed to bring them over with him. Your men-at- 
 arms are stalwart fellows. My own men feel well-nigh abashed 
 when they see how these men take up a stone that they them- 
 selves can 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 it tliat all Englishmen are of equal strength, 
 though no doubt Sir Eustace could have gathered five hun- 
 dred as strong had he wished it." 
 
 " If that be so," the captain said, " I can well believe that 
 if France and England meet again on a field of battle France 
 shall be beaten as she was before. However, there is one 
 comfort, we shall not be among the defeated ; for our lord,
 
 22 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 and his father and his grandfather before him, have ever been 
 with England, and Sir Eustace, having an EngUsh wife and 
 mother, and being a vassal of the English crown for his 
 estates in England, will assuredly take their part in case 
 of a quarrel. Of course, at present we hold ourselves to be 
 neutrals, and though our lord's leanings towards England 
 give some umbrage to his neighbours, their enmity finds no 
 expression, since for years now there has been no fighting 
 to speak of between the two nations. How it will be if 
 Orleans and Burgundy come to blows I know not; but if 
 they do so, methinks our lord will have to declare for one or 
 the other, or he may have both upon him. A man with 
 broad estates, on which many cast covetous eyes, can scarce 
 stand altogether aloof. However, if Villeroy is attacked, 
 methinks that with the following Sir Eustace has brought 
 with him across the sea even Burgundy himself will find that 
 it would cost him so dearly to capture the castle that it were 
 best left alone." 
 
 " How about the vassals? " 
 
 "They will fight for their lord," Jean Bouvard answered 
 confidently. " You see their fathers and grandfathers fought 
 under the Black Prince, and it is natural that their leanings 
 should be on that side. Then they know that there is no 
 better lord in all Artois than Sir Eustace, and his dame has 
 made herself much beloved among them all. There is no fear 
 that they will disobey our lord's orders whatever they be, and 
 will fight as he bids them, for Orleans or Burgundy, England 
 or France. He has never exercised to the full his rights of 
 seigneur ; he has never called upon them for their fiiU quota 
 of work ; no man has even been htmg on his estate for two 
 generations save for crime committed ; no vassal's daughter 
 has ever been carried into the castle. I tell you there is not 
 a man for over fifty miles round who does not envy the vassals
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 23 
 
 of Villeroy, and this would be a happy land indeed were all 
 lords like ours. Were we to hoist the flag on the keep and fire 
 a gun, every man on the estate would muster here before sun- 
 set, and would march against the King of France himself did 
 Sir Eustace order 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 away in the keej) sufficient for them and 
 their women and children for a three months' siege. Sir 
 Eustace gave me orders yesterday to procure wood of the 
 kind used for arrows, and to lay in a great store of it ; also 
 to set the smiths 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 store sufficient at least for 
 a hundred rounds for each of these English archers, and if we 
 had double that it would be all the better. They can make 
 their own arrows if they have suitable wood.' It seemed to 
 me that two hundred rounds was beyond all necessity, but 
 now when I see that these men can shoot nigh twenty rounds 
 a minute, I can well understand that a great supply for them 
 is needful." 
 
 The time passed very pleasantly at Villeroy. Sometimes 
 Guy rode with his lord and lady when they went out hawk- 
 ing or paid visits to neighbouring castles. Regularly every 
 day they practised for two hours in arms, and although well 
 instructed before, Guy gained much additional skill from the 
 teaching of Jean Bouvard, who was a famous swordsman. 
 The latter was surprised at finding that the page was able to 
 draw the English bows as well as the archers, and that, al- 
 though inferior to Long Tom ami three or four of the best 
 .shots, he was quite as good a marksman as the majority. 
 Moreover, though of gentle blootl he would join with the
 
 24 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 men in their bouts of quarter-staff, and took no more heed of 
 a broken head than they did. 
 
 ' ' Pardieii, master page, ' ' he said one day when Guy came 
 in from the court-yard to have his head, which was stream- 
 ing with blood, bound up, "our French pages would marvel 
 indeed if they saw you. They all practise in arms as you do, 
 save with the shooting; but they would consider it would 
 demean them sorely to join in such rough sports with their 
 inferiors, or to run the risk of getting their beauty spoiled by 
 a rough blow. No wonder your knights strike so mightily in 
 battle when they are accustomed to strike so heavily in sport. 
 I saw one of your men-at-arms yesterday bury his axe to the 
 very head in a block of oak ; he wagered a stoup of wine that 
 no two of my men-at-arms would get the axe out, and he won 
 fairly, for indeed it took four of the knaves at the handle to 
 tug It out, and then indeed it needed all their strength. No 
 armour ever forged could have withstood such a blow; it 
 would have cracked both the casque and the skull inside like 
 egg-shells. It seemed to me that a thousand such men, with 
 as many archers, could march through France from end to 
 end, if they kept well together, and were well supplied with 
 meat and drink by the way — they would need that, for they 
 are as good trenchermen as they are fighters, and indeed each 
 man amongst them eats as much as three of my fellows." 
 
 " Yes, they want to be well fed," Guy laughed, " and they 
 are rarely pleased with the provision that you make for them; 
 surely not one of them ever fed so well before." 
 
 " Food does not cost much," the captain said ; " we have 
 herds of our own which run half wild on the low ground 
 near the river, which our lords always keep in hand for 
 their own uses, and they multiply so fast that they are all 
 the better for thinning ; we sell a few occasionally, but they 
 are so wild that it scarce pays the trouble of driving them
 
 i;LY has his llKAli liolMJ UI' AKIKR A HOIT AT nUARTKRSTAFF.
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 25 
 
 to the nearest market, 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 two for meat." 
 
 "I hear from the Governor of Calais," Sir Eustace said, 
 when he returned from a visit to that town, " that a truce 
 has been agreed upon between F^ngland 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 will profit, as they will have no fear of England trying 
 to regain some of her lost territory, while in the .south it 
 will leave Armagnac and his friends ecjually free from English 
 incursions from Guienne. " 
 
 " And how will it affect us, Eustace ? " his wife a.sked. 
 
 "That I have not been able fiiUy to determine. At any 
 rate they will have no excuse for attacking us upon the 
 groimd that we are partly English, and wholly so in feeling ; 
 but upon the other hand, if we are attacked either by Bur- 
 gundians or Orlcanists, we cannot hope, as we should have 
 done before, for aid from Calais, lying as we do some fifteen 
 miles beyond tlie frontier. Amiens has already declared for 
 Burgundy, in spite of the fact that a royal proclamation has 
 been issued, and sent to every town and bailiwick through 
 1'' ranee, strictly commanding all pei"sons whatsoever not to 
 interfere, or in any manner to assist the Dukes of Orleans 
 or Burgundy in their quarrels with each other. I hear that 
 the Duke of Burgundy has seized Roye, Nesle, and Ham. 
 and a number of other i)laces, and that both parties are forti- 
 fying all their towns. They say, too, that there is news that 
 the king has again been seized with one of his fits of mad- 
 ness. However, that matters little. He has of late been a 
 tool in the hands of Burgundy, and the roval signature has 
 no weight one way or the other. However, now that hos-
 
 26 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 tilities have begun, we must lose no time, for at any moment 
 one party or the other may make a sudden attack upon 
 us. Burgundy and Orleans may quarrel, but it is not for 
 love of one or the other that most of the nobles will join in 
 the fray, but merely because it offers them an opportunity 
 for pillaging and plundering, and for paying off old scores 
 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 them that there are plundering bands about, 
 and that either the Burgundians or the Orleanists may 
 swoop down upon us any day. Tell them that they had 
 better send in here all their valuables, and at any rate the 
 best of their cattle and horses, and to have everything pre- 
 pared for bringing in their wives aftd families and the rest 
 of their herds at a moment's notice. You can say that if 
 they like they can at once send their wives and families in, 
 with such store of grain and forage as they can transport ; 
 the more the better. If the plunderers come, so much the 
 more is saved from destruction ; if we are besieged, so much 
 the more food have we here. Those who do not send 
 in their families would do well to keep a cart with two 
 strong horses ready day and night, so that no time would 
 be lost when they get the signal. We shall fire a gun, hoist 
 the flag, and light a bonfire on 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. Place two men-at-arms on each of the 
 roads to St. Omer, St. Pol, and Bethune. Post them your- 
 self at the highest points you can find near our boundary. 
 By each have a pile of faggots, well smeared with pitch, and 
 have another pile ready on the keep, and a watch always
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 27 
 
 Stationed there. He is to light it at once when he sees 
 smoke or fire from either of the three points. Let the men 
 at the outposts be reUeved every four Iiours. They must, 
 of course, be mounted. Let one of the two remain by the fag- 
 gots, and let the other ride three or four miles in advance, 
 and so post himself as to see a long distance down the road. 
 
 " If he sees a force advancing he must gallop back at full 
 speed to his comrade, and light the fire. Have a gun always 
 loaded on the keep, and have a brazier burning hard by, 
 with an iron in it, so that tlie piece may be fired the instant 
 smoke is seen. It might be two or three mi-nutes before the 
 beacon would give out smoke enough to be noticed, and 
 every minute may be of the greatest importance to the 
 vassals. As soon as you return from setting the posts see 
 that everything is in readiness here. I myself will make 
 sure that the drawbridge works easily and the portcullis 
 runs freely in its groove. I have already sent off John 
 Harpen to warn the tenants, and doubtless many of them 
 will be in this afternoon. Send Pierre with four men, and 
 tell them to drive up a number of the cattle from the 
 marshes. They need not trouble to hunt them all up to- 
 day. Let them bring the principal herd, the others we will 
 fetch in to-morrow, or let them range where they are until we 
 have further news." 
 
 In a few minutes the castle resounded with the din of 
 preparations under the sujierintendence of Sir Eustace. The 
 men-at-arms and archers carried up stones from the great 
 l)ile that had been collected in the court-yard in readine.ss, 
 to the various points on the walls that would be most 
 exposed to assault. Others were employed in fixing barri- 
 cades in tlie court -yard at the rear for the reception of 
 the herd of half-wiUl cattle. The water was turned from 
 the little rivulet running down to the Somme into the
 
 28 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 moat. Two or three bullocks were killed to furnish food 
 for the fugitives who might come in, and straw was laid 
 down thickly in the sheds that would be occupied by them. 
 Machines for casting heavy stones were taken from the 
 storehouse and carried up to the walls, and set up there. 
 Large stone troughs placed in the court-yard were filled 
 with water, and before nightfall everything was in readiness. 
 
 As Sir Eustace had anticipated, most of the vassals whose 
 farms lay at a distance from the castle came in with their 
 wives and families in the course of the afternoon, bringing 
 carts laden with their household goods, and a considerable 
 number of horses and cattle. Lady Margaret herself saw that 
 they were established as comfortably as possible in the sheds, 
 which were large enough to contain all the women and chil- 
 dren on the estate. As for the men, no such provision was 
 necessary, as at this time of the year they could sleep in the 
 open air. Guy was busy all day seeing that the orders of 
 his lord were carried out, and especially watching the opera- 
 tions of putting the ballistas and catapults together on the 
 walls. Cannon, though now in use, had by no means super- 
 seded these machines, for they were cumbrous and clumsy, 
 and could only be fired at considerable intervals, and their 
 aim was by no means accurate or their range extensive, 
 as the charge of powder that could be used in them was 
 comparatively small, and the powder itself ill -made and 
 defective in strength. 
 
 Guy was struck with the difference of demeanour between 
 the men-at-arms and archers, especially among the English 
 contingent, and that of the fugitives who poured in. What 
 was a terrible blow to the latter was the cause of a scarce con- 
 cealed gratification among the former. The two months that 
 had been spent at the castle had, to the English, been a 
 somewhat monotonous time, and the prospect of active ser-
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 29 
 
 vice and of the giving and taking of blows made their blood 
 course more rapidly through their veins. It was the prospect 
 of fighting rather than of pay that liad attracted them to the 
 service of Sir Eustace. Then, as for a century previous and 
 until quite modern days, Frenchmen were regarded as the 
 natural foes of England, and however large a force an English 
 king wished to collect for service in France, he had never 
 any difficulty whatever in obtaining the number he asked for, 
 and they were ready cheerfully to give battle whatever the 
 odds against them. The English archer's confidence in him- 
 self and his skill was indeed supreme. Before the shafts of 
 his forefathers the flower of the French chivalry had gone 
 down like rushes before a scythe, and from being a mere ac- 
 cessory to a battle the English archers had become the back- 
 bone of the force. Their skill, in fact, had revolutionized 
 warfare, had broken the 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 factor in warfare. 
 Consequently the Engli.sh archers and men-at-arms went 
 about their work of preparation with a zest and cheerfulness 
 that showed their satisfaction in it. 
 
 " Why, Tom," Guy said to the tall leader of the archers, 
 " you look as pleased as if it were a feast rather than a fray 
 for which you were preparing." 
 
 "And so I feel, Master Guy. For what have I been 
 practising with the bow since I was eight years old but that 
 I miglit, when the time came, send an arrow straight through 
 the bars of a French vizor? In faith, I began to think that 
 I should never have an oi)portunity of exercising my skill on 
 anything more worthy than a target or peeled wand. Since 
 our kings have given up leading armies across the sea, there 
 was no way but to take service with our lord when I heard 
 that he wanted a small com|)any of archers for the defence ol
 
 30 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 his castle over here, and since we have come it has seemed to 
 us all that we were taking pay and food under false pretences, 
 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 as ourselves, and with the certainty of winning 
 a few silver pennies, to say nothing of plaudits from the on- 
 lookers. 'Tis with our people as with the knights of old ; if 
 they win in a tournament they take the armour of the van- 
 quished, the prize from the Queen of Beauty, and many a 
 glance of admiration from bright eyes. It is the same with 
 us ; for there is not an English maid but would choose an 
 archer who stands straight and firm, and can carry off a prize 
 when in good company, to a hind who thinks of naught but 
 delving the soil and tending the herd." 
 
 Guy laughed. "I suppose it is the same, when you put 
 it so. Long Tom ; but there will be none of your English 
 maids to watch your prowess here." 
 
 "No, Master Guy; but here we shall fight for our own 
 satisfaction, and prove to ourselves that we are as good men 
 as our fathers were. I know naught of this quarrel. Had 
 Sir Eustace taken us into the field to fight for one or other of 
 these factions concerning which we know nothing, we should 
 doubtless have done our duty and fought manfully. But we 
 are all glad that here we are doing what we came for ; we 
 are going to defend the castle against Frenchmen of some 
 sort or other who would do ill to our lord and lady, and we 
 shall fight right heartily and joyfully, and should still 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 the frightened women and children who, having 
 done no wrong, and caring naught for 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 a
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 31 
 
 band of robbers ill - treating a woman at home. 
 
 Think you that they will come, master ? " he added eagerly. 
 
 "That I cannot say surely, Tom; but Sir Eustace has 
 news that the Burgundians have already seized several towns 
 and placed garrisons there, and that armed bands are tra\-ers- 
 ing the country, burning and pillaging. Whether they will 
 feel strong enough to make an attack on this castle I know 
 not, but belike they will do so, for Sir Eustace, belonging as 
 he does, 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 his neighbours may well be glad to 
 take advantage of this troubled time to endeavour to despoil 
 him of his castle and po.ssessions. ' ' 
 
 " They will want to have good teeth to crack this nut, 
 Master Guy — good teeth and strong ; and methinks that those 
 who come to pluck the feathers may 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 against 
 picked I'jiglish archers, even though there l)e but twenty-five 
 of us in all." 
 
 " You know very well, Long Tom, that you would have 
 come over here whether there was any chance of your draw- 
 ing your bow on a Frenchman or not." 
 
 " That is true enough. Master C.iiy. Our lady wanted 
 some bowmen, and I, who have been born and bred on the 
 estate, was of coui-se bound to go with her. Then you see. 
 Master Guy, haven't I taught you to use the bow and the 
 cpiarter-staff, and carried you on my shoulder many a score 
 of times when you were a little lad and I was a big boy? it 
 would not have been natural for you to have gone out with 
 a chance of getting into a figlit without my being there to 
 draw a shaft when you needed it. Why, Ruth Gregory, 
 whose sworn bachelor you know I am. wi)uld have cried shame
 
 32 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 on me if I had lingered behind. I told her that if I stayed it 
 would be for her sake, and you should have seen how she 
 flouted me, saying that she would have no tall lout hiding be- 
 hind her petticoats, and that if I stayed, it should not be as 
 her man. And now I must be off to my supper, or I shall 
 find that there is not a morsel left for me." 
 
 The gates of the castle were closed that night, but it was 
 not considered necessary to lower the drawbridge. Two 
 sentries were posted at the work beyond the moat, and one 
 above the gate, besides -the watcher at the top of the keep. 
 The next day things were got into better order. More bar- 
 ricades were erected for the separation of the cattle ; a por- 
 tion- was set aside for horses. The provisions brought in 
 from the farms were stored away in the magazines. The 
 women and children began to settle down more comfortably 
 in their sheds. The best of the horses and cattle were re- 
 moved into the inner court-yard. The boys were set draw- 
 ing water and filling the troughs, while some 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 the castle. Many of the men who had come in had re- 
 turned to their work on the farms. Daring the day wag- 
 gons continued to arrive with stores of grain and forage; 
 boys and girls drove in flocks of geese and turkeys and 
 large numbers of ducks and hens, until the yard in wliich 
 the sheds were was crowded with them. By nightfall every 
 preparation was complete, and even Jean Bouvard himself 
 could find nothing further to suggest. 
 
 " If they are coming," he said to Sir Eustace, " the sooner 
 they come the better, my lord ; we have done all that we can 
 do, and had best get it over without more ado." 
 
 " I still hope that no one will come, Bouvard, but I agree 
 with you, that if it is to come the sooner the better. But
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 33 
 
 there is no saying, it may be to-morrow, it may be months 
 before we are disturbed. Still, in a war like this, it is likely 
 that all will try and get as much as they can as quickly as pos- 
 sible, for at any moment it may suit Burgundy and Orleans to 
 patch up their quarrel again. Burgundy is astute and cun- 
 ning, and if he sees that the Orleans i)rinces with Armagnac 
 and the Duke of Bourbon are likely to get the best of it, he 
 will use the king and queen to intervene and stop the fight- 
 ing. Seeing that this may be so, the rogues who have their 
 eye on their neighbours' goods and possessions will, you may 
 be sure, lose no time in stretching out their hands for them." 
 
 A week later came the news that Sir Clugnet de Brabant, 
 who styled himself Admiral of France, had gathered two 
 thousand men from the Orleanist garrisons and, with scaling- 
 ladders and other warlike machines, had attacked the town 
 of Rethel. The inhabitants had, however, notice of their 
 coming, and resisted .so stoutly that the Orleanists had been 
 forced to retreat, and had then divided into two parties, each 
 of whom had scoured the country, making prisoners all whom 
 they met, firing the villages and driving off the cattle, and 
 then returned to the town of Haui and to" the various gar- 
 risons from which they had been drawn. Some of the 
 tenants had returned to their farms, ])ut when tlie news 
 spread they again took refuge in tlie castle. It was probable 
 that Artois, where almost all the towns were held I)y the 
 Burgundian party, would be the next object of attack. The 
 Orleanists remained quiet for eight days only, then the news 
 came that they had moved out again from Ham eight thou- 
 sand strong, and were marching west. 
 
 Two days later several fugitives from the country round 
 
 arrived at the castle with uiws that the Orleanists were 
 
 advancing against Bapainne. and the next morning they heard 
 
 that they had, after a fierce fight, won tiieir way to the gate 
 
 3
 
 34 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 of the town. The Burgundian garrison had then saUied out 
 and at first met with success, but had been obHged to retreat 
 within the walls again. The Orleanists, however, consider- 
 ing the place too strong to be captured without a long siege, 
 which might be interrupted by a Burgundian force from 
 Flanders, had drawn off from the place, but were still march- 
 ing north burning and plundering. 
 
 " It is likely enough that they will come this way," Sir 
 Eustace said as he and Jean Bouvard talked the matter over. 
 "Assuredly Arras will be too strong for them to attempt. 
 The straight line would take them to St. Pol, but the 
 c^?*;lc there is a very strong one also. They may sack 
 and burn Avesne and Auvigni, and then, avoiding both St. 
 Pol and Arras, march between 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 might reckon upon more hard blows than plunder." 
 
 " It will depend upon whom they have with them," Sir 
 Eustace replied. * " They say that our neighbour Hugh de 
 Fruges went south ten days ago to join the Duke of Bourbon ; 
 his castle is but a small place, and as most of Artois is Bur- 
 gundian he might be afraid he might be captured. He has 
 never borne me good-will, and might well persuade the duke 
 that were my castle and estates 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 pos- 
 session might be very valuable to him should the Orleanists 
 ever have occasion to call in the aid of England, or to op- 
 pose their advance should the Burgundians take that step." 
 
 " Surely neither of these factions will do that. Sir Eustace." 
 
 "Why not, Bouvard? Every time that English armies
 
 TROUBLES IN FRANCE 35 
 
 have passed into France they have done it at the invitation 
 of French nobles who have embroiled themselves with their 
 kings. Burgundy and Orleans, Bourbon and Brittany, each 
 fights for his own hand, and cares little for France as a whole. 
 They may be vassals of the Valois, but they regard them- 
 selves as being nearly, if not altogether, their ecjuals, and are 
 always ready to league themselves with 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 were startled by the report of the gun on the kee'p, 
 and, running out, saw the signal-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 caused the greater portion of the farmers to 
 come in on the previous day, and in a short time those who 
 were nearest to the castle, and who had consequently de- 
 layed as long as possil)le, began to arrive. The garrison 
 were already under arms, and had taken the places assigned 
 to them on the walls. All the tenants had brought their arms 
 in with them, and were now drawn up in the court-yard, where 
 a large bonfire, that had been for some days in readiness, was 
 now blazing. The new-comers, after turning their horses 
 into the inclosure with those already there, joined them. All 
 had been acquainted with the share they were to bear should 
 the i)lace be besieged. They were to be divided into two 
 parties, one of which was to be on 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 on the 
 walls, or, when an attack took place, to be under arms and
 
 36 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 ready to hasten to any spot where its aid was required. The 
 men were now inspected by Sir Eustace, additional arms were 
 served out from the armoury to those whose equipment was 
 insufficient, and they were then dismissed to join their wives 
 and famihes until called to the walls. 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 A SIEGE 
 
 THE two men who had lit tlie alarm fires had already 
 ridden in. They reported that they had, just as it be- 
 came dark, seen flames rising from a village three miles from 
 them, and that the man in advance had ridden forward until 
 near enough to see that a great body of men were issuing from 
 the village in the direction of the castle. 
 
 Ten of the English men-at-arms, and as many French, were 
 now posted in the outwork 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, and four 
 men were stationed at the chains of the drawbridge in readi- 
 ness to hoist it should the order be given. The English 
 archers were on the wall beside Sir Eustace, as their arrows 
 commanded the ground beyond the outwork. Half an hour 
 after the first alarm was given the tale of the tenants was found 
 to be complete, and the guards on the other two roads had 
 also ridden in. Guy, to his great satisfaction, had been or- 
 dered by Sir Eustace to don his armour and to take his place 
 beside him.
 
 Till. 1 \VU MK.N WUU Lll IHK AI.AKM l-TRtS KUUt INTO THE 
 _ CASTI.K."
 
 A SIEGE 37 
 
 It was upwards of an hour before a body of horsemen could 
 be heard approaching. They came at a leisurely pace, for 
 the bonfire on the road and that on the keep liad apprised 
 tliem that their hope of taking the castle by surprise had been 
 frustrated by the disobedience of some of their men, who, in 
 defiance of the strictest orders to the contrary, had set fire to 
 several houses in the village after having plundered them. Sir 
 Eustace, accompanied by his esquire and Guy, descended 
 from the wall and crossed the drawbridge to the outwork. As 
 soon as the horsemen came within l)ow-shot of the castle they 
 lighted some torches, and three knights, preceded by a troo])cr 
 carrying a white flag, and two others with torches, came tow- 
 ards the work. W^ien within fifty yards of the postern they 
 halted. 
 
 " Is Sieur Eustace de Villeroy present? " 
 
 "1 am here," Sir ICustace replied, and at his order two 
 niL-n with torches took tlicir jjlace one on each side of him. 
 " Who are you that approach my castle in armed force? " 
 
 " I am Sir Clugnet de Brabant, Admiral of France. These 
 are Sir Manessier Guieret and Sir Hugh de Fruges, and we 
 come in the name of the Duke of Orleans to summon you to 
 admit a garrison of his highne.ss's troops." 
 
 " I am neither for Orleans nor for Burgundy," Sir Eustace 
 replied. " I am a simple knight, holding my castle and es- 
 tate as a vassal of the c-rown, and am ready to obey the orders 
 of the king, — and of liim only when he is in a condition of 
 nn'nd to give such orders. Until then t shall hold my castle, 
 and will admit no garrison whether of Orleans or of Bur- 
 gundy." 
 
 "We hold you to l)e but a false vassal of the crown, and 
 we are told that at heart you are an enemy to France and de- 
 voted to England." 
 
 " I am a vassal of England for the estates of my wife in that 
 
 M /« /• rioo
 
 38 AT AGINCOURT , 
 
 country," Sir Eustace 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, I should serve the King 
 of England." 
 
 " Nevertheless, Sir Eustace, you will have to receive a gar- 
 rison of Orleans. I have at my back eight thousand men, and 
 if you compel me to storm this hold of yours I warn you that 
 all within its walls will be put to 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 that you will not carry eight thousand 
 away. As for Sir Hugh de Fruges, I give him my open de- 
 fiance. I know it is to him that I owe this raid ; and if he 
 be man enough, I challenge him to meet me in the morning 
 on fair ground outside this postern, with lance and battle-axe, 
 to fight to the death. If he conquers, my castle shall be sur- 
 rendered to him, upon promise of good treatment 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 
 your following will depart forthwith." 
 
 " The conditions would be hardly fair, Sir Eustace," Sir 
 Clugnet said ; " and though I doubt not that Sir Hugh would 
 gladly accept them, I cannot permit him to do so. I have 
 brought some eight thousand men here to capture this castle, 
 and hold it for the Duke of Orleans, and I see not why I 
 should march away with them because you may perchance prove 
 a better fighter than Sir Hugh. I am ready, however, to give 
 a safe-conduct to all within the walls if you will surrender." 
 
 " That will I not do, Sir Clugnet. I hold this castle neither 
 for Burgundy nor Orleans, and am ready to give pledge that I 
 will not draw sword for either of these princes; but if that 
 will not content you, you must even take my castle if you can, 
 and I give you fair warning that it will cost you dear."
 
 A SIEGE 39 
 
 " Then adieu, Sir Knight, until to-morrow morning, when 
 we will talk in other fashion." 
 
 " So be it," Sir Eustace replied, "you will not find me 
 backward in returning 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 what the knight said, — adieu till the morning. 
 Had I to deal with a loyal gentleman I could have slept 
 soundly, but with these adventurers it is different. 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 
 our guard." 
 
 " We will keep close ward. Sir Eustace. All the men-at- 
 arms have their cross-bows, and though I say not that they can 
 shoot like these P^nglish archers, they can shoot straight enough 
 to do good work should those fellows attempt in force to cross 
 the small moat and attack the gate. But if they come, me- 
 thinks it will l)e but to try if we are wakeful ; 'tis no light 
 thing to attack even an outwork like this, with this loop from 
 the moat surrounding it, without previous examination of the 
 ground and reconnoitring of the castle." 
 
 " They would not attempt to attack the fortress itself," Sir 
 Eustace said ; " but if they could seize this outwork by sur- 
 prise it would mightily aid them in their attack on the fortress ; 
 at any rate I will send down five archers, and if any of the 
 enemy crawl up to see how wide the water is here, and Jiow 
 the attempt had best be made, I warrant that they will not re- 
 turn if the archers can but get a sight of them. Post half your 
 men on the wall, and let the others sleep ; change them every 
 two hours — we want no sleepy heads in the morning." 
 
 By this time the confused sound of a large number of men 
 marching could be made out, and a cpiarter of an hour later 
 three or four cottages, some five hundred yards away, were
 
 40 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 fired, and an angry murmur broke from the men as the flames 
 shot up. After sending down the five archers, Sir Eustace re- 
 turned to his post over the main gate. 
 
 "Get cressets and torches in readiness to Hght if they at- 
 tack the postern," Sir Eustace said; " we must have hght to 
 see how things go, so that we may hoist the drawbridge as 
 soon as our men are upon it, should the enemy get the better 
 of them. Be sure that one is not left behind ; it were better 
 that half a dozen of the enemy set foot on the drawbridge 
 than that one of our brave fellows should be sacrificed." 
 
 "I should think that there is no fear of their attacking 
 until those flames have burnt down ; we should see them 
 against the light," John Harpen .said. 
 
 "No, there is no fear of their attacking; but the fire 
 would be of advantage if any men were crawling up to spy. 
 Of course they would not cross the slope in a line with the 
 fire, but would work along on either side, reckoning, and 
 with reason, that as our men would have the light in their 
 eyes they would be all the less likely to make out objects 
 crawling along in the shade by the side of the moat. Plant 
 half a dozen bowmen at intervals on the wall, Tom, and tell 
 them to keep a shrewd eye on the ground near the moat, and 
 if they see aught moving there to try it with an arrow." 
 
 There was shouting and noise up by the burning cottages, 
 where the enemy were feasting on the spoils they had taken, 
 and drinking from the wine-barrels that had been brought 
 with them in carts from the last village that they had plun- 
 dered. 
 
 ' ' I wish we were somewhat stronger, or they somewhat 
 weaker," Sir Eustace said ; "were it so, we would make a 
 sally, and give the knaves a sharp lesson, but with only two 
 hundred men against their eight thousand it would be mad- 
 ness to try it ; we might slay a good many, but might lose
 
 A SIEGE 41 
 
 a score before we were back in the castle, and it would be a 
 heavy loss to us." 
 
 "I was thinking that myself, Sir Eustace," his esquire 
 said. " That is the worst of being on the defence; one sees 
 such chances but cannot avail one's self of them." 
 
 In the castle everything was ([uiet, and all those not on duty 
 were already asleej). Along the wall watchers stood at short 
 intervals peering into the darkness, but the main body there 
 were also stretched on the wall with their arms by their side 
 until required to be up and doing. Now that Sir Eustace 
 was himself at the gate his esquire went round the walls at 
 short intervals to be sure that the men on watch were visjilant. 
 Presently a loud cry 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 was posted. 
 
 " What is it, Dickon?" 
 
 " A man crept up to that corner opposite, Master Guy. I 
 could not have sworn to him, it is so i)esky dark, but I 
 thought there was something moving there and shot almost 
 at a venture, for I could scarce see the end of my arrow ; but 
 il hit there or thereabouts, for I heard liini sliout. A moment 
 later he was on his feet and running. I could see him more 
 plainly then, so I shot again, and over he went. I fancy that 
 in the morning you will see my arrow sticking up somewhere 
 between his shoulder-blades, though there is no saying pre- 
 cisely, for a nicety of shooting is not to be looked for in the 
 dark." 
 
 "You have done very well, Dickon. Keep your eyes 
 open ; we may be sure tliere are more than one of these fel- 
 lows about."
 
 42 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Guy hurried back with the news. 
 
 " That is good," said Sir Eustace, " and it was just as well 
 that the archer did not kill him outright with his first arrow, 
 the cry will show any of his comrades who may be about that 
 they had best keep their distance from the walls." 
 
 A minute's silence followed, and then Long Tom said, 
 " There is another has had his lesson. Sir Eustace. I heard 
 a bow twang across there, and as there was no cry you may 
 be sure that the shaft sped straight, and that the 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 figure he could make out at fifty 
 yards' distance, and they would scarce see them until they 
 were as close as that. No, my lord, I would wager a month's 
 pay that when morning dawns there is a dead man lying 
 somewhere in front of the 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 am mistaken, we shall be 
 busy from sunrise till sunset. 1 shall myself lie down for a 
 couple of hours presently, and then send John Harpen to rest 
 till daylight. Long Tom, see that you yourself and all your 
 men take a short sleep by turns ; we shall need your eyes to 
 be open above all others to-morrovv. " 
 
 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 said that he himself should come down for a short 
 sleep presently. Two spies who crawled up have been slain 
 by the archers. Sir Eustace is sure that no attack will be 
 made before morning."
 
 A SIEGE 43 
 
 Then he went into his httle room and threw himself onto 
 his pallet. During the first few minutes he hfted his head 
 several times fancying that he heard noises ; then he fell into 
 a sound sleep and did not awake until the day dawned. 
 
 In a few minutes Guy was on the wall. The night had 
 passed cjuietly ; so far as was known no fresh attempt at re- 
 connoitring the works had been made, and as the moon had 
 risen soon after he had gone to bed there was reason to believe 
 that the fact that the two spies had not returned was so strong 
 a proof of the vigilance of the garrison, that the enemy had 
 been content to wait until morning. Just as the sun rose the 
 three knights who had summoned the castle on the preceding 
 evening appeared on the brow of the opposite slope, accom- 
 panied by a body of men-at-arms, and rode slowly round the 
 castle. From time to time they halted, and were evidently 
 engaged in a discussion as to the point at which it could be 
 best attacked. 
 
 " Shall I shoot, my lord ? " Long Tom asked. " They are 
 some two hundred and fifty 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 well that they should not know how far 
 our bows will carry until we are sure of doing execution when 
 we shoot ; besides I would rather that they began the figlit. 
 Tiie quarrel is not one of my seeking, and I will leave it to 
 them to open the ball. It is true that they did so last night by 
 sending their spies here, but we have balanced that account. 
 Moreover, if they are to attack, the sooner the better. They 
 may have gained news from Sir Hugh of the coming here 
 of the English archers and the men-at-arms, but if they have 
 not done so we shall have a rare surprise in store for them." 
 
 After the knights had made a circuit of the castle they re-
 
 44 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 tired, and presently a dense mass of men appeared from behind 
 the brow on which the cottages they had burned had stood. 
 
 "They have bundles of faggots, Sir Eustace ! " Guy ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 " So they have, Guy ! Your eye is a good one. It seemed 
 to me that the outline was a strange one, but doubtless it 
 is as you say — that each man has a faggot on his shoulder. 
 It is evident that they intend, in the first place, to assault 
 the postern, and have brought the faggots to fill up the 
 ditch." 
 
 Then he turned to the gunners at the cannon. 
 
 " Lay your pieces so as to bear on them when they come 
 half-way down the hill," he said, " and shoot when they are 
 fairly in the line of fire. Take the same orders, Guy, to the 
 men working the ballistas and mangonels on the wall. Tell 
 them not to loose their machines until after the guns are 
 fired. If the fellows take to flight, tell them not to waste 
 their missiles ; if they advance, let them be sure that they 
 are well within range before they shoot." 
 
 With loud shouts the enemy came down the slope. 
 When they were half-way down the two guns roared out, and 
 their shot ploughed two lanes in the crowded body. There 
 was a movement of retreat, but the three knights and 
 several others threw themselves in front, waving their 
 swords and shouting, and the Orleanists rallied and moved 
 forward, but at a much slower pace than before. They had 
 gone but a short distance when the arrows of the archers in 
 the outwork and the bolts of the cross-bows worked by the 
 men-at-arms there, began to fall among them. So true was 
 the aim of the archers that scarce a shaft was wasted. At 
 the distance at which they were shooting they did not aim 
 at the knights, whose vizors and coats of mail could not 
 have been pierced, but shot at the commonalty, whose faces
 
 A SIEGE 45 
 
 and throats were for the most part unprotected. Man after 
 man fell, and the cross-bow bolts also told heavily upon the 
 crowd. They had come down but a short distance farther 
 when Long Tom, and the archers with him on the wall, 
 began to send their arrows thick and fast, and the machines 
 hurled heavy stones with tremendous force among them. 
 A moment later the French broke and fled up the slojie 
 again, leaving some fifty of their number stretched on the 
 ground. The knights followed more slowly. When they 
 reached the crest a group of them gathered around Sir 
 Clugnet de Brabant. 
 
 "By my faith," the latter said bitterly, "we have 
 reckoned without our host. Sir Knights. We- came to 
 shear, but in good sooth we seem more likely to go back 
 shorn. Truly those knaves shoot marvellously ; scarce an 
 arrow went astray. ' ' 
 
 "As I mentioned to you. Sir Clugnet," Sir Hugh de 
 Fruges said, " Sir Eustace brought with him from England 
 five-and-twenty bowmen, and I heard tell from men who 
 had seen them trying their skill at targets that they were 
 in no wise inferior to those with whom we have before had 
 to deal to our cost." 
 
 " Truly ye did so, Sir Hugh; but the matter made no 
 impression upon my mind, except as a proof that the 
 knight's inclinations were still with England, and that it 
 were well that his castle were placed in better keeping ; 
 but in truth these fellows shoot marvellously, both for 
 strength and trueness of aim. I marked as we came back 
 that of the men we passed lying there, nigh all those who 
 had been struck with arrows were hit in the face or throat, 
 and yet the distance must have been over a hundred and 
 fifty yards." 
 
 " I can answer for the force," one of the others said, " for
 
 46 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 a shaft struck me fairly on the chest, and hurled me to the 
 ground as if it had been the shock 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 had been 
 shorter, I doubt not that it would have slain me. Well, 
 what shall we do next, gentlemen ? For very shame we 
 cannot with eight thousand men march away having accom- 
 plished nothing. The question is, where shall our next 
 attack be delivered ? ' ' 
 
 "Methinks," another knight said, "we delivered our 
 attack too rashly. Had I known that there were English 
 archers there I should have advised waiting 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 much 
 from the stings of these wasps that they will soon lose heart. 
 The knaves shoot not only straight and strong, but they 
 shoot so fast that though, as you say, there may be but 
 twenty -five of them, the air seemed full of arrows, 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 soon as they had settled upon it the men 
 were told to scatter. Some were to go to the farmhouses 
 and bring up any hides that might be stored there, and to 
 fetch all the hurdles they could lay hands upon ; a portion 
 were to go to the woods and cut timber for making mantlets 
 and cover, while two thousand were to remain under arms in 
 case the garrison should make a sortie. 
 
 Within the castle all were in high spirits at the easy repulse 
 of the first attack. 
 
 " Sir Clugnet must have learned from Sir Hugh of my 
 having English archers and men-at-arms here," Sir Eustace 
 said to his lieutenant, " and yet he advanced as carelessly
 
 A SIEGE 47 
 
 and confidently as if he had been attacking a place defended 
 only by fat Flemish burghers ; however, he has had his 
 lesson, and as it is said he is a good knight, he will doubtless 
 profit by it, and we shall hear no more of him till after the 
 sun has set. Run up to the top of the keep, Guy, and bring 
 me back news what they are doing." 
 
 In a few minutes the lad returned. "There are two or 
 three thousand of tliem, my lord, drawn up in a body beyond 
 the crest ; the rest of them are scattering in \arious direc- 
 tions." 
 
 "That is as I expected," Sir Eustace remarked; "they 
 have gone to prepare materials for a regular attack. It 
 may be delivered to-night, or may be delayed for a day or 
 two ; however, we shall be ready for them. Jean Bouvard, 
 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 be gathering for an attack ; and do you, 
 Long Tom, give the same orders to your archers. There 
 is no use wasting the men's strength till the work begins 
 in earnest. If Sir Clugnet is wise he will march away at 
 once. He would need heavy machines and cannon to make 
 a breach in our walls, and even had he an abundance of 
 them it would take him some time to do so. If he tries 
 again, you may be sure that it will be the work of Sir Hugh 
 de Fruges, who has no doubt a lively interest in the matter. 
 He is a clever fellow, and will no doubt do his best to work 
 on the feelings of the other knights by representing that it 
 would l)e disgraceful for so large a force to abandon the 
 enterprise merely because a first hasty attack, delivered 
 without preparation, had Ijeen repulsed. The fact that they 
 have made so careful an examination of the castle would 
 seem in itself to show that they intended to renew the 
 attempt in another form if the first onset failed, and, more-
 
 48 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 over, the scattering of the force afterwards while the knights 
 still remained with a large body here points in the same 
 direction." 
 
 Guy on descending from the keep joined Sir Eustace and 
 his wife in their apartments. 
 
 "The lad has borne himself bravely," Sir Eustace said 
 approvingly to his wife; "he was standing beside me when 
 their shot was bringing down the dust round our ears, and he 
 neither started nor flinched, though in truth it was far from 
 pleasant, especially as we had nothing to do but to look on. 
 It may be next time we shall have sterner fighting, and I 
 doubt not that he will bear himself well." 
 
 " Could I not come up and carry your messages, father? " 
 Henry asked ; "I am not 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 such service. There will be little danger in it, for 
 his head will not show over the battlements, and it is well that 
 he should learn to hear without fear 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 yet strong 
 enough to bear arms, but he will learn to brace his nerves and 
 show a 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 had made for you in 
 England ; there will be no danger of your being hit by cross- 
 bow bolt or arrow, but there may be splinters of stone flying 
 when a missile hits the battlement. Take no arms with you, 
 only your dagger ; they would be useless to you, and would 
 hamper your movements in getting past the men on the wall,
 
 A SIEGE 49 
 
 or in running up and down the steps leading to it. Now 
 you had better He down ; both Guy and myself are going to 
 do so. At sunset, 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 it should be so, but he 
 might exert himself more than he does, and he is apt to think 
 too much of his ailments. I was glad when he volunteered 
 to do something, for it is at least as well that he should be 
 able to stand fire even if he cannot learn the use of arms; 
 moreover, it may be that after once bearing a part in a fray 
 he may incline more warmly to warlike exercises than he has 
 hitherto done; it may rouse in him a spirit which has so far 
 been wanting. I have often thought that it would have been 
 better if Agnes had been the boy and he the girl ; she has 
 far more courage and fire than he has. You remember when 
 that savage bull chased them, how she saw him first over the 
 stile and got tossed over after him for her pains ? " 
 
 Dame Margaret nodded. *' I am not likely to forget it, 
 Eustace, seeing that her arm was broken and I had to nurse 
 her for six weeks. Do you know that she was up on the top 
 of the keep while the fighting was going on ? Of course I 
 was there myself, and she begged so hard to be allowed to re- 
 main with me that T 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 the hill. 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 going on ; and 
 he looked rather pale at first, when they opened fire, but he 
 soon plucked u]) when he saw that their shot did no damage 
 near us. You see he is a strong healthy boy ; while Henry 
 4
 
 50 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 has always been weak, although I do not think that he lacks 
 courage." 
 
 " He ought not, Avife ; he comes from a fighting stock on 
 either side. But I fear that unless he changes greatly he is 
 cut out rather for a monk than a man-at-arms. And now I 
 will lie down, for you may be sure that I shall not close an 
 eye to-night. Did you note the banner of Hugh de Fruges 
 with the others ? ' ' 
 
 " 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 to meet me outside in a fair field, and the 
 craven did not answer me, and Sir Clugnet had to make 
 speech for him and decline the offer." 
 
 "You will need all your vigilance, Eustace. I trust that 
 every man within the walls is faithful to us ; but if there be 
 a traitor, be sure that Sir Hugh 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 a dozen of them, wife. Long Tom and 
 his comrades will take good care that none come near enough 
 for speech." 
 
 The day passed away in perfect quiet. From time to time 
 word came down from the look-out that the scattered soldiers 
 were returning laden with a great quantity of young trees, 
 wattles, and doors. Dame Margaret kept watch in her room, 
 and allowed no messengers to enter her husband's apartments. 
 
 " If there be need, I will wake him," she said; " but he 
 knows well enough what the French have gone for, and there 
 is naught to do until they advance to the attack." 
 
 Guy slept but a short time, and as he frequently started 
 up under the impression that the horn was sounding an alarm, 
 in the afternoon he got up and went down into the court-
 
 A SIEGE 51 
 
 yard. For some time he wandered about in the quarters 
 occupied by the tenants. These had now settled down ; the 
 children were playing about as unconcernedly as if they had 
 been on their fathers' farms ; women were washing clothes or 
 preparing the evening meal over little charcoal fires. A cer- 
 tain quantity of meat had been served out to each family, and 
 they were therefore doing better than in their own houses, for 
 meat was a luxury seldom touched by the French peasantry. 
 
 Almost all who had entered the castle had brought with 
 them a supply of herbs and vegetables ; these, with a hand- 
 ful or two of coarsely-ground meal boiled into broth, consti- 
 tuted their usual fare, and the addition of a portion of meat 
 afforded them great satisfaction. Some of the men were still 
 asleep, in preparation for a long night's work ; others were 
 standing about talking in little groups; some were on the 
 walls watching with gloomy faces the smoke wreaths that still 
 rose from what had been their homes. Ducks, geese, and 
 hens walked about unconcernedly looking for any stray grains 
 that had passed unnoticed when they had last been fed, and a 
 chorus of dissatisfied grunting arose from the pigs that had a 
 large pen in the yard next to the huts. These were still 
 smarting under a sense of injury excited not only by their re- 
 moval from their familiar haunts, but by the fact that most of 
 them had been hastily marked by a clipping of some kind in 
 the ear in order to enable their owners to distinguish them 
 from the others. Boys were carrying buckets of water from a 
 well in the court-yard to the troughs for the cattle and horses, 
 and the men-at-arms were cleaning their armour and polishing 
 their steel caps. 
 
 "Well, Tom, I hope we shall get on as well to-night as 
 we did this morning," Guy said to the leader of the archers. 
 
 " I hope so, Master Guy. but I would rather fight by day 
 than by night; it is random work when you can neither see
 
 5^ AT AGINCOURT 
 
 your mark nor look straight along your arrow. If we had 
 a moon we should do well enough, but on these dark nights 
 skill does not go for much ; still, I doubt not that we shall 
 five a good account of ourselves, for at any rate we shall be 
 able to make them out before they come to close work. The 
 women have been making a great store of torches to-day, and 
 that will help us a bit, though I would that they could be 
 l)lanted 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 to the enemy. What think you that their plan 
 will be?" 
 
 "I should say that they are intending to march forward 
 covered by mantlets of wattles and hides. They will plant 
 them near the edge of the moat, and throw up some earth- 
 works to shelter them and their machines; no doubt they 
 will use the doors they have fetched from all the farmhouses 
 for the same purpose. ' ' 
 
 "The doors will be more to the point, certainly," the 
 bowman said. " As to their hides and wattles, at fifty yards 
 I will warrant our arrows go through them as if they were 
 paper ; but I cannot say as much about stout oaken doors — 
 that is a target that I have never shot against ; I fear that the 
 shock would shiver the shafts. The mantlets too would serve 
 them to some purpose, for we should not know exactly where 
 they were standing behind them. As for their machines, 
 they cannot have many of them." 
 
 " They had something like a score of waggons with them, 
 Tom ; these would carry the beams for half a dozen big 
 ballistas ; besides, they have their cannon." 
 
 " I don't make much account of the cannon," the archer 
 said ; " they take pretty nearly an hour to load and fire 
 them, and at that rate, however hard a shot may hit, it 
 would be some time before they wrought much damage on
 
 A SIEGE 53 
 
 the walls, it is the sound more than tlie danger that makes 
 men afraid of the things, and, for my part, I would not 
 take the trouble of dragging them about. They are all very 
 well on the walls of a castle, though I see not that even 
 there they are of great advantage over the old machines. 
 It is true that they shoot further, but that is of no great 
 use. It is when the enemy come to attack that you want 
 to kill them, and at fifty yards I would kill more men with 
 my shafts in ten minutes than a cannon would do with 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 open their gates when they see them, while 
 they would make a stout defence if they had only ballislas 
 and mangonels to deal with. I suppose when they have got 
 the shelters close to the moat they will bring up planks to 
 throw across." 
 
 " Yes, no doubt they will try that, Tom ; hut the moat is 
 over wide for planks, and I think it more likely that they 
 will have provided themselves with sacks, and filled them 
 with earth, so as to make a passage across with them." 
 
 "As to the planks not being long enough. Master Guy, 
 they could get over that easy enough. They would only 
 have to send three or four swimmers across the moat, then 
 thrust long beams over for those who had crossed to fix 
 firmly, and then lay short planks across them." 
 
 " So they would, Tom ; I did not think of that. Well, 
 at any rate, I expect they will manage to get across the 
 moat somehow and i)lant ladders against the 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 breach in the walls I warrant that we can 
 hold them."
 
 54 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT 
 
 AS soon as the sun had set, the defenders gathered on the 
 walls. Fires had already been lighted there and cauldrons 
 of water and pitch suspended over them, and sacks of quick- 
 lime placed in readiness to be emptied ; great piles of stone 
 were placed at short intervals. 
 
 "As long as they attack at only one or two places," Sir 
 Eustace said to his wife, " I am quite confident that we shall 
 repulse them. If they attack at a dozen they may suc- 
 ceed, as we should only have a couple of archers and six or 
 seven men-at-arms at each point, besides a score or so of the 
 vassals. I have no doubt that these will fight stoutly, for 
 the sight of their burning homes has roused them, and each 
 man is longing to get a blow at those who have wrought 
 them so much damage. Still, thirty men are but a small 
 party to beat back an assault by hundreds. However, if 
 they carry the outside wall they will have the second to deal 
 with, and there we shall stand much thicker together, and 
 they cannot attack from many points, 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 the keep 
 as soon as the assault begins ? " 
 
 " I have been round myself and given orders," Dame 
 Margaret said. " I have told 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 else mount to the 
 walls and cross the bridges, for that on no account will the 
 gates be opened again."
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT 55 
 
 '* That is well, Margaret. I am now about to station two 
 men-at-arms on the inner wall at the end of each of the three 
 bridges, so that they may be ready on the instant to turn 
 the catches and let the bridges fall behind our men as they 
 rush across. The tenants have already driven as many more of 
 their best horses and cattle into the inner court as can find 
 standing room, so that their loss may be as small as possible. 
 If the outer wall is carried, I have no great fear that the 
 second wall will be taken ; the plunderers who form the mass 
 of Sir Clugnet's force will have had enough and more 
 than enough of fighting by tlie time that they capture the 
 outer one. Whatever happens, do not show yourself on 
 the walls to-night, and see that the children do not leave 
 their beds ; you can do naught, and will see but little in the 
 dark. To-morrow morning, wife, I will leave you free to go 
 among the soldiers and give them encouragement as may be 
 needed, but for to-night, I jjray you stir not out. I will send 
 Henry from time to time to let you know how matters go." 
 
 Rapidly the men gathered on the walls ; each had had his 
 post a.ssigned to him, and when Sir Eustace made a tour of 
 inspection he was glad to see how confidently each man bore 
 him.self, and how well prepared to gi\-e the enemy a warm 
 reception. As soon as it became dark, the outwork on the 
 other side of the moat was abandoned, the defenders called 
 into the castle, and the drawbridge raised, for it was evident 
 to Sir Eustace that although it might be maintained in day- 
 light, by the aid of the archers on the wall, it could not 
 resist an attack by overwhelming numbers when deprived of 
 that assistance. Sir Eustace, after inspecting the men's arms, 
 ordered all those on the walls, with the e.xception of a few who 
 were to remain on watch, to sit down with their backs against 
 the battlement, and to maintain an absolute silence. 
 
 "It is by sound rather than sight that we shall be able to
 
 56 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 judge of their movements," 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 the archers. Most of these men had been accustomed 
 to the chase, were skilled in woodcraft, and accustomed to 
 listen to the slightest noises that might tell of the movement 
 of a stag and enable them to judge his position. Sir Eustace, 
 for the present, posted himself in his old position over the 
 gate. Jean Bouvard and Guy were with him, while Long 
 Tom moved round and round the walls to gather news from 
 his sentries. Sometimes Guy accompanied him. 
 
 "They are moving," Tom the archer said as he stood 
 listening intently on the wall at the rear of the castle. " It 
 is an hour past sundown, and about the time the knaves will 
 be mustering if they intend to make a regular attack on us. 
 If it had been only an escalade there would have been no 
 sound until nearly morning. I thought I heard them on the 
 other side, but I am sure of it now." 
 
 "I can hear singing up at their camp," Guy said, "but 
 I don't hear anything else." 
 
 "They are keeping that up to deceive us, I expect. But 
 besides the singing there is a sort of rustle. I don't think 
 that they are coming this way at present, or we should hear it 
 plainer. It seems to me that it is spreading all 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 to call the men to their feet until the enemy 
 approaches more closely. I believe that it is the march of a 
 large number of men, and that they are probably moving to
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT 57 
 
 the positions assigned to them, but it may l^e another hour or 
 two before they close in." 
 
 In a short time the sound became more distinct ; from a 
 rustle it rose to a deep confused murmur, then an occasional 
 clink as of arms striking armour became audible. Most of 
 the men on the walls were now on their feet gazing into the 
 darkness. Presently the sound ceased, first on one side and 
 then on another. 
 
 '•' I fancy they are all at their stations now, Jean Bouvard ; 
 we shall soon hear more of them. Do not let your archers 
 shoot, Tom, until they can make them out very distinctly. 
 We may be sure that they will come up with their mantlets, 
 and it would be a waste of arrows to loose at them until they 
 are close to the moat ; but of course if se[)arate figures can be 
 distinguished your men will draw on them." 
 
 In a quarter of an hour messengers came from various 
 points on the wall saying that there was something moving 
 within sight, and to those at the post over the gate a dark 
 confused mass like a shadow seemed to be slowly coming 
 down towards their outwork. 
 
 " Touch off the guns, Jean," Sir Eustace said ; " we shall 
 get no further chance of catching them in a body." 
 
 The captain stooped, lit two touchfires at the lantern stand- 
 ing in readiness, 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 be)on(l the outwork. They were fired 
 almost sinuiltaneously, and the sound was followed by yells 
 of pain and dismay. The besiegers, seeing that there was 
 nothing further to gain by concealment, burst into a shout 
 that ran all round the castle, and were answered by one of 
 defiance from the walls. The sound was succeeded by loud 
 orders from the leaders of the various assaulting parties, and
 
 58 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 the objects before but dimly seen, now approached tne walls 
 rapidly. Jean Bouvard 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 time how things are getting on. Henry, 
 run down to your mother and tell her that the enemy are 
 moving up to the moat, and that it will be some time before 
 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 in front there was a glow in the sky from the num- 
 ber of fires burning beyond the crest of the slope, and Guy 
 was able to make out what seemed to him a wall extending 
 some fifteen yards, near the edge of the moat. The archers 
 and crossbow-men gathered opposite to it had just begun to 
 shoot. Behind this wall there were other dark masses irreg- 
 ularly placed, and extending back as far as he could see. 
 An occasional cry told that the arrows were doing execution 
 upon the unseen assailants behind the mantlets, and soon the 
 blows of cross-bow bolts against the wall and the sharp tap of 
 arrows told that the enemy had also betaken themselves to 
 their arms. A number of giant torches had been prepared, 
 consisting of sheafs of straw soaked with pitch, and one of 
 these was now lighted and elevated on a pole some fifteen feet 
 above the battlement. Its light was sufficient to enable the 
 scene beyond to be clearly made out. A row of mantlets some 
 eight feet high had been placed by the moat, and others of 
 the same height, and seven or eight feet long, elevated at 
 short intervals behind these, were so placed as to afford 
 shelter to the men coming down to the mantlets in front. 
 They stood in two lines ; they were some twenty feet apart, 
 but those in one line alternated with those in the other. Guy 
 soon saw the object of this arrangement. Men were darting 
 to and fro across the interval some six feet wide between the
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT 59 
 
 two lines. Thus they had but ten feet to run from the 
 shelter on one side to that on the other, and exposed them- 
 selves but for an instant to the aim of the archers. Some of 
 the men carried great bundles of faggots, others had sacks on 
 their shoulders. 
 
 "Do not heed the mantlets in front," said Dickon, who 
 was in command of the 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 loose your shaft 
 until a man is within three mantlets from the end ; then if one 
 misses, the next can take him when he runs across next time. 
 That is right, Hal," he broke off, as an arrow sped and a 
 man with a sack on his shoulder rolled over. " Now, lads, we 
 ought not to miss them by this light." 
 
 Eleven men fell, out of the next twelve who attempted to 
 carry their burdens down. Guy went back to Sir Eustace 
 with the news of the manner in which the attack was being 
 carried on, and of the effect of the archei"s' defence. 
 
 " I have just heard the same from the other side ; there is 
 one attack on each side and two behind ; Jean Bouvard has 
 posted himself there. I am going round myself now ; I do 
 not think there will be any attack made in front. 1 have 
 sent the archers here to the rear, where they will be more 
 useful ; the fellows in the outwork across there have enough 
 to do to shelter themselves." 
 
 This Guy could well understand, for although the guns 
 could not be depressed sufficiently to fire down into the tete 
 ifti pont, the mangonels were hurling stones into it, and the 
 men-at-arms shooting cross-bow quarrels whenever a man 
 showed himself The rear of the outwork was open and 
 afforded no shelter to those who had taken possession of it, 
 and already the greater portion had retired to the other side 
 of the small moat surrounding it, where they lay sheltered by
 
 60 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 the outwork itself. It was not long before the assailants at 
 the other points, finding that the plan they had formed was 
 defeated by the skill of the archers, poured down in a mass 
 between the two lines of mantlets, each man carrying his 
 burden before him, thus sheltering him to a great extent. 
 Against this method of attack the archers could do little, and 
 now confined themselves to shooting at the men who, having 
 thrown down the fascines or sacks by the edge of the moat, 
 stood for a moment and hesitated before running back to the 
 shelter of the mantlets, and not one in three got off scot- 
 free. Guy on going round the wall found the same state of 
 things at each of the other three points of assault. Numbers 
 of the enemy were falling, but great piles of materials were 
 accumulating at the edge of the moat. After a time a num- 
 ber of knights and men-at-arms, fully protected by armour, 
 came down and began to hurl the sacks and bags into the 
 moat, their operations being covered as much as possible by a 
 storm of missiles shot through holes in the mantlets. In a 
 short time Sir Eustace ordered the archers to desist shooting, 
 for they were obliged, in order to aim at those so much below 
 them, to expose a considerable portion of their bodies, and 
 three were killed by the enemy's missiles. 
 
 "We can't prevent them from filling up the moat," he 
 said, " and it is but throwing 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 loopholes at any point on the face of the 
 walls. It was not long before the moat was bridged at all 
 four points of attack. Ladders were then brought down. 
 This the assailants were able to accomplish without loss, as, 
 instead of carrying them, they were pushed backwards and 
 forwards by men stationed behind the mantlets, and were so 
 zigzagged down to the moat without the defenders being able
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT 61 
 
 to offer any opposition. Then rushes were made by parties 
 of knights, the ladders were placed, and the fight began in 
 earnest. 
 
 In the great court-yard the leader of the English men-at- 
 arms was placed with 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 were most required. 
 The assaults were obstinate, but the walls were as stoutly de- 
 fended. Sometimes the ladders were hurled back by poles 
 with an iron fork at the end ; buckets of boiling water and 
 tar were poured over on to the assailants as they clambered 
 up, and lime cast over on those waiting to 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 footing 
 on 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 from their turrets kei)t up a constant 
 flight of arrows on the crowd below. Only once was the 
 horn sounded for the aid of the reserve. Sir Eustace had 
 taken the command at the rear, while Jean Bouvard headed 
 the defence on the side opposite to that at which Guy was 
 fighting. The defenders under Sir Eustace had the hardest 
 work to hold their own, being assaulted at two points. This 
 was evidently the main place of attack, for here Sir Clugnet 
 himself and .several of his knights led the assault, and at one 
 time succeeded in gaining a footing on the wall at one point, 
 while Sir Eustace was at the other. Then the knight blew 
 his horn, and at the same time called the archers from the 
 turret nearest to him, while some of the otiier party on the 
 wall rushed to aid him of their own accord and, pressing 
 through the tenants, op]iosed themselves to the knights and 
 men-at-arms who had obtained a footing on the wall.
 
 62 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Their strength, and the power with which they wielded 
 their heavy axes, so held the assailants in check that they 
 could not gain space sufficient for others to join them, and 
 when the reserve ran up, so fierce an attack was made upon 
 the knights that several were beaten down and the rest forced 
 to spring over the wall at the risk of hfe and limb. Sir 
 Clugnet himself was the last to do this, and was carried away 
 insensible. Two or three of his companions were killed by 
 the fall, but the rest, leaping far enough out to alight beyond 
 the solid ground at the foot of the walls, had their fall broken 
 by the yielding mass of materials by which they had crossed 
 the moat. A loud shout of triumph rose from the defenders, 
 and was re-echoed by shouts from the other walls. As soon 
 as the news of the repulse at the rear reached the other 
 parties, and that Sir Clugnet was badly hurt, while several of 
 the knights were killed, the assault ceased at once, and the 
 Orleanists withdrew, followed by derisive cries from the de- 
 fenders. 
 
 "Thanks be to the saints that it is all over," Sir Eustace 
 said, as he opened his vizor ; "it was a close thing here, and 
 for a time I feared that the 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 have suf- 
 fered very heavily ; certainly three or four hundred must have 
 fallen, for we must admit that they fought stoutly. You have 
 all done well, my friends, and I thank you heartily. Now, 
 the first thing is to fetch the wounded down to the hall pre- 
 pared for them. Father Gregory has all in readiness for 
 them there. Guy, go round and find who have fallen, and 
 see them carried reverently down to the court-yard, send 
 me a list of their names, and place two men-at-arms at 
 each point where the assault took i^lace. Tom, do you 
 similarly dispose eight of your archers so that should they
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT 63, 
 
 send a spy up to see if we sleep, a message can be sent back, 
 in the shape of a cloth-yard shaft. Bid all the tenants and 
 retainers leave the wall ; a horn will recall them should there 
 be need. I will myself visit them shortly, and thank them 
 for their stout defence. I will send round a cup of spiced 
 wine to each man on the wall as soon as it can be prepared, 
 so that all may slake their thirst after their efforts." 
 
 Sir Eustace then made his way down from the wall to liis 
 apartments, where Dame Margaret was awaiting him. She 
 hurried to meet him. 
 
 " Wait, wife, till I have removed my helmet, and even 
 then you must be careful 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 me- 
 thinks that we shall hear no more of them ; but they fought 
 more stoutly than I had given them credit for, seeing that 
 they were but a mixed rabble, with a small proportion of real 
 men-at-arms among them. I suj^pose Henry brought you my 
 message to close the inner gates, as they had gained 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. Where can he be, Eustace?" she 
 asked anxiously. 
 
 " I know not indeed, Margaret, but will search at once. 
 While 1 do so will you go to the hall that you have prepared 
 for the wounded, and give what aid you can tliere? Do not 
 fear for the boy ; he turned and ran off when I spoke to him, 
 and as his head reaches not to the top of the battlements no 
 harm can have befallen him, thougli in truth I cannot think 
 what can have delayed him." 
 
 He called to two or three of the men below to take torches, 
 and to accompany him at once, and sent others to the sheds
 
 64 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 to ask if lie had been seen there, then went up to the top of 
 the inner wall and crossed the bridge at the back. 
 
 " 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 before the French got a footing at the other end 
 of the wall, but I saw him not afterwards." 
 
 " He ran towards the steps at the corner there," Sir Eus- 
 tace said, " with a message 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 wall descended the 
 steps, which were steep and narrow. He took a torch from 
 one of the men and held it over his head. As he neared the 
 bottom he gave a low cry and ran down the last few steps, 
 where, lying at the bottom, was the form of his son. He was 
 stretched at full length, and there was a terrible gash on his 
 forehead. The knight knelt beside him and raised his head, 
 from which the steel cap had fallen ; there was a deep stain of 
 blood on the pavement beneath. He placed his hand on the 
 boy's heart and his ear to his lips, and the men with the torches 
 stood silently round. It was but too evident what had hap- 
 pened. In his haste to carry the message Henry's foot had 
 slipped, and he had fallen headforemost down the steep steps, 
 his head coming in contact with the edge of one of them. 
 Without a word Sir Eustace raised the boy gently in his arms. 
 His face was sufficient to tell the men the news ; their young 
 lord was dead. 
 
 Sir Eustace carried him through the inner gate and up to 
 the boy's own room, and laid him down on his bed, then si- 
 lently he went out again and crossed the court to the keep. 
 Dame Margaret was seeing to the wounded being laid on the 
 straw in the lower room, and did not notice him until he 
 touched her. She turned sharply round, his face was sufficient
 
 'SIR EUSIACE GAVE A LUUD CRY, loR LYING Al THE liUTTuM OF 
 THE STAIR WAS THE FORM OF HIS SON."
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT 65 
 
 to tell her the truth. She gave a low cry and stepped back a 
 pace, and he moved forwards and drew her to him. 
 
 " Love," he said tenderly, " God has taken him. He was 
 fitter for heaven than any of us ; he was too gentle for this 
 rough world of ours. We shall mourn for him, but with him 
 it is well." 
 
 Dame Margaret laid her head on his shoulder, and burst 
 into a passion of tears. Sir Eustace let her weep for a time, 
 then he whispered : 
 
 " You must be brave, my love. There will be other mourn- 
 ers here for their dear ones who have died fighting for us ; 
 they will need your comfort. A Villeroy could not die bet- 
 ter than doing his duty. It was not by man's hand that he 
 fell, but God took him. His foot slipped in running down 
 the stair from the wall, and lie must assuredly have died with- 
 out a pang. Take the priest with you ; I will see to the 
 wounded here. Father Gregory," he went on, raising his 
 voice, " Dame Margaret has more need of you at the i)resent 
 moment than have these brave fellows. A grievous misfortune 
 has befallen us. My son is dead ; he fell while doing his duty. 
 Do you take her to liis room ; I give her to your charge for 
 the i)resent. I have my work to do, and will see that your 
 patients are well cared for." 
 
 There was a murmur of surprise and regret from the wounded 
 and those who had brought them in. The poor lad had been 
 a general favourite in the castle for his gentle and pleasant 
 ways with all, though many a time the rough soldiers had said 
 among themselves, " 'Tis a pity that lie was not a girl, and 
 the Lady Agnes a boy. He is more fit for a priest than for a 
 baron in times like these, for assuredly he will never grow into 
 a stout man-at-arms like his father." That a soldier should 
 have been killed in sucli a fight was to be e.\pected, but that 
 a gentle boy like this should have fallen seemed strange and 
 5
 
 66 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 unnatural, and all sorrowed for him as well as for their lord 
 and lady, and the men forgot for a time the smart of their 
 wounds in their regret at his untimely death. 
 
 Sir Eustace went about his work, quietly and earnestly, 
 bound up the soldiers' wounds, and saw as far as might be to 
 their comfort. Their number was not large, as it was only in 
 the fight on the wall that aught save their heads had been ex- 
 posed, and those struck by cross-bow bolts had for the most 
 part fallen as they stood. The eight men brought in had with- 
 out exception received wounds from the swords of the French 
 knights, and though some of the gashes were broad and deep, 
 none of them were likely to prove fatal. Just as the knight 
 had finished, Guy entered. He had heard the news, which 
 had .spread like wildfire through the castle. The lad's eyes 
 were red, for he had been greatly attached to Henry, whose 
 constant companion he had been whenever the family had 
 been at their English home. 
 
 "It is a strange fate, lad," Sir Eustace said, laying his 
 hand upon Guy's shoulder. "You who have exposed your- 
 self freely — for I marked you in the fight — have come through 
 scatheless, while Henry, whom I thought to keep out of dan- 
 ger, has fallen. And what is your news? " 
 
 " There have been seventeen killed, my lord, besides Jean 
 Bouvard, who was struck in the face by one of the last cross- 
 bow bolts shot before they drew ofiF." 
 
 " This is bad news indeed. I wondered why he came not 
 to me as soon as we had beaten them off, but I thought not of 
 this. He was a good and trustworthy fellow, and I shall miss 
 him sorely. Seventeen, say you? It is too 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 six of your French men-at-arms. These were 
 all killed by cross-bow bolts and arrows. Two of your ten-
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT 67 
 
 ants, Pierre Leroix and Jules Beaune, and four of their men 
 fell on the wall when the French gained a footing there; three 
 were, I hear, unmarried men, the other has left a wife and 
 three children." 
 
 " They shall be my care," the knight said. "The wives 
 of Leroi.x and Beaune shall 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 a white flag and four torch-bearers was coming 
 down the slope towards the outwork." 
 
 "I will go there myself," Sir Eustace said; " 'tis likely 
 they do but come to ask for leave to carry off the dead and 
 wo.inded, which we will gladly let them do, for it will .save us 
 much trouble to-morrow." 
 
 It was as the knight had supposed, and he at once gave the 
 permission asked for, and in a short time a great number of 
 men with torches came down the slope and for the ne.\l two 
 hours were occupied in carrying off their dead and wounded 
 comrades. A close watch was maintained all night, though 
 there was small fear of a renewal of the attack. At daybreak 
 the rear-guard of the enemy could be seen retiring, and a 
 l)arty of men-at-arms, under Sir Eustace himself, on going out 
 to reconnoitre, found that none had remained behind. A 
 mound marked the place where their dead had been buried in 
 one great grave. Many of the mantlets had been removed, 
 and they doubted not that these had been used as litters for 
 the conveyance of the wounded. They afterwards heard that 
 some four hundred and fifty men had been killed, and that over 
 a hundred, too sorely wounded to be able to walk, had been 
 carried away. 
 
 In the afternoon Henry was buried beneath the chapel in 
 the castle, while the men-at-arms and others were laid in the 
 inner court-yard. Having learned that the Orleanists, greatly
 
 68 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 disheartened at their heavy repulse, had marched away to the 
 south, the gates of the castle were opened. A small number 
 of the garrison were retained in the ca3tle, anci the rest were 
 sent out to aid the tenants in felling trees and getting up tem- 
 porary shelters 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. Artois was, upon the whole, strongly Burgundian, and 
 an army marching from Flanders speedily brought the whole 
 province over to that side. Nothing was done towards com- 
 mencing the work of rebuilding the farmhouses, for it was evi- 
 dent that the castle might at any moment be again belea- 
 guered. 
 
 Two months passed quietly. Sir Eustace busied himself in 
 seeing that the tenants were comfortably re-established in their 
 temixirary homes. The Burgundians had again obtained sev- 
 eral advantages, and as Sir Clugnet was known to have 
 marched away with his following to the assistance of the Or- 
 leanists, who had of late fared badly, there was no fear of any 
 fresh attack being made upon the castle. One day a messen- 
 ger rode in from the Governor of Calais, who was personally 
 known to Sir Eustace. The letter that he carried was an im- 
 portant one. After the usual greeting it read : — 
 
 For the love I bear you, Sir Eustace, I write to let you know 
 that there is a change in affairs. It seems that the Duke of 
 Burgundy has hut been playing with our King Henry, and that 
 the offer of a marriage was made only in order to obtain assist- 
 ance and the countenance of the king. Beifig now, as it would 
 seem, powerful enough to hold his own against his enemies with- 
 out such aid, the matter has fallen through. I have received a 
 royal order, which has also been sent to the governors of other
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT GO 
 
 English (owns, and it has been proclaimed e"oerywhcre by sound 
 of trumpets y that none of Henrf s subjects of whatever rank 
 should in any way interfere betiveen the two factions in France, 
 nor go into France to serve either of them by arms or otherwise 
 under pain of death and confiscation of fortune. But I juould 
 tell you for your private ear, that I have news that our king is 
 in correspondence with the Dukes of Berri, Orleans, and 
 Bourbon, and that it is like that he will shortly declare for that 
 party, being grievously offended at the treatment that he has 
 received at the hatids of the Duke of Burgundy after having 
 given him loyal help and assistance which had, in no slight 
 degree, assisted him in making good his cause against his ene- 
 mies. 
 
 In a short time, indeed, the English from Calais, and from 
 other places held by them in France, began to make sorties 
 and to carry off much plunder from the country round, and 
 especially took by storm the Castle of Banelinghen near Ardres, 
 notwithstanding the truce that prevailed. The intentions of 
 the King of England were made still more manifest by his 
 writing a letter to the Flemish towns, saying that, having 
 heard that the Duke of Burgundy was gathering an army of 
 l'"lemings to march into Aquitaine to wage war upon and de- 
 stroy his subjects, and particularly his very dear and well-be- 
 loved cousins the Dukes of Berri, Orleans, and Bourbon, and 
 the Counts of Alenqion and Armagnac, and the Lord d' Albreth, 
 he therefore begged them to inform him whether they were 
 willing to conform to the truce concluded between them and 
 England without in any way assisting their lord in his wicked 
 purpose. 
 
 The Flemish towns replied that they desired in no way to 
 infringe the truce between the two countries, but that they 
 would serve and assist the King of France, their sovereign lord,
 
 70 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 and their Count the Duke of Burgundy, as heretofore, to the 
 utmost of their power. 
 
 In a short time, indeed, it became known that a solemn 
 treaty had been conchided between the King of England and 
 the Orleanist nobles, they engaging to aid him to recover 
 Guienne and the parts of Aquitaine he had lost, 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 when the English would move, and it was likely 
 enough that if an army set sail it would land in Guienne, and 
 that Calais would be able to render no assistance, 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 the two French factions, urged by the Count of Savoy, 
 the Grand Master of Rhodes, and many others, had agreed to 
 terms of peace between them, and that the Orleanists had for- 
 mally renounced the English alliance. 
 
 At the meeting of the leaders of the party, the Duke of 
 Aquitaine, the king's son, presided. For a time all the differ- 
 ences were patched up. The news, however, came too late to 
 arrest the embarkation of the English. Eight thousand men 
 fended at La Hogue, under the Duke of Clarence, overran a 
 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 if the Duke of Berri and his 
 party kept their engagement with them, and paid them the 
 two hundred thousand crowns he had agreed to do. The 
 Duke had not, however, the means to pay this amount, and 
 the English therefore continued to ravage the country, while 
 a large force from Calais, under the Earl of Warwick, capt- 
 ured the town of Saumer-au-Bois and the Castle of Ruissault. 
 This, however, was scarcely an invasion, and Sir Eustace, be-
 
 A FATAL ACCIDENT 71 
 
 ing doubtful whether Henry meditated operations upon a 
 large scale now that he had no longer allies in France, took 
 no part in the matter, but remained quietly in his castle. 
 
 Towards the end of March, 141 3, a royal herald appeared 
 before the gate. He was at once admitted, and was received 
 with all honour in the great hall by Sir Eustace. 
 
 " Sir Eustace de Villeroy," he said, " 1 come to you in the 
 name of the King of France, yuur lord and suzerain. He 
 bids me to say that he has heard with satisfaction that you re- 
 fused entry to your castle to those who demanded it altogether 
 without authority from him ; but that, seeing the importance 
 of the castle in case of trouble with England, and that you are 
 a vassal of England for estates in that country, he deems it 
 necessary that its safety should be assured, and therefore calls 
 upon you to send, in [troof of your loyalty to and affection for 
 him, your wife and children to Paris, where they shall be 
 cared for in all honour and as becomes their condition ; or to 
 receive a garrison of royal troops of such strength as to defend 
 it from any fresh assault that may be made upon it, either on 
 the part of those who before attacked it, or of England. He 
 charges you on your fealty to accept one or otlier of these 
 conditions, or to be deemed a false vassal, whi( h he cannot 
 believe you are, knowing you to be a brave and worthy knight. 
 Here is a document with the king's signature and seal to the 
 effect which I have delivered to you." 
 
 "His Majesty's demands come upon me as a surprise," 
 the knight said gravely, "and I i)ray you to abide with me 
 till to-morrow, by which lime I shall have had leisure to con- 
 sider the alternative and be ready to give you answer." 
 
 " Your request is a reasonable one, Sir Eustace," the her- 
 ald replied, "and I will await the answer for twenty-four 
 hours." 
 
 The herald was then conducted to the guest-chamber, and
 
 72 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Sir Eustace went out into the court-yard and for some time 
 busied himself with tlie usual affairs of his estate and talked 
 to the tenants as to their plans ; then he went up on to the 
 wall and there paced moodily backwards and forwards think- 
 ing over the summons that he had received. He knew that 
 Margaret had been in the gallery in the hall and had heard 
 the message the herald had delivered, and he wished to think 
 it well over before seeing her. His position was, he felt, a 
 perilous one. The last treaty of peace between France and 
 England had drawn the frontier line more straitly in. After 
 Cressy was fought, but a few miles away, Villeroy had stood 
 within the English line as far as it now stood without it. 
 That Henry, who although now old and averse to war, must 
 yet ere long again renew the war that had so long languished 
 he had little doubt ; but he had no hope of succour at present, 
 and felt that though able to withstand any sudden attack like 
 that he had recently repulsed, he could not hope to make a 
 successful defence against a great force provided with batter- 
 ing machines. 
 
 The message from the king was indeed but a message from 
 Burgundy, but if Burgundy was all-powerful just at present it 
 had the same effect as if it were the king and not he who had 
 sent the summons. He could see no way of temporizing save 
 that Margaret and the children should go as hostages, and the 
 idea of this was wholly repugnant to him. Were he to admit 
 a French garrison the castle would be virtually lost to him ; 
 for once powerless, he could easily be set aside in favour of 
 one of Burgundy's followers. The only alternative then 
 seemed to be that he should altogether forsake the castle and 
 estate so long held by his ancestors, and retire to England, 
 until maybe some day Henry might again place him in pos- 
 session of it. He regretted now that he had not told Mar- 
 garet that she had best keep her chamber, for she then would
 
 HOSTAGES 78 
 
 liave known nothing of tlie alternative tfiat slie shonkl go as a 
 hostage — an alternative, he foresaw, that she was likely to 
 favour, as by so doing the necessity for making an absolute 
 decision and choosing between France and England would be 
 postponed. At length, still undecided in his mind, he de- 
 scended from the wall and went up to his wife's apartments. 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 HOSTAGES 
 
 MARCrARET rose to meet her husband when he entered. 
 She had looked pale in her dress of deep mourning be- 
 fore, but he thought tliat she looked paler now. She, too, 
 had evidently been thinking over the summons that he liad 
 received, and there was an expression of firmness and resolu- 
 tion in her face that seemed to say that she had arrived at a 
 more definite conclusion than he had done. 
 
 " 'Tis a knotty question, wife," Sir Eustace said. "In 
 the first place, it is clear we cannot liope to defend the castle 
 successfiilly against an attack by Burgundy. The last was 
 but of the character of a raid, the next would be a serious siege 
 by experienced soldiers j^rovided witli all proper means and 
 appliances. Before, it was certain that Sir Clugnet would, if 
 he tarried here, be shortly attacked by the Burgundians, 
 whereas now there would 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 would probably 
 be sent against me ; therefore I take it that if attacked the 
 castle must in the end fall, in which case probably its defend-
 
 74 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 ers would all be put to the sword. I myself should most 
 likely be killed, the estates forfeited, and you and the chil- 
 dren taken prisoners to Paris. Now it seems to me that that 
 is not to be thought of. It remains to decide, tlierefore, 
 whether we shall abandon the castle and journey to England, 
 or whether we will admit a Burgundian garrison, which will 
 in fact, we may be sure, 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 it at present, but in 
 time Henry may invade France; and as we lie only some 
 seven or eight miles from the frontier he would doubtless re- 
 capture Villeroy, and we should again. become its masters." 
 
 "You have not mentioned the other alternative, Eustace, 
 namely, that I and the children should go to Paris as hos- 
 tages ; and this, it seems to me, is the best of the three to fol- 
 low. If there were indeed a chance of an English invasion I 
 should not say so, but I think not that there is any such pros- 
 pect. 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 not that our children should lose this fair estate when 
 it can well be preserved by some slight sacrifice on my part. 
 Were I and the children to go to Paris it would put an end to 
 all doubts as to your loyalty, and you would hold the castle 
 and estates. The peace now patched up between the parties 
 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 endeavour to escape with the children and rejoin 
 you. I shall assuredly have no cause for complaint. I shall, 
 of course, have honourable treatment, and apartments fitting 
 to our rank assigned to me. It would be no great hardship, 
 and even were it so it would be worth enduring in order that 
 our son Charles should inherit his father's estate," 
 
 " I could not part from you, love."
 
 HOSTAGES 75 
 
 " Nay, Eustace, as I have said, it cannot be for long; and 
 you must remember that twice when the children were in- 
 fants I remained in England with them while you were some 
 months here. It would be no worse now. I would take Guy 
 with me ; the lad has sense and courage, the children are 
 both fond of him, and I myself could, if occasion arose, take 
 counsel with him. Then I could have two or three stout 
 men-at-arms wlio might ride in my train 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 
 we should lose castle and land. There could be little danger 
 to one in Paris at any time, still less to the wife of a vassal of 
 the crown, least of all to a hostage. 1 shall be but staying at 
 the court. If you peril life and limb, Eustace, in defence of 
 your castle, surely it is not much tliat I should put myself to 
 tlie slight inconvenience of a stay in Paris for a while." 
 
 " I like it not," the knight said moodily. " I see well 
 enough that what you say is true, and that you should be safe 
 at Charles's court, indeed safer than here. The citizens of 
 Paris are indeed turbulent, whether they shout for Orleans or 
 Burgundy, but what if Henry of England should again lead 
 an army here ? " 
 
 "But why imagine what is not likely to happen? Long 
 ere Henry comes I may have joined you again ; should it 
 be otherwise I might perhaps escape, or at the very worst of 
 all they could but keej) me in duress in my chamber. Who 
 ever heard of a woman lieing ill-treated for the disobedience 
 of her lord? All that they could do would be to make you 
 pay ransom for my return." 
 
 " I would rather go as a hostage myself" 
 
 " Nay, husband, that could hardly be. Who would then 
 take care of your castle? It is not a hard thing that the 
 king asks, merely that I and the children shall for a time live
 
 76 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 at his court as a proof that you, his vassal, hold your castle 
 for him. Even if the worst comes to the worst we can 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 might of France ; and at present we must 
 bow our heads and wait until the storm has passed, and hope 
 for better times. There may be an English war ; ere long 
 Henry may again extend his frontiers, a«d you might again 
 become a vassal of England for these possessions of yours even 
 as your fathers were." 
 
 " I see that reason is on your side, Margaret, and yet I 
 cannot bring myself to like the plan." 
 
 " Nor do I like it, husband ; yet I feel that it were a thou- 
 sand times better that I should be separated from you for a 
 time than that we should ri.sk another siege. The last has 
 cost us dear enough, another might take you from me." 
 
 " Well, well, dear, I suppose you must have your way ; in- 
 deed I do not see that harm can possibly come to you, and it 
 will at any rate ensure peace for a time and enable us to re- 
 pair our tenants' losses. I shall send over a message at once 
 to Sir Aylmer, and beg him to choose and send me another 
 fifty archers — with that reinforcement I could make head 
 against any attack save in the greatest force — for there is no 
 saying how things may go. The five-and-tvventy did wonders, 
 and with thrice that force I should feel confident that Villeroy 
 could withstand any attack save by an army with an abun- 
 dance of great machines. 
 
 ' ' Well, Margaret, since you have decided for me that you 
 are to go — and indeed I myself plainly see that that alterna- 
 tive is really the best — let us talk over who you had best take 
 with you. I quite approve of your choice of Guy ; he is a 
 good lad, and will make a brave knight some day. I shall 
 now make him one of my esquires, and as such he will always
 
 HOSTAGES 77 
 
 l)e in attendance on you ; and assuredly Agnes and Charlie 
 will, as well as yourself, benefit by his presence. He will be 
 able to take them out and look after them, and as he talks 
 French as well as English the lad will be useful 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 have another Englishman with me, and he is 
 very good-temi)ered and obliging. He is shrewd too, and 
 with his strength and courage 1 should (eA that I could wholly 
 rely upon him in any strait, though indeed 1 see not that there 
 is any probability of such occurring." 
 
 " Certainly you can have him, Margaret, and I shall be 
 glad to know that he is with you. Dickon, who is next under 
 him, can act as captain of the archers wliilc he is away. I 
 have noticed that Tom is picking up the language fast. He 
 is always ready to do little kindnesses to the women and chil- 
 dren, and I have often heard him talking with them. He will 
 soon get to si:)eak the language fairly. As to the others have 
 you any choice? " 
 
 "No, I think you had better choose them for me, Eus- 
 tace." 
 
 " They had better be French," he said ; "it would not 
 do for yon to surround yourself entirely l)y English, although 
 of ct)urse it is natural enough that you .should have an ICnglish 
 scjuire and .servant. I think that you could not do better than 
 take Jules Varey and Albert Hongarde. They are both stout 
 men-at-arms, prudent fellows, and not given to the wine-cuj). 
 As a fourth I would say Joan I'icard's son ; he is a stout fel- 
 low too, and 1 know that, but for his father's hopes that he 
 will one day succeed him as butler, he would have taken ser- 
 vice regularly as a man-at-arms. He fought stoutly when the 
 French gained the wall, and 1 marked him exchanging blows
 
 78 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 with Sir Clugnet himself, and bearing himself as well as any 
 man there. You could choose no better." 
 
 "So be it," she said. " I think, Eustace, that with four 
 such defenders, to say 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 can ill spare you. You have ever been at my 
 side since we were married, save when, after the birth of 
 Agnes and Charles, you were forced to stay in England when 
 I came over here. I felt it a dreary time then, and shall feel 
 it so now ; but I doubt not that all will go well with you, 
 though it will 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 get so fond of court that you will have to take 
 me to that of Henry when we return to England." 
 
 " Now you had best begin to make your preparations. I 
 will speak to Guy and the others myself." 
 
 Sir Eustace went into the court-}ard, where Guy was super- 
 intending the issue of provisions for the women. 
 
 "■ This can go on without you," he said ; " Gervaise will 
 see to it. I would speak to you. You were at the meeting 
 this morning, Guy, and you heard what the herald of France 
 said. The position is a hard one. T cannot hold the castle 
 against the strength of France, while if we take a Burgundian 
 garrison I should cease to be its master, and it would doubt- 
 less soon pass into other hands. Again, if I go to England, 
 it would equally be lost to us. Therefore my wife has re- 
 solved, in order to gain time until these disorders 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 likely 
 to be in danger ; nevertheless, I am greatly loth for them to 
 go. However, seeing no other way out of the business, I have
 
 HOSTAGES 79 
 
 consented, and we have arranged that you shall accompany 
 her. You will go as my esquire, and I shall install you as 
 such this afternoon. You will take Long Tom, two of the 
 men-at-arms, and Robert Picard, all good men and true ; but 
 at the same time the burden and responsibility must rest upon 
 your shoulders. You are young yet for so grave a charge, and 
 yet I feel that I can confide it to you. You will have to be 
 the stay and support of your mistress, you will have to be the 
 companion and friend of my children, and I shall charge the 
 four men-at-arms to take orders from you as from me. 'I'om 
 will be a valuable 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 are all 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 you indeed for the confidence that you show in 
 me, and I shall, 1 hope, prove worthy of it, and of my father." 
 
 The news soon spread through the castle that Dame Mar- 
 garet was going to Paris. 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 taken to make them com- 
 fortable had endeared her greatly to them. On her previous 
 visits they had seen comparatively iiltle of her ; she had been 
 to them simply their lord's English wife, now they knew her 
 as a friend. Nevertheless, their regret at her leaving was 
 softened by the thought that her going to be near the king 
 insured peace for them, and that they would now be able to 
 venture out to the houses that were fast rising on the ruins of 
 their former homes, and to take up their life again as they had 
 left it. 
 
 Early next morning the little cortege mustered in the 
 court-yard in readiness for a start. Sir Eustace and his wife 
 had said good-bye to each other in their chamber, and she
 
 80 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 looked calm and tranquil as she mounted her horse; for, hav- 
 ing been accustomed from a child to ride with her father 
 hunting and hawking, she could sit a horse well, and scorned 
 to ride, as did so many ladies, on a pillion. Guy rode by 
 her side, with Agnes on a pillion Ijchind him. Long Tom, 
 with Charhe perched in front of him, followed them, and the 
 three men-at-arms brought up the rear. Charlie was in high 
 spirits ; he regarded the trip as a sort of holiday, and had 
 been talking, ever since he got up, of the wonders that he 
 should see in Paris. Agnes better understood the situation, 
 and nothing but the feeling that she ought to emulate the calm- 
 ness of her mother restrained her from bursting into tears 
 when her father lifted her on to her seat. The herald led the 
 way, followed by his two pursuivants. Dame Margaret 
 checked her horse in the middle of the court-yard, and said 
 in a loud clear voice to the tenants and men-at-arms round : 
 ' ' Adieu, good friends ; I trust that I shall not be long away 
 from you. I go to stay for a time at the court in Paris, and 
 I leave you with the surety that you will have peace and rest 
 until I return, and be able to repair the damages you suffered 
 from the attack made upon us by men who regard not the 
 law." She turned and waved her hand to Sir Eustace, who 
 was standing immovable on the steps, and then, 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 the castle behind them ; " the journey is a long 
 one, and it will go all the quicker 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 that it is a fine city, and as I have never 
 seen a bigger town than Southampton, I doubt not that I 
 shall find plenty to interest me at times when you may not 
 require our services."
 
 HOSTAGES 81 
 
 " I see that you have brought your bow with you." 
 
 "Ay, my lady, I could not bring myself to part willi it. 
 Sir Eustace told me 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 French archers carry no 
 bows of such length; so I have, even as you see, wrapped it 
 round with straw, and fastened it to the saddle beneath my 
 leg. I have also put fourscore arrows among the \alises 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 never any 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 a.\e nor bow will be required." 
 
 " To that I say amen also ; for, although a fray may some- 
 times be to my taste, I have no desire to be mixed up 
 in a melee without some of my own stout 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 that we are travelling we are bearing east, and 
 shall sleej) at Lille or may be at Tournay; then, doubtless, 
 we shall bear south, and may stop the next night at Cambrai, 
 and make to Noyon on the following day, and thence to 
 Compiegne or to Senlis, and the next day will take us to 
 Paris. It all depends how far and how fast we ride each day. 
 But these matters will be arranged by the herald. Were we 
 to go by the shortest route we .should get there more quickly ; 
 but Amiens is held by the |)arly to whom the men who at- 
 tacked our castle belong, and by the way we are travelling we
 
 82 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 shall keep for 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 Tom and Robert Picard and the other two, 
 and Guy can fight also." 
 
 ''That would be all very well, my son," his mother said 
 smiling, "if we were only attacked by half a dozen vagrants, 
 but brave as they all are they could do naught if a large body 
 surprised us ; but be assured that there is no fear of that — 
 by the way we are travelling we shall meet with none but 
 friends." 
 
 "I should like to be attacked by the vagrants, mother. 
 The last time you made us stay with you when there was 
 fighting going on, except just at the first, but here we should 
 see it all." 
 
 " Well, I don't want to see it, Charlie, and I am glad that 
 we are not likely to do so ; and you must remember that you 
 and I and Agnes would sorely hamper our friends." 
 
 Nevertheless whenever a party of peasants was met upon the 
 road Charlie looked out hopefully and heaved a sigh of dis- 
 appointment when, after doffing their caps in respect, they 
 passed on quietly. Several times they encountered bodies of 
 knights and men-at-arms, but the presence of the royal herald 
 saved them from all question. At each halting-place Dame 
 Margaret, her children and maid, were lodged in the house of 
 one of the principal citizens, while Guy and the men-at-arms 
 lay at an inn. The troubled state of the times was only 
 manifest by the number of men-at-arms in the streets, and the 
 strict watch kept at the gates of the towns. Many of these 
 were kept shut, and were only opened once an hour to let peo- 
 ple pass in and out. This, however, did not affect the trav- 
 ellers, for the gates were opened the moment the emblazon- 
 ings on the surcoat of the herald could be made out.
 
 HOSTAGES S3 
 
 "We have assuredly nothing to complain of so far, Guy," 
 Dame Margaret said., as they set out on their last day's jour- 
 ney ; "had we been the king's special guests we could not 
 have been more honourably treated, and I have no doubt 
 that although we shall be much less important personages at 
 Paris than as travellers under the royal protection, we shall 
 yet be made comfortable enough, and shall have naught to 
 grieve over save the separation from our lord." 
 
 "I cannot doubt that it will be so, lady," Guy replied; 
 "and that at any rate there will be no trouble, unless the 
 Armagnacs lay siege to Paris or there are riots in the city. I 
 heard last night at the i)in iVom some travellers who had just 
 left it, that although the majority of the people there are in 
 favour of Burgundy, yet that much discontent exists on 
 account of the harsh measures of the officers he has appointed, 
 and especially of the conduct of the guild of butchers, who, 
 as it seems, are high in favour with the duke, and rule the 
 city as if it belonged to them." 
 
 " It matters little to us, Guy, though it seems strange 
 that the nobles of France and the respectable citizens of 
 Paris should allow themselves to be ruled over by such a 
 scum as that; but it was the same in Flanders, where Von 
 Artevelde, our ally, a great man and the chief among them, 
 was murdered by the butchers who at the time held sway 
 in Ghent, and wlio were conspicuous 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 Burgundy who will, for the time, be our master." 
 
 "I could desire a better," Guy said bluntly; "but we 
 shall at any rate know that his fair words are not to be 
 trusted. For my part, however, I wonder that after the
 
 84 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 murder of the Duke of Orleans, with whom he had sworn a 
 solemn 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 dispense honours, will find ad- 
 herents though he has waded through blood. Burgundy, too, 
 as I hear, has winning manners and a soft tongue, and can, 
 when it pleases him, play the part of a frank and honest 
 man. At least it must be owned that the title of ' Fearless ' 
 does not misbecome him, for, had it been otherwise, he 
 would have denied all part in the murder of Orleans, in- 
 stead of openly avowing that it was done by his orders." 
 
 They had started at an earlier hour than usual that 
 morning, as the herald had pointed out to Dame Margaret, 
 that it were best to arrive in Paris as early as possible, in 
 order that the question of their lodging might be settled at 
 once. Accordingly, they had been up at daybreak, and 
 arrived in Paris at noon. 
 
 " How long will it be, I wonder," Dame Margaret said, as 
 they rode through the gates, " before we shall pass through 
 here again ? ' ' 
 
 "Not very long I hope, my lady," Guy said; "but be 
 sure that if at any time 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 Villeroy is safe from attack. Whatever happens, 
 nothing, save the news that an English army has landed at 
 Calais, and is about to invade France, would leave me free 
 to attempt an escape. If not released before that, I must 
 then, at all hazards, try to escape, for Sir Eustace, knowing 
 that I am here, would be placed in a sore strait indeed ; 
 both by his own inclinations and as a vassal of England, for
 
 HOSTAGES 85 
 
 he would want to join the English as soon as they advanced, 
 and yet would be hindered by the knowledge that I was a 
 hostage here. It would be for me to relieve him of that 
 fear ; and the same feeling that induced me to come hither 
 would then take me back to Villeroy." 
 
 " Then, madam, I fear that our stay here will be a long 
 one, for Henry has never pushed on the war with France 
 vigorously, and though [)lenty of cause has been given by 
 the capture of his castles in Guienne, he has never drawn 
 sword either to regain them or to avenge the insults put 
 upon the English flag." 
 
 "King Henry is old, Guy; and they say that his son is 
 as full of spirit and as fiery as his father is peaceful and 
 indisposed for war. When the king dies, my lord thinks 
 that it will be but a short time before the English banner 
 will be unfurled in France ; and this is one of the reasons 
 why he consented to my becoming an hostage, thinking 
 that no long time is likely to elapse before he will liave 
 English backing, and will be able to disregard the threats of 
 France." 
 
 " How narrow and sombre are these streets ! " Guy said, 
 after a pause, "one seems to draw one's very breatli with 
 difficulty." 
 
 " They are well-nigh as narrow in London," his mistress 
 replied ; " but they are gay enough below. See how crowded 
 they are, and how l)rilliant are some of the co.stumes ! " 
 
 " Some of them indeed, madam, but more are poor and 
 miserable ; and as to the faces, they are so scowling and 
 sombre, truly were we not on liorseback I should keep my 
 hand tight upon my pouch, though in truth there is nothing 
 in it worth stealing." 
 
 "Ay, ay. Master Guy," I-ong Tom broke in, " methinks 
 that there are a good many heads among these scowling
 
 86 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 knaves that I would gladly have a chance of cracking had 
 I my quarter - staff in my hand and half a dozen stout 
 fellows here with me. See how insolently they stare ! " 
 
 " Hush, Tom ! " Dame Margaret said, turning round, " if 
 you talk of cracking skulls 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 doing there is often a long 
 distance." 
 
 " Sometimes, Tom, but one often leads to the other. 
 You must remember that above all things it behoves us to 
 act prudently here, and to avoid drawing the attention 
 of our foes. We English are not loved in Paris, and 
 the less you open your mouth here the better ; for when 
 Burgundians and Armagnacs are ready to cut each other's 
 throats over a name, fellow-countrymen though they be, 
 neither would feel any compunction about killing an Eng- 
 lishman." 
 
 After riding for half an hour they entered the court-yard 
 of a large building, where men-at-arms and varlets wearing 
 the cognizance of Burgundy were moving about, a group of 
 nobles were standing on the steps, while some grooms were 
 walking their horses round the court -yard. The herald 
 made his way to the door, and here all alighted. 
 
 "Whom have we here, I wonder?" one of the young 
 nobles said to another as they came up. "A royal herald 
 and his pursuivants ; a young dame and a very fair one ; 
 her daughter, I suppose, also fair; the lady's esquire; and a 
 small boy." 
 
 "Hostages, I should say," the other replied, "for the 
 good conduct of the lady's lord, whoever he may be. I 
 know her not, and think that she cannot have been at
 
 HOSTAGES 87 
 
 court for the last ten years, for I could hardly have for- 
 gotten her face." 
 
 Dame Margaret took the hands of her two children and 
 followed the herald up the steps. She had made a motion 
 of her head to Guy to attend her, and he accordingly fol- 
 lowed behind. 
 
 " A haughty lady as well as a fair one," the young knight 
 laughed. "She did not so much as glance at us, but held 
 her head as high as if she were going in to rate Burgundy 
 himself. I think that she must be English by her looks, 
 though what an English w^oman can be doing here in Paris 
 is beyond my understanding, unless it be that she is the 
 wife of a knight of Guienne ; 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 castle has been captured, and she has come under 
 the safe-conduct of a herald to lay a complaint ; but I think 
 with you that she is English. The girl was fair too, though 
 not so fair as her mother, and that curly - headed young 
 esquire is of English stock too." 
 
 " He is a stout-looking fellow, De Maupas, and will make 
 a powerful man ; he looks as if he could strike a shrewd 
 blow even now. Let us question their knaves, 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 Sir Eustace de Villeroy." 
 
 " Then we were right, De Maupas, for De Villeroy is, I 
 know, a va.ssal of England for his wife's estates, and his peo- 
 \)\c have always counted themselves English, because for over 
 a hundred years their castle stood inside the English line."
 
 88 AT AGINCOUKT 
 
 " He is a stout knight. We heard a month ago how 
 bravely he held his castle against Sir Clugnet de Brabant with 
 8000 Orleanists, and l)eat him off with a loss of five knights 
 and 400 men. Sir Clugnet himself was sorely wounded. 
 We all ought to feel mightily obliged to him for the check, 
 which sent them back post-haste out of Artois, where they 
 had already done damage enough, and might have done more 
 had they not been so roughly handled. I wonder what the 
 lady is here for? " 
 
 " It may be that he would have fought the Burgundians 
 as stoutly as he fought the Armagnacs," the other said, " and 
 that the duke does not care about having so strong a castle 
 held by so stout a knight within a few miles of the English 
 Hne." 
 
 The other shrugged his shoulders. " The English are 
 sleeping dogs," he said ; " there is no Edward and no Black 
 Prince to lead them now." 
 
 "No, but you must remember that sleeping dogs wake up 
 sometimes, and even try to bite when they do so; moreover 
 we know of old that these particular dogs can bite hard." 
 
 " The sooner they wake up the better, I say, De Maupas. 
 We have a long grudge to wipe off against them, and our 
 men are not likely to repeat the mistakes that cost us so dearly 
 before. Besides, the English have had no real fighting for 
 years, and it seems to me that they have altogether given up 
 any hope of extending their possessions in France." 
 
 " One can never tell, De Revelle. For my part I own 
 that I care not that they should again spread their banner on 
 this side of the sea. There can be no doubt that they are 
 stout fighting-men, and seeing how France is divided they 
 might do sore damage did they throw their weight into one 
 side of the scale. ' ' 
 
 " Methinks that there is no fear of that. The dukes both
 
 HOSTAGES 80 
 
 know well enough that their own followers would not fight 
 side by side with llic English; and though they might pro- 
 pose an alliance with the Islanders, it would only be for the 
 purpose of bringing the war to a close by uniting both parties 
 against our old enemy." 
 
 In the meantime Dame Margaret had followed her con- 
 ductor to the great chamber, where John of Burgundy held 
 audience in almost royal state. Several nobles were gathered 
 round him, but at the entrance of the herald these fell back, 
 leaving him standing l)y himself An eminently politic man, 
 the duke saw at once by the upright figure and the fearle.ss air 
 with which Dame Margaret entered the hall, that this was a 
 case where courtesy and deference were far more likely to 
 bring about the desired end of winning her husband over to 
 his interests, than any menaces or rough .speaking; he there- 
 fore advanced two or three steps to meet her. 
 
 " My lord duke," the herald said. " tliis lady. Dame Mar- 
 garet of Villeroy, has journeyed hither with me in accordance 
 with the wish expressed by His Majesty 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," Margaret said with quiet dignity. " We, my lius- 
 band and 1, understood that some enemy had been influenc- 
 ing His Majt^ty's mind against my lord, and in order to 
 assure him of my lord's loyalty as a faithful va.ssal for the 
 land he holds, I have willingly journeyed here with my 
 children, although in mu( h grief for the loss of my eldest son, 
 who died in the attack lately made upon our castle by a large 
 body of men, of whom we knew naught, save that they did 
 not come in the name of our lord the king." 
 
 " I have heard of the atta< k, lady, and of the gallant and
 
 90 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 successful defence made by Sir Eustace, and the king was 
 greatly pleased to hear of the heavy check thus inflicted upon 
 the men who had raised the banner of revolt, and were harass- 
 ing His Majesty's faithful subjects." 
 
 "That being so, my lord duke," Margaret said, "'tis 
 strange, after my lord had shown how ready and well pre- 
 pared he was to protect his castle against ill-doers, that he 
 should have been asked to admit a garrison of strangers to 
 aid him to hold it. Sir Eustace has no desire to meddle 
 with the troubles of the times ; he holds his castle as a fief 
 directly from the crown, as his ancestors have held it for two 
 hundred years ; he wishes only to dwell in peace and in loyal 
 service to the king." 
 
 "Such we have always imderstood, madam, and gladly 
 would the king have seen Sir Eustace himself at his court. 
 The king will, I trust, shortly be recovered from his malady; 
 until he is so I have — for I was made acquainted with your 
 coming by me.ssenger sent forward by Monjoie — arranged for 
 you to be lodged in all honour at the house of Master Leroux, 
 one of the most worshipful of the citizens of Paris, and pro- 
 vost of the guild of silversmiths. My chamberlain will at 
 once conduct you thither." 
 
 "I thank you, my lord duke," Margaret said with a 
 stately reverence, " and trust that when I am received by my 
 lord the king I shall be able to prove to him that Sir Eus- 
 tace is his faithful vassal, and can be trusted to hold his 
 castle for him against all comers." 
 
 " I doubt it not, lady," the duke said courteously. " Sir 
 Victor Pierrepoint, I pray you to see this lady to the en- 
 trance. Sir Hugo will already be waiting her there."
 
 IIIK \.\l'\ MAK(,.\K1 I M \kl> lll.K i Hihl.-^A.NCh Hi IJIK LUKI, 01-" 
 
 BURGUNDY.
 
 IN PARIS 91 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 IN PARIS 
 
 " A BOT.D dame and a fair one," John of Burgundy said 
 l\ to the gentlemen round him wlien Margaret left the 
 chamber. " Methinks that she would be able to hold Ville- 
 roy even should Sir Eustace be away." 
 
 " That would she," one of the knights said with a laugh. 
 " I doubt not that she would buckle on armour if need were. 
 But we must make some allowance for her heat ; it is no 
 pleasant thing to be taken away from her castle and brouglit 
 hither as a hostage, to be held for how long a time she 
 knows not." 
 
 " It was the safest way of securing the castle," the duke 
 said. '* Can one doubt that, with her by his side, her hus- 
 band would open his gates to the Engli.sh, should they appear 
 before it? He himself is a vassal both of England and France, 
 and should the balance be i)laced before him, there can be 
 little doubt that her weight would inc line him to England. 
 How well these English women keep their youth ! One 
 might believe her to be but a few years i)ast twenty, and yet 
 she is the mother of tliat girl, who is well-nigh as tall as her- 
 self." 
 
 "And who liids to be as fair, my lord duke." 
 " And as English, l)e Porcelet. She would be a difficult 
 eaglet to tame, if I mistake not ; and had she been the 
 spokeswoman, methinks she would have answered as haughtily 
 as did her mother. But it might lie no bad plan to mate her 
 to a Frenchman. It is true tliat there is the boy, but the fief 
 might well be bestowed upon her if so mated, on the ground
 
 92 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 that the boy would likely take after his father and mother and 
 hold Villeroy for England rather than for France. How- 
 ever, she is young yet ; in a couple of years, De Porcelet, it 
 will be time for you to urge your suit, if so inclined." 
 
 There was a general smile from the circle standing round, 
 but the young knight said gravely, " When the time comes, 
 my lord duke, I may remind you of what you have said. 
 Tis a fair young face, honest and good, though at present 
 she must naturally feel with her mother at being thus haled 
 away from her home." 
 
 Sir Victor escorted Margaret to the court-yard. As they 
 appeared at the entrance a knight came up and saluted her. 
 
 " I am intrusted by the duke with the honour of escorting 
 you to your lodgings," he said ; "I am Hugo de Chamfort, 
 the duke's chamberlain." 
 
 After assisting her into the saddle he mounted a horse 
 which an attendant brought up and placed himself by her 
 side. Two men-at-arms with their surtouts embroidered with 
 the cognizance of Burgundy led the way, and the rest of the 
 party followed in the same order in which they had come. 
 The distance was short, and beyond a few questions by the 
 knight as to the journey and how she had been cared for on 
 the way, and Margaret's rejilies, little was said until they 
 reached the house of the provost of the silversmiths. As 
 they rode up to tlie door Maitre Leroux himself came out 
 from the house. 
 
 " Welcome, lady," he said, " to my abode. My wife will 
 do all that she can to make you comfortable." 
 
 " I am sorry indeed, good sir," Margaret said, " to be 
 thus forced upon your hospitality, 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 Duke of Burgundy should have selected us for
 
 IN PARIS 93 
 
 the honour of entertaining you. The house is large, and we 
 have no family. Chambers are already prepared for yourself, 
 your daughter, and son, while there are others at your dis- 
 posal for your following." 
 
 " I would not trespass too much upon you," she said. 
 '' My daughter can sleep with me, and I am sure that my 
 esciuire here, Master Guy Aylmer, will gladly share a room 
 with my boy. I can obtain lodgings for my four followers 
 without. ' ' 
 
 " You will grieve me much if you propose it, lady. There 
 is a large room upstairs unoccupied, and I will place pallets 
 for them there ; and as for their meals they can have them 
 apart. ' ' 
 
 By this time they had mounted a fine flight of stairs, at the 
 top of which Dame Leroux was standing to receive her 
 guests. She was a kindly-looking woman between thirty and 
 forty years of age. 
 
 " Welcome, Lady Margaret," she said with a cordiality 
 that made Margaret feel at once that her visit was not re- 
 garded as an infliction. " We are (juiet people, but will do 
 our best to render your stay here a pleasant one." 
 
 "Thanks indeed, mistress ! " Margaret rei)lied. " I feared 
 much that my presence would be Iclt as a burden, and had 
 hardly hoped for so kind a welcome. Iliis is my daughter 
 Agnes, and my son Charles." Then she turned to Sir Hugo: 
 " I pray yon to give my thanl-cs to his grace the Duke of 
 Burgundy, and to thank him for having so well bestowed me. 
 I thank you also for your courtesy for having conducted me 
 here." 
 
 " I will convey your message to the duke," he said, " who 
 will, 1 am sure, be pleased to hear of your contentment." 
 
 Maitre Leroux accompanied the knight downstairs again, 
 and when he had mounted and ridden off he called two
 
 94 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 servitors, and bade one carry the luggage upstairs, and the 
 other conduct the men to the stables he had taken for the 
 horses. 
 
 " After you have seen to their comfort," he said to Robert 
 Pi card, " you will return hither; you will find a meal pre- 
 pared for you, and will be bestowed together in a chamber 
 upstairs. ' ' 
 
 In the meantime his wife had ushered Dame Margaret 
 into a very handsomely furnished apartment. " This is at 
 your entire service. Lady Margaret," she said. "The bed- 
 room behind it is for yourself, the one next to it for your 
 daughter, unless you would prefer that she should sleep with 
 you." 
 
 " I thank you. I was telling your husband that I should 
 prefer that ; and my son and esquire can therefore occupy 
 the .second room. But I fear greatly that I am disturbing 
 yourself and your husband." 
 
 "No, indeed; our sitting-room and bedroom are on the 
 other side of the landing. These are our regular guest- 
 chambers, and your being here will make no change what- 
 ever in our arrangements. I only regret that the apartments 
 are not larger." 
 
 " Do not apologize, I beg of you, madam. I can assure 
 you that the room is far liandsomer than that to which I have 
 been accustomed. You citizens of Paris are far in advance 
 of us in your ideas of comfort and luxury, and the apartments 
 both at Villeroy and in my English home cannot compare 
 with these, except in point of size. I never dreamt that my 
 prison would be so comfortable. ' ' 
 
 "Say not prison, I pray you, lady. I heard, indeed, that 
 your visit to the court was not altogether one of your own 
 choice ; but, believe me, here at least you will be but a 
 guest, and an honoured and welcome one. I will leave you
 
 IN PARIS 95 
 
 now. If tliere is aught that you desire, I pray you to ring 
 that bell on the table; refreshments will be quickly served. 
 Had I known the precise hour at which you would come we 
 should have been in readiness for you, but I thought not that 
 you would arrive till evening." 
 
 " I hojje that you will give me much of your comj)any, 
 mistress," Margaret said warmly. "We know no one in this 
 great city, and shall be glad indeed if, when you can spare 
 time, you will sit with us." 
 
 "Well, children, what do you think of this?" she asked 
 wlien their hostess had left the room. 
 
 " It is lovely, mother," Agnes said. " Look at the inlaid 
 cabinets, and the couches and tables, and this great warm 
 rug that covers all the floor, how snug and comfortable it all 
 is. Why, mother, I never saw anything like this." 
 
 " You might have seen something like it had you ever been 
 in the house of one of our rich London traders, Agnes; at 
 least so I have heard, though in truth I have never myself 
 been in so luxuriously furnished a room. I only hope that 
 we may stay here for some time. Tlie l)est of it is that 
 these good people evidently do not regard us as a burden. 
 No doubt they are pleased to oblige the Duke of Burgundy, 
 but, beyond that, their welcome seemed really sincere. Now 
 let us see our bedroom. I supj)osc that is yours, Charlie, 
 through the door in the corner." 
 
 The valises had already been brouglit to the rooms by an- 
 other entrance, and Margaret and her daughter were charmed 
 with their bedroom. A large ewer and ba.sin 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 dam- 
 ask silk, and the floor was almost covered by an F!astern 
 carpet. An exquisitely carved wardrobe stood in one corner. 
 
 "It is all lovely!" Agnes said, clapping her hands.
 
 96 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 ' ' You ought to have your room at home fitted up hke this, 
 mother. ' ' 
 
 "It would take a large slice out of a year's revenue, 
 Agnes," her mother said with a smile, "to furnish a room 
 in this fashion. That wardrobe alone is worth a knight's 
 ransom, and the ewer and basin are fit for a king. I would 
 that your father could see us here; it would ease his anxiety 
 about us. I must ask how I can best despatch a messenger 
 to him." 
 
 When they returned to the other apartment they found the 
 table already laid, and in a short time a dainty repast was 
 served. To this Guy sat down with them, for except when 
 there were guests, when his place was behind his lord's chair, 
 he had always been treated as one of the family, and as the 
 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 of Burgundy for an hour. With that long 
 face of his and the hooked nose and his crafty look he re- 
 sembles little a noble of France. He has an evil face, and 
 one which accords well with the foul murder of the king's 
 brother. However, as I see not that he has aught to gain by 
 holding you here, — save that he thinks it will ensure our 
 lord's keeping his castle for him, — tliere is no reason why he 
 should not continue to treat you honouraljly and courteously. 
 We have yet to learn whether Master Leroux is one of his 
 party, or whether he is in favour of Armagnac." 
 
 "I should think that he cannot be for Armagnac," she 
 said, "or Duke John would hardly have quartered us upon 
 him. No doubt it was done under the semblance of good- 
 will, but most men would have considered it a heavy tax, even 
 though, as I expect, we shall not remain here long. Doubt- 
 less, however, the trader considers that his complaisance in
 
 IN PARIS 97 
 
 the matter would I)e taken Ijy the duke as a sign of his de- 
 sire to show that at least he is not hostile to liiui." 
 
 When they rose from the table Guy, at his mistress's sug- 
 gestion, went below and found the four men sitting in the 
 great kitchen, where they had just iinished an ample meal. 
 
 "You have seen to the horses, Robert?" 
 
 "Yes, Master Guy, they are comfortably bestowed, witli 
 an abundance of provender. " 
 
 "I am going out to see how matters stand in the town. 
 Our lady says that at all times two of you must remain here, 
 as it may be necessary to send messages, or should she wish 
 to go out, to escort her, but the other two can be out and 
 about as they please, after first inquiring of me whether there 
 is aught for them to do. You can arrange among yourselves 
 which shall stay in, taking turns off duty. Tom, you had 
 better not go out till after dark. There is something in the 
 cut of your garments which tells that you are not French. 
 Robert will go out with me now, and find a clothier, and l)id 
 him .send garments here for you to choose from, or if he has 
 none to fit, which may likely enough be, send him to meas- 
 ure you. It nn'ght lead to broils and troubles were any of 
 the ral)l)le to notice lluit you were a stranger." 
 
 "That is right enough, Master Guy; and in sooth I have 
 no desire to go out at present, for after riding for the last si.\ 
 days I am well content to sit quiet and take my ease here." 
 
 Guy then started with Rol)ert Picard. ICxcept in the 
 streets where the i)rincii.al nurchanls dwelt, the town struck 
 him as gloomy and sombre. The palaces of the nobles were 
 veritable fortresses, the streets were ill i)aved and evil-smell- 
 ing, and the people m the poorer quarters had a sinister aspect. 
 
 " I should not rare to wander about in this district after 
 nightfall, Robert," Guy said to the man-at-arms, who kept 
 close to his elbow. 
 7
 
 98 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " Nor I," the man growled. "It is as much as I can do 
 to keep my hands off my dagger now, for methinks that nine 
 out often of the fellows loitering about would cut our throats 
 willingly, if they thought that we had but a crown in our 
 pockets. ' ' 
 
 Presently they found themselves on the quays, and, hailing 
 a boat, rowed up the river a little beyond the walls. Hear- 
 ing the sound of music tliey landed, and on seeing a number 
 of people gather round some booths they discharged 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 at a lower price than those at which they were sold 
 within the limits of the city, booths at which wine and re- 
 freshments could be obtained. Here many soldiers were sit- 
 ting drinking, watching the passers-by, and exchanging ribald 
 jests with each other, and sometimes addressing observations 
 to the wives and daughters of the citizens, amid fits of laugh- 
 ter at the looks of indignation on the part of their husbands 
 or fathers. 
 
 "It is evidently a holiday of some sort," Guy remarked, 
 as they found that the fair extended for a considerable dis- 
 tance, and that the crowd was everywhere large. They 
 stopped for a minute or two in front of a booth of more pre- 
 tensions than the generality. In front of it a man was beat- 
 ing a drum, and a negro walking up and down attired in 
 showy garments. The drum ceased and the latter shouted : 
 
 "Those of you who wish to see my master, the famous 
 Elminestres, the most learned doctor in Europe, who can 
 read the stars, cast your horoscope, foretell your future, and 
 cure your ailments, should not lose this opportunity." 
 
 The curtains opened behind, and a man dressed in dark 
 garments with a long black cloak spotted with silver stars came 
 forward.
 
 IN PARIS 99 
 
 "You have heard, good people, what my slave has said. 
 He speaks with knowledge. I saved his life in the deserts of 
 Africa when he was all but dead with fever, by administering 
 to him one of my wonderful potions; he at once recovered 
 and devoted himself to my service. I have infallible reme- 
 dies for every disease, therefore do you who are sick come to 
 me and be cured ; while for you who do not suffer I can do as 
 much or more, by telling you of your future, what evils to 
 avoid and what chances to grasp." 
 
 He stood for a minute silent, his eyes wandering keenly 
 over the spectators. " I see," he said, '-one among you 
 who loves a fair maiden standing 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 objections 
 and to win tlie damsel. Another I .see wlio has come to 
 Paris with the intention of enlisting in the .service of our 
 good duke, and who, I foresee, will attain rank and honour 
 and become a distinguished soldier if he does but act 
 prudently at the critical moment, while if he takes a wrong 
 turn misfortune and death will befall him. I .see a youth of 
 gentle blood who will become a brave knight, and will better 
 his condition by marriage. He has many dangers to go 
 through before that, and has at present a serious charge for 
 one so yotmg ; but as lie has circumspection as well as 
 courage he may pass through them unharmed. To him too 
 I could give advice that may be valuable, more especially as 
 he is a stranger to the land, as are tho.se of whom he is in 
 charge." 
 
 " It is wonderful. Master Guy ! " Robert Picard whispered 
 in Guy's ear in a tone 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 would not have so quickly
 
 100 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 drawn his conclusions. I will go in and speak to him pres- 
 ently, for though I believe not his prophecies one jot, a 
 fellow of this sort may be useful. Let us be meving on at 
 present." 
 
 They passed two monks, who were scowling angrily at 
 the man, who was just exciting the laughter of the crowd 
 by asserting that there was a holy man present 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 he has not altogether missed his mark this 
 time. We are not the only two monks here," he went on 
 as the other turned upon him angrily, " and it may well be 
 that among them is one who answers to the fellow's lewd 
 description." 
 
 On the outskirts of the fair were many people of higher 
 degree. Knights and ladies strolled on the turf exchanging 
 greetings, looking for a minute or two at the gambols of a 
 troupe of performing dogs, or at a bout of cudgel play — 
 where two stout fellows belaboured each other heartily, and 
 showed sufficient skill to earn from the crowd a shower of 
 small pieces of money, when at last they ceased from pure 
 exhaustion. Half an hour later Guy 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 by the negro. The latter was at the entrance, 
 and, observing that Guy's condition was above that of the 
 majority of his master's clients, at once took him into an 
 inner apartment divided from the rest of the tent by a hang- 
 ing. Over the top of this was stretched a black cloth spotted 
 with silver stars, and similar hangings surrounded it; thus 
 all light was cut off, and the room was dimly illuminated
 
 IN PARIS 101 
 
 by two lamps. A table with a black cloth 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 a tripod 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 shrewdly as to our condition and nationality. As to 
 the latter, indeed, it needed no sorcery, for it must have 
 been plain to the dullest that my mistress and 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. I need not tell you that 1 have not come 
 here either for charms or nostrums, but it seemed to me 
 that being, as you said, strangers here, we might l)enefit by 
 the advice of one who like yourself notes things quickly, and 
 can 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 marked you enter, and a soldier standing next 
 to me observed to a comrade that he had heard that Bur- 
 gundy had sent the herald to demand llie surrender of a 
 castle held by one Sir Eustace, a knight who Avas known to 
 have friendly leanings towards the English, being a vassal of 
 their king for estates that had come to him with an P^nglish 
 wife, and that doubtless this was the lady. When my eye 
 fell on you in the crowd 1 said : Here is a youth of shrewd- 
 ness and parts, he is alone and is a foreigner, and maybe I 
 can be of service to him ; therefore I shot my shaft, and, as 
 you see, with success. I said to myself: This youth, being a 
 stranger, will know of no one to whom he can turn for in- 
 formation, and I can furnish him with almost any that he 
 may require. I come in contact with the highest and the
 
 102 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 lowest, for the Parisians are credulous, and after dark there 
 are some of rank and station who come to my doors for 
 filtres and nostrums, or to have their horoscope cast and their 
 futures predicted. You will ask why one who has such 
 clients should condescend to stand at a booth and talk to this 
 rabble ; but it has its purpose. Were I known only as one 
 whom men and women visit in secret, I should soon become 
 suspected of black arts, tlie priests would raise an outcry 
 against me, and one of these days I might be burned. Here, 
 however, I ostensibly earn my living as a mountebank vendor 
 of 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 ceased speaking. '' Having, as you say, good clients 
 besides your gains here, why should 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 dis- 
 credit, and the power of the church be too much for me. 
 When I saw your mistress to-day I said to myself : Here is an 
 English lady of rank, with a castle and estate in England ; 
 §hould I have to fly — and I have one very dear to me, for 
 whose sake I value my life — it might be well for me that I 
 should have one friend in England who would act as pro- 
 tectress to her should aught befall me. Your mistress is a 
 stranger here, and in the hands of enemies. I may be of use 
 to her. I know this population of Paris, and can perhaps 
 give her better information of what 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 would ask 
 but in payment that, should I come to England, she will extend 
 her protection to my daughter until I can find a home and place 
 her there. You see I am playing an open game with you."
 
 IN PARIS 103 
 
 " I will reply as frankly," Oiiy said. " When T came in 
 here it was, as I told the man-at-arnis my companion, with 
 the thought that one wlio had noticed us so shrewdly, and 
 had recognized me so cjuickly in the crowd, was no ordinary 
 mountebank, but a keen, shrewd man who had some motive 
 for thus addressing me, and I see that my view was a right 
 one. As to your proposal I can say naught before I have 
 laid it before my mistress, but for 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 wliom we might 
 obtain information as to what is going on. My mistress, if 
 not an actual prisoner, is practically so, being held with her 
 children as hostages for my lord's loyaUy to France. She is 
 the kindest of kidies, and should she authorize me to enter 
 into further communication with \ou, you may be sure that 
 she would execute to the full the midertaking you ask for on 
 behalf of your daughter. \\'here can I see you again ? This 
 is scarce a place I could often resort to without my visits 
 being noticed, if, as is likely enough, the Duke of Burgundy 
 may occasionally set spies to inform him as to wliat we are 
 doing, and whether my mistress is in communication with any 
 who 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, I will meet you there and conduct you to my 
 abode, where you can visit me free of any fear of observa- 
 tion." 
 
 " What name shall I call you ? " Cliiy asked. 
 
 " My name is Montepone. 1 belong to a noble family of 
 Mantua, but mixing myself up with the factions there, I was 
 on the losing side, and unfortunately it hai)pened that in a 
 fray I killed a noble connected with all the ruling families ; 
 sentence of death was passed upon me in my ab.sence, my 
 property was confiscated. Nowhere in Italy should I have
 
 104 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 been safe from the dagger of the assassin, therefore I fled to 
 France, and for ten years have maintained myself by the 
 two arts which so often go together, astrology and buffoonery. 
 I had always been fond of knowledge, and had learned all 
 that could be taught in the grand science of astrology, so that 
 however much I may gull fools here, I have obtained the con- 
 fidence of many [wwerful ])ersonages by the accuracy of my 
 forecasts. Had Orleans but believed my solemn assurance he 
 would not have ridden through the streets of Paris to his 
 death that night, and in other cases where I have been more 
 trusted I have rendered valuable assistance. ' ' 
 
 The belief in astrology had never gained much hold upon 
 the mass of the English 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 j^owers did not 
 in themselves .seem altogether impossible to the lad ; he there- 
 fore made no direct reply, but saying that he would not fail to 
 be at the appointed place at nine that evening, took his leave. 
 
 " Truly, Master Guy, I began to be uneasy about you," 
 Robert Picard said when he rejoined him, "and was medi- 
 tating whether I had best enter the tent, and demand what 
 had become of you. It was only the thought that there might 
 have been others before you, and that you had to wait your 
 turn before seeing him, that restrained me. You have not 
 been taking his nostrums, I trust ; for they say that some of 
 those men sell powders by which a man can be changed into 
 a wolf." 
 
 Guy laughed. "I have taken nothing, Robert, and if I 
 had I should have no fear of such a change happening to me. 
 I have but talked to the man as to how 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."
 
 IN PARIS 105 
 
 " I like not chafferinj; with men who have intercourse with 
 the devil," Picard said, shaking his head gravely ; " nothing 
 good comes of it. My mother knew a man who bought a 
 powder that was to cure his wife of jealousy ; and indeed it 
 did, for it straightway killed her, and he was hung. 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 1 fell 
 into a sweat at your long absence." 
 
 " The man is not of that kind, Robert, so you can reassure 
 yourself. I doubt not that the nostrums he sells are perfectly 
 harmless, and that though they may not cure they will cer- 
 tainly not kill." 
 
 They made their way back to the house of the i)rovost of 
 tlie silversmiths. 
 
 "Well, what do you think of Paris, Guy?" Dame Mar- 
 garet asked when he entered. 
 
 " Tt is a fine city, no doubt, lady, but in truth I would 
 rather be in the country than in this wilderness of narrow 
 streets. But indeed I have had somewhat of an adventure, and 
 one which 1 think may prove of advantage;" and he then 
 related to his mistress his visit to the booth of the supposed 
 doctor. 
 
 " 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 of truth in what he said ; nor do I see that 
 he could have had any motive for making my acquaintance 
 save what he stated. His story seemed to me to be a natural 
 one ; but I .shall be able to judge better when I see him in iiis 
 own house and with this daughter he speaks of; that is, if 
 your ladyship is willing that 1 should meet him." 
 
 " I am willing enough," she said, " for even if he is a spy 
 of Burgundy's there is nothing that we wish to conceal. I
 
 106 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 have come here willingly, and have no thought of making my 
 escape, or of mixing myself up in any of the intrigues 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 a short time whether he can be trusted. Then by 
 all means go and meet him this evening. But it would be as 
 well to take Tom with you. It does not seem to me at all 
 likely that any plot can be intended, but at any rate it will be 
 well that you should have one with you whom you can 
 thoroughly trust, in case there is any snare set, and to guard 
 you against any lurking cut-throats." 
 
 "■ I will tell him to be in readiness to go with me. It will 
 be his turn to go out with one of the others this evening, and 
 he might not be back in time if I did not warn him." 
 
 " What arms shall I take with me? " Long Tom said, when 
 Guy told him of their expedition. 
 
 " Nothing but your sword and quarter-staff. I see that 
 many of the beggars and others that one meets in the streets 
 carry long staffs, and yours is not much longer than the gen- 
 erality. You brought it tied up with your bow, so you would 
 do well to carry it, for in a street broil, where there is room 
 to swing it, you could desire no better weapon, in such strong 
 hands as yours, Tom. Besides, you can knock down and dis- 
 able with it and no great harm is done, whereas if you used 
 your sword there would be dead men ; and although by all I 
 hear these are not uncommon objects in the streets of Paris, 
 there might be trouble if the town watch came up, as we are 
 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 a cap such as was worn by the citizens, but 
 strengthened inside by a few bands of steel forming sufficient 
 protection to the head against any ordinary blow. This he
 
 IN PARIS 107 
 
 had purchased at a stall on his way home. Tom had put on 
 the garments that had been bought for him that afternoon, 
 consisting of a doublet of tanned leather that could be worn 
 under armour or for ordinary use, and was thick enough to 
 afford considerable protection. The streets were already al- 
 most deserted ; those who were abroad hurried along looking 
 with suspicion at all whom they met, and walking in the mid- 
 dle of the road so as to avoid being taken by suri)rise by any- 
 one lurking in the doorways or at the corners of alleys. Once 
 or twice men came out and stared at Guy and liis companion 
 by the light of the lanterns suspended acro.ss the streets, but 
 there was nothing aljout their appearance to encourage an at- 
 tack, and the stalwart figure of the archer promised hard blows 
 rather than plunder. Arriving at the square in front of Notre 
 Dame they waited awhile. Here there were still people about, 
 for it was a rendezvous botli for roistering young gallants, 
 thieves, and others starting on midnight adventures. After 
 walking backwards and forwards two or three times Guy .said, 
 " You had best stand here in the shadow of this buttress while 
 I go and place myself beneath that hanging lamp ; 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 fall on his face, waited for a minute, and then replaced 
 it. As soon as he did so a slightly-built lad came up to him. 
 
 " Were you not at the fair by the river to-day, sir, and are 
 you not exjjecting some one to meet you here? " 
 
 " That is so, lad. If you will tell me whom I am e.xpecting 
 I shall know that lie has sent you, though, indeed, I looked 
 to meet himself and not a messenger." 
 
 " Montepone," the lad said. 
 
 *' That is right. Why is he not here himself? " 
 
 " He received a message before starting that one whose
 
 108 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 orders he could not neglect would call upon him this evening, 
 and he therefore sent me to the rendezvous. I have been look- 
 ing anxiously for you, but until now had not seen you." 
 
 '' I have a companion with me ; being a stranger here in 
 Paris, I did not care to be wandering through the streets alone. 
 He is a countryman of mine, and can be trusted." 
 
 " It is indeed dangerous to be out alone. It is seldom that 
 I am in the streets after dark, but the doctor came with me 
 and placed me in a corner of the porch, and then returned by 
 himself, telling me to stir not until I saw you ; and that should 
 you not come, or should I not be able to make you out, I was 
 to remain until he came for me even if I waited until morn- 
 ing." 
 
 "I will fetch my follower," Guy said, "and am ready to 
 accompany you." 
 
 The lad was evidently unwilling to be left there for a mo- 
 ment alone, and he 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 was about 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 that would point us 
 out at once as strangers. Is it far to the place you are taking 
 us to?" 
 
 " A short quarter of an hour's walk, sir."
 
 IN THE STREETS OF PARIS 109 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 IN THE STREETS OF PARIS 
 
 THEY crossed the bridge to tlie right bank of the river, 
 and followed the stream down for some distance. Pass- 
 ing through some narrow lanes, they presently emerged into 
 a street of higher pretensions, and stopped at the door of a 
 small house wedged in between two of much larger size. The 
 boy took 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 a buffet, brought out 
 a flask of wine and two goblets, and said: "Will it please 
 you to be seated and to help yourselves to the wine ; my mas- 
 ter may possibly be detained for some little time before he is 
 able to see you." Then he went out and closed the door be- 
 hind him. 
 
 "It is evident, Tom," Guy said, as he took off his hat and 
 cloak, and seated himself, " that the doctor has a good idea 
 of making himself comfortable. Sit down, wc may have to 
 wait some time." 
 
 " Do you think that it will be safe to touch the wine. Mas- 
 ter Guy? perchance it may be drugged." 
 
 " Why should it be ? " Guy a.sked. " We are not such im- 
 portant personages that anyone can desire to make away with 
 us. I am convinc cd that the dortor was in earnest when he 
 told me that story that I rcjiealed to you this evening. It is
 
 110 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 possible that he may not be able to give us as much informa- 
 tion as he said, but that he means well by us I am certain ; 
 and I think we may be sure that his wine is as good as his 
 apartments are comfortable." 
 
 This turned out to be the case ; the wine was excellent, and 
 the archer soon laid aside any doubt he might have entertained. 
 From time to time steps could be heard in the apartment 
 above, and it was evident that it was here that the interview 
 between the doctor and his visitor was taking place. Pres- 
 ently a ring was heard below. 
 
 "Another visitor," Guy said. Getting up, he slightly 
 drew aside a thick curtain 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 and one at the 
 door." He heard the door opened, then the boy's step was 
 heard on the stairs, two or three minutes later there was a 
 movement above and the sound of the footsteps of two men 
 coming down. Presently the outside door closed, two or 
 three minutes elapsed ; then the door opened and the Italian 
 entered. 
 
 ' ' I regret that I have kept you so long, ' ' he said courte- 
 ously, " but my visitor was not to be got rid of hastily. It 
 was a lady, and there is no hurrying ladies. When a man 
 comes in, I have already ascertained what he desires to know ; 
 he listens to my answer and takes his departure. A woman, 
 on the contrary, has a tliousand things to ask, and for the 
 most part they are questions quite beyond my power to an- 
 swer." 
 
 " 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 when we entered the city. 
 Knowing nothing of the ways of Paris, but having heard that 
 the streets were very unsafe after dark, I thought it best to
 
 IN THE STRF.F.TS OF I'AKIS 111 
 
 bring him with me ; and I am indeed glad that I did so, for we 
 met with several very rough-looking characters on our way to 
 Notre Dame, and had 1 been alone I miglit liave had trouble." 
 
 "You did quite right," the Italian said; "I regretted 
 afterwards that I did not myself advise you to bring some one 
 with yon, for indeed it is not safe for one man to go abroad 
 alone after dark. And now, will you accom])any me ujistairs; 
 this tall fellow will doubtless be able to pass the time with that 
 flask of wine until you return." 
 
 " He should be able to do so," Guy said with a smile, " for 
 indeed it is the best wine 1 ha\e tasted, so far as my judgment 
 goes, since I crossed the Channel, and indeed the best I have 
 ever tasted." 
 
 " 'Tis good wine. I received a cask of it from the grower, 
 a Burgundian noble, who had, as he believed, gained some 
 advantage from following my advice." 
 
 The man led the way upstairs. The room he entered there 
 was much larger than that which tliey had left, extending 
 over the whole floor. It was draped similarly to that in the 
 booth, but was far more handsomely and elaborately got up. 
 The hangings were of heavy cloth sprinkled with stars, the 
 ceiling was blue with gold stars, a planis|)here and astrolabe 
 stood in the centre of the room, and a charcoal fire burned in 
 a brazier beside them. A i)air of huge l)ats with outstretched 
 wings hung by wires from the ceiling, their white teeth glis- 
 tening in the light of four lamps on stands, some six feet high, 
 one in each corner of the room. The floor was covered with 
 a dark Eastern carpet, a large chair with a footstool in front 
 stood at a short distance from the iilanis|)hcre ; at one end 
 was a massive table on which were retorts, glass globes, and 
 a variety of apparatus new to duy. At the other end of the 
 room there was a frame some eight feet square on which a 
 white sheet was stretched tightly.
 
 113 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " Now, Master Guy," the Italian said, " firstly, I beg you 
 to give me the date of your birth and if possible the hour, for 
 I would for my own information if not for yours, cast your 
 horoscope. I like to know for my own satisfaction, as far as 
 may be, the future of those with whom I have to deal. If I 
 perceive that misfortunes and perhaps death threaten them, it 
 is clearly of no use my entering into relations with them. In 
 your case, 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 may learn something of much utility to 
 me from your horoscope." 
 
 " I was born on the 8th of December, 1394, and shall be 
 therefore seventeen in a fortnight's time. I was born a few 
 minutes after midnight, for I have heard my mother say that 
 the castle bell had sounded but a few minutes before I was 
 born. She said that she had been anxious about it, because 
 an old woman had predicted that if she ever had a child born 
 on the 7th day of the month, it would be in every way unfort- 
 unate ; so my mother was greatly pleased that I had escaped 
 the consequences predicted." 
 
 " And now," the Italian went on, having made a note in 
 his tablets, " what said your lady? " 
 
 " She bid me say, sir, that she was very sensible of the ad- 
 vantage that it would be to her to receive news or warning 
 from one so well informed as yourself; and that she on her 
 part promises that she will befriend and protect your daughter 
 .should you at any time bring her to her castle in England, or 
 should .she come alone with such tokens from you as that she 
 might be known ; and this promise my lady vows on the sac- 
 raments to keep." 
 
 " Then we are in agreement," the Italian said ; " and right 
 glad am I to know that should aught befall me, my daughter 
 will be in such good hands. As far as worldly means are con-
 
 IN THE S'IRKETS OF PARIS 113 
 
 cerned her future is assured, for I liave laid out much of the 
 money I have received in jewels of value, which will produce 
 a sum thai will he an ample dowry for her. Now I can give 
 you some news. The Duke of Berri with the ([ueen came two 
 days since from Melun to C'orbeil, ami ],ouis of liavaria came 
 on here yesterday to the Duke of Acpiitaine with a message to 
 Burgundy and to the butchers, asking that they would allow 
 him to attend the queen to Paris, and that she might reside 
 in his house of Nasle. Burgundy was minded to grant her 
 leave, but at a meeting of the chiefs of the guild of butchers 
 this afternoon they resolved to refuse the request ; and this 
 evening they have broken every door and window of the Duke 
 of Berri's house, and committed great damages there, so that 
 it should not be habitable; they resolved that Berri should 
 not enter Paris, but that the cpieen might come. I hear that 
 it has been determined that the king shall be placed in the 
 Louvre, where the citizens of Paris can keep guard over him 
 and preven': any attempt by the Orleanists to carry him away. 
 ''All this will make no difference to your mistress directly; 
 the point of it is that the power of these butchers, with whom 
 go the guild of skinners and others, is so increasing that even 
 the Duke of Burgundy is forced to give in to them. Some of 
 the other guilds and the greater part of the respectable traders 
 are wholly opposed to these men. They themselves may care 
 little whether Orleans or Burgundy sways the court and the 
 king, but this usuri)ation 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 into so hot a rage that there 
 may be serious rioting in the streets. 1 tell you this that you 
 may be prepared. Assuredly the butchers are not likely to in- 
 terfere with any save such of the townspeople as they may 
 deem hostile to iIilmu, and no harm would intentionally be 
 done to her or lo any other hostage of Burgundy. But the 
 8
 
 114 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 provost of the silversmiths is one of those who withstands them 
 to the best of his power, and should matters come to serious 
 rioting his house might be attacked. The leaders of the 
 butchers' guild would be glad to see him killed, and their 
 followers would still more like to have the sacking of his rich 
 magazine of silver goods and the spoiling of his furniture. 
 
 " I say not that things are likely to come to that yet, but 
 there is no telling bow far they may be carried. It is but a 
 dark cloud in the distance at present, but it may in time burst 
 into a storm that will deluge the streets of Paris with blood. I 
 may tell you that, against you as English there is no strong 
 feeling at present among the Burgundians, for I am informed 
 that the duke has taken several bodies of English archers into 
 his pay, and that at Soissons and other towns he has enlisted 
 a score or two of these men. However, I am sure to gain in- 
 formation long before matters come to any serious point, ex- 
 cept a sudden outbreak arise from a street broil. I may tell 
 you that one result of the violence of the butchers to-day may 
 be to cause some breach between them and the Burgundian 
 nobles, who are, I am told, greatly incensed at their refusing 
 to give permission to the Duke of Berri to come here after 
 Burgundy had acceded to his request, and that these fellows 
 should venture to damage the hotel of one of the royal dukes 
 seemed to them to be still more intolerable. The Duke of Bur- 
 gundy may truckle to these fellows, but his nobles will strongly 
 resent their interference and their arrogant insolence, and the 
 duke may find that if he is to retain their support he will have 
 to throw over that of these turbulent citizens. Moreover, their 
 conduct adds daily to the strength of the Orleanists among the 
 citizens, and if astrong Armagnac force approaches Paris they 
 will be hailed by no small portion of the citizens as dehv- 
 erers. ' ' 
 
 ^'In truth I can well nnderstand; Signor Montepone, that
 
 IN THE STREETS OF PARIS 115 
 
 the nobles should revolt against lliis association with butchers 
 and skinners; 'tis past all bearing that fellows like these 
 should thus meddle in [Kiblic affairs." 
 
 "The populace of Paris has ever been turbulent," the 
 Italian reijlied. " In this it resembles the cities of Flanders, 
 and the butchers are ever at the bottom of all tumults. Now 
 I will introduce my daughter to you ; it is well that you 
 should know her, for in ca.se of need she may serve as a 
 messenger, and it may be that I may .some day ask you to 
 present her to your latly." 
 
 He opened the door. " Katarina ! " he said without rais- 
 ing his voice, and at once 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 in black, and was tall and slight. Her com- 
 plexion was fairer than that of her father, and she already 
 gave promise of considerable beauty, (juy bowed to her 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 not where or how, since it was but this morn- 
 ing that I arrived in Paris." 
 
 "We parted but half an hour since, monsieur." 
 
 "Parted?" Guy repeated with a puzzled expression on 
 his face. " Surely you are jesting with me." 
 
 " Do you not recognize my messenger? " the Italian said 
 with a smile. " iMy daughter is my a.ssistant. In a business 
 like mine one cannot trust a stranger to do one service, and 
 as a boy she could come and go unmarked when she carries a 
 message to persons of quality. She looks a saucy page in the 
 daytime when she goes on the business, but after nightfall
 
 116 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 she is dressed as you saw her this evening. As a girl she 
 could not traverse the streets unattended, and I am far too 
 busy to bear her company ; but as a boy 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 her 
 proper character." 
 
 " You must be very courageous, signora," Guy said ; " but, 
 indeed, I can well imagine that you can pass where you will 
 without anyone suspecting you to be 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 more comfortable in it than dressed as I now am, and 
 it is much more amusing to be able to go about as I like 
 than to remain all day cooped up here when my 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 should detain you 
 longer ; the hour is getting late already, and your lady 
 may well be getting anxious at your absence. Can you 
 read?" 
 
 "Yes, signor ; the priest at my lady's castle in England, 
 of which my father is castellan during my lord's absences, in- 
 structed me." 
 
 "It is well; for sometimes a note can be slipped into a 
 hand when it would not be safe to deliver a message by word 
 of mouth. From time to time if there be anything new you 
 shall hear from me, but there will be no occasion for you to 
 come hither again unless there is something of importance 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 bar the door after him." 
 
 Passing downstairs Guy looked in at the room where he
 
 ULV AM< lAI.NL, lu.M (.U.ME lu lilt. Kl-.M 1 L ill- lol M (llARLtS.
 
 IN THE STREETS OF PARIS 117 
 
 had left the arclier. The latter sprung to his feet as he 
 entered with a somewhat dazed expression on his face, for 
 indeed, he had fallen off into a sound sleep. 
 
 " We are going now, Tom," (iuy said. " I have con- 
 cluded my business with this gentleman. We will not go 
 back the way we came," he went on, as they issued into the 
 street, "for I am sure we should never find our way through 
 those alleys. Let us keep along here until we come to a 
 broader street leading the way we wish to go ; fortimately, 
 with the river to our left, we cannot go very far wrong." 
 
 They presently came to a street leading in the desired 
 direction. They had .scarcely entered it when they heard 
 ahead of them llic sound of a fray. A loud cry arose, and 
 there was a clashing of sword-blades. 
 
 "Come on, Tom ! " Guy said; "it may be that some 
 gentleman is attacked by these ruffians of the streets." 
 
 Starting off at a run, they soon arrived at the scene of 
 combat, the features of which they were able to see by the 
 light of the lamp that himg in the centre of the street. A 
 man was standing in a narrow doorway, which prevented his 
 being attacked except in front, and the stej) on which he 
 stood gave him a slight advantage over his adversaries. These 
 were nearly a dozen in number, and were evidently, as Guy 
 had supposed, street ruffians of the lowest class. Without 
 hesitation Guy and the archer fell upon them, with a shout of 
 encouragement to tlie defender of the doorway, who was 
 evidently sorely pressed. Tom's (piarter-staff sent two of the 
 men rolling on the ground almost before they realized that 
 they were attacked, while Guy ran another through the body. 
 For a moment the assailants scattered, but then, seeing that 
 they were attacked by only two men, they fell upon them 
 with fury. 
 
 Guy defended himself stoutly, but he would have fared
 
 118 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 badly had it not been for the efforts of Long Tom, whose 
 staff descended with such tremendous force upon the heads of 
 his assailants that it broke down their guard, and sent man 
 after man on to the pavement. Guy himself received a sharp 
 wound in the shoulder, but cut down another of his assail- 
 ants ; and the defender of the door, leaving his post of van- 
 tage, now joined them, and in a couple of minutes but four of 
 the assailants remained on their feet, 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 saw 
 time to look at the gentleman to whose assistance he had so 
 that the stranger 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 to thank you for my life, 
 which, assuredly, they would have taken, especially as I had 
 disposed of two of their comrades before you came up. May 
 I ask to whom I am so indebted? I am Count Charles 
 d'Estournel." 
 
 "My name is Guy A.ylmer, sir; I am the son of Sir 
 James Aylmer, an English knight, and am here as the esquire 
 of Dame Margaret de Villeroy, who arrived but this morning 
 in Paris." 
 
 " x\nd who is this stalwart fellow whose staff has done 
 more execution than both our sword -blades ? " the young 
 count asked ; " verily it rose and fell like a flail on a thrash- 
 ing-floor." 
 
 " He is one of Dame ALirgaret's retainers, and the captain 
 of a band of archers 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 you much, as well as Monsieur Guy Aylmer, 
 for your assistance. ' ' 
 
 J
 
 IN THE STREETS OF PARIS 119 
 
 "One is always glad of an opportvniity to stretch one's 
 arms a bit when there is but a good excuse for doing so," the 
 archer said; "and one needs no better chance than when 
 one sees a gentleman attacked by such scum as these ruf- 
 fians," 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 very broken French. " I know all about you 
 now," he went on, turning to Guy. " 1 was not present to- 
 day when your lady had audience with Burgundy, but I 
 heard that an P^nglish dame had arrived, and that the duke 
 canie but badly out of the encounter in words with her. Rut 
 we had best be moving on or wemay ha\e the watch on us, 
 and we should be called upon to account for these ten felloes 
 lying here. I doubt not but half of them are only stunned 
 and will soon make off, the other si.x will have to be carried 
 away. We have a good account to give of ourselves, but 
 the watch would probably not trouble themselves to ask any 
 questions, and I have no fancy for spending a night locked 
 up in the cage with perhaps a dozen unsavoury malefactors. 
 Which way does your course lie, sir ? " 
 
 " We are lodged at the house of Maitre Leroux, provost of 
 the silversmiths." 
 
 "Then you are going in the wrong direction. You return 
 up this street, then turn to your right; his liou.se is in the 
 third street to the left. I shall do myself the honour of call- 
 ing in the morning to thank )i)u more fully for the service you 
 have rendered me, which, should it ever fall into my power, 
 you can count on my returning. My way now lies in the 
 op])Osite direction." 
 
 After mutual salutes they parted, and Guy followed the di- 
 rections given to them. 
 
 "That was a sharp skirmish, Master Guy," Long Tom
 
 120 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 said contentedly ; " the odds were just enough to make it in- 
 teresting. Did you escape scatheless? " 
 
 "Not altogether, Tom, I had a sword - thrust in my 
 shoulder; but I can do with 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 a rare weapon in a fight like that, for you can 
 keep well out of the reach of their swords. In faith I have 
 not had so pleasant an exercise since that fight Dickon and I 
 had in the market-place at Winchester last Lammas fair." 
 
 " lam afraid Dame Margaret will scold us for getting into 
 a fray." 
 
 ' ' Had it not been for your wound we need have said noth- 
 ing about it ; but you may be sure that you will have to carry 
 your arm in a sling for a day or 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 ob- 
 tained for me the 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 I have 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 me in, for the household would be asleep two hours ago ; 
 and as Maitre Leroux and his wife have shown themselves so 
 kindly disposed towards us, she should not like the household 
 disturbed at such an hour. I was to whistle a note or two of 
 Richard Mon Roi, and she would know that we were without." 
 
 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 undrawn and 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.
 
 IN THE STREETS OF PARIS 121 
 
 " It is but a trifle, lady," he said ; " a sword-thrust in the 
 shoulder, and a little blood. Long Tom will bind it up. 
 Our delay was cau.sed i)artly by the fact that the Italian was 
 engaged, and it was half-an-hour before I could see him. 
 Moreover, we had been kept at the trysting-place, as the guide 
 did not recognize me owing to 'i om being with me ; and 
 lastly, we were somewhat delayed by the matter that cost me 
 this sword-thrust, which I in no 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 up- 
 stairs, "lam disappointed in you, Guy," Dame Margaret 
 said severely when they entered the room. "I told you to 
 keep yourself free from frays of all kinds, and here you have 
 been engaged in one before we have been twelve hours in 
 Paris." 
 
 " I crave your pardon, madam, but it is not in human nat- 
 ure to stand by without drawing a sword on behalf of a young 
 gentleman defending himself against a dozen cut-throats. I 
 am sure that in such a case your ladyship would be the first 
 to bid me draw and strike in. The matter did not last three 
 minutes. Tom disposed of six of them with his quarter-staff, 
 the gentleman had killed two before we arrived, and I man- 
 aged to di.spose of two others, the rest took to their heels. 
 The young gentleman was Count Charles d'Estournel ; he is, 
 as it seems, in the Duke of Burgundy's train; and as we un- 
 doubtedly saved his life, he may turn out a good and useful 
 friend." 
 
 "You are right. C.ny ; I sjioke perhaps too hastily. And 
 now about the other matter." 
 
 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
 
 122 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 his ordinary costume he seemed to me a very proper gentle- 
 man," Guy replied. " He is my height or thereabouts, 
 grave in face and of good presence. I have no doubt that he 
 is to be trusted, and he has evidently resolved to do all in his 
 power to aid you, should it be necessary to do so. He would 
 scarce have introduced 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 believes thoroughly in his science, and but adopts 
 the costume in which I first saw him and the role of a quack 
 vendor of nostrums in order that his real profession may not 
 be known to the public, and so bring him in collision with 
 the church." 
 
 "It seems to me, Guy," Dame Margaret said the next 
 morning, " that as you have already made the acquaintance of 
 a young French noble, and may probably meet with others, 
 'twill be best that, when we have finished our breakfast, you 
 should lose no time in sallying out and i)roviding yourself 
 with suitable attire. Spare not money, for my purse is very 
 full. Get yourself a suit in which you can accompany me fitly 
 if I again see the duke, or, as is possible, have an interview 
 with the queen. Get two others, the one a quiet one, and 
 not likely to attract notice, for your ordinary wear ; the other 
 a more handsome one, to wear when you go into the company 
 of the young men of station like this Burgundian noble whom 
 you succoured last niglit. Your father being a knight, you 
 may well, as the esquire of my lord, hold your head as high 
 as other young esquires of good family in the train of French 
 nobles." 
 
 On Agnes and Charlie coming into the room, the latter ex- 
 claimed, " Why have you got your arm in a scarf, Guy ? " 
 
 " He was in a fray last night, Charlie. He and Tom came 
 
 I 
 
 i
 
 IN THE STREETS OF PARIS 123 
 
 a 
 
 upon a number of ruffians fighting a young gentleman, so they 
 joined in and helped him, and Guy was wounded in the 
 shoulder." 
 
 " Did they beat the bad men, mother? " 
 
 " Yes, dear; Guy liad taken a sword with him, as it was 
 after dark, and 'Ibm had his quarter-staff." 
 
 "Then the others can have had no chance," Charlie said 
 decidedly. " I ha\e often seen Long 'I'om playing with the 
 quarter-staff, and he could beat anyone in the castle. I war- 
 rant he laid about him well. I should have liked to have been 
 there to have seen it, mother." 
 
 " It will be a good many years yet, Charlie, before you will 
 be old enough to 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 not afraid even when the cannon made a great 
 noise. ' ' 
 
 " No, you behaved very well, Charlie ; but it is one thing 
 to be standing on the top of a keep and another to be in the 
 streets when a fray is going on all round." 
 
 " Did you kill anyone, Guy ? " the boy asked eagerly. 
 
 " Some of them were wounded," Guy replied, " but I can- 
 not say for certain that anyone was killed." 
 
 '' They ought to be killed, these bad men who attack peo- 
 ple in the street. If I were King of France I would have all 
 their heads chopped off." 
 
 " It is not so easy to < atcii them, Charlie. When the watch 
 come upon tliem when tliey are doing such things there is not 
 much mercy shown to them." 
 
 As soon :is breakfast was over Guy went out, after learning 
 from Maitre Lerou.v the address of a tradesman who generally 
 kept a stock of garments in store, in readiness for those passing 
 through Paris, who might not ha\c time to stop while clothes 
 were specially made f<jr them. He returned in the course of
 
 124 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 an hour, followed by a boy carrying a wooden case with the 
 clothes that he had bought. He had been fortunate in getting 
 two suits which fitted him perfectly. They had been made for 
 a young knight who had been despatched by the duke to Flan- 
 ders just after he had been measured for them, and the tailor 
 said that he was glad to sell them, as for aught he knew it 
 might be weeks or even months before the knight returned, 
 and he could make other suits for him at his leisure. Thus 
 he was provided at once with his two best suits ; for the other 
 be had been measured, and it was to be sent in a couple of 
 days. On his return he went straight to his room, and attired 
 himself in readiness to receive the visit of Count Charles 
 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 the legs ; the shoes were of the great 
 length then in fashion, being some eighteen inches from the 
 heel to the pointed toe. The court suit was similar in make, 
 but more handsome — the doublet, which was of crimson, be- 
 ing embroidered with gold ; the closely-fitting trousers were 
 striped with light blue and black ; the cap with the suit in 
 which he was now dressed was yellow, that with the court suit 
 crimson, and both were high and conical, resembling a sugar- 
 loaf in shape. From his sword-belt he carried a light straight 
 sword, instead of the heavier one that would be carried in act- 
 ual 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 Mar- 
 garet said with a smile; "truly you look as well fitted as 
 if they had been made for you, and the colours are well 
 chosen." 
 
 Guy told her how he had obtained them. 
 
 " You are very fortunate," she said, " and this afternoon,
 
 A RIOT • 135 
 
 when I mean to take a walk to see the city, I shall feel that I 
 am well escorted with you by 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 you would soon pine if confined here, though 
 indeed the air outside is but close and heavy compared with 
 that at home. I have been speaking to Master Leroux while 
 you have been away, and he tells me that a post goes once a 
 week to Lille, and that he will send a letter for me to Sir 
 Eustace under cover to a worthy trader of that town, who will 
 forward it thence to Villeroy by a messenger. Therefore I 
 shall write this morning; my lord will 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 with word that Count Charles d'Es- 
 tournel was below desiring to speak with Master Guy Aylmer. 
 
 " Show the coimt up. Or no, you had best go down your- 
 self to receive him, Guy. Pray him to come up with you ; it 
 will 1)6 more fitting." 
 
 Guy at once went down. 
 
 " So this is my saviour of last night," the count said gaily 
 as Guy joined him. " I could scarce get a view of your face 
 then, as the lamps give such a i)oor light, and I should hardly 
 ha\e known you again. Besides, you were wrapped up in
 
 126 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 your cloak. But you told me that you were an esquire, and I 
 see that you carry a sword. I want to take you out to intro- 
 duce you to some of my friends. Can you accompany me 
 now ? ' ' 
 
 " I shall do so willingly, Count; but first will you allow 
 me to present you to my lady mistress ? She prayed me to 
 bring you up to her apartments." 
 
 " That shall I right willingly ; those who were present yes- 
 terday speak of her as a noble lady." 
 
 They went upstairs together. 
 
 " My lady, this is Count Charles d'Estournel, who desires 
 me to present him to you." 
 
 " I am glad to meet you. Sir Count," Dame Margaret said, 
 holding out her hand, which he raised to his lips, "seeing 
 that my esquire, Master Guy Aylmer, was able to render you 
 some slight service last night. This is my daughter 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 indeed you consider that my life is a 
 valueless one, for assuredly without his aid and that of your 
 tall retainer, my father would ha\e been childless this morn- 
 ing. I was indeed in sore plight when they arrived ; my 
 arm was tiring, and I could not have defended myself very 
 much longer against such odds, and as I had exasperated them 
 by killing two of their comrades, I should have received no 
 mercy at their hands. In my surprise at being so suddenly 
 attacked I even forgot to raise a shout for the watch, though 
 it is hardly likely that they would have heard me had I done 
 so ; the lazy knaves are never on the spot when they are 
 wanted. However, we gave the ruffians a lesson that those 
 of them who escaped are not likely to forget readily, for out 
 of the fourteen who attacked me we accounted for ten, of
 
 A RTOT 127 
 
 whom your retainer levelled no less than six with that staff of 
 his, and 1 doubt whether any of the other four came off 
 scatheless. I imagine that those levelled by your retainer 
 got up and made off, — that is, if they recovered their senses 
 before the watch came, — but I am sure that the other four 
 will never steal pouch or cut throat in future. 'I'is a shame 
 that these rascals are suffered to interfere with lionest men, 
 and it would be far better if the city authorities would turn 
 their attention to riiKling the streets of these pests instead of 
 meddling with things that in no way concern them." 
 
 " It would no doubt be much wiser," Dame Margaret re- 
 plied ; "but since their betters are ever quarrelling among 
 themselves, we can hardly wonder that the citizens do not 
 attend to their own business." 
 
 " No doubt you are right," the young count said with a 
 smile ; " but it is the highest who set the bad example, and 
 we their vassals cannot iMit follow them, though I myself 
 would far rather draw my sword against the enemies of 
 France than against my countrymen. Rut methinks," and 
 here he laughed, '' the example of the wars that England has 
 so often waged with Scotland might well cause you to take a 
 lenient view of our mi.sdoings. " 
 
 " I cannot gainsay you there. Sir Count, and truly those 
 quarrels have caused more damage to England than your dis- 
 putes between Burgundy and Orleans have, su far. inflicted on 
 France ; but you see 1 am a sufferer in the one ca.se and 
 not in the other. Even now I am ignorant why I have l.)een 
 brought here. There is a truce at ])re.sent between England 
 and France, and assuredly there are more English in the service 
 of nobles of Burgundy than in those of Orleans, and at any 
 rate I have seen no reason why there can at present be any 
 doubt at all of the conduc-t of my lnnl. wlio has but lately de- 
 fended his castle against the followers of Orleans."
 
 128 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 "So I have heard, madame, and I know that there are 
 some of my friends who tliink that Duke John has behaved 
 hardly in the matter; but he seldom acts without reason, 
 though it may not be always that one which he assigns for 
 any action." Then, changing the subject, he went on. " I 
 have come to take Master Gu)' 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, hasten to express 
 his gratitude. I trust that you can spare your esquire to go 
 out with me." 
 
 " Certainly, so that he does but return in time to escort me 
 for a walk through the streets this afternoon." 
 
 " I will be sure to come back, madam," Guy said. " You 
 have but to say the hour at which you will start ; but indeed 
 I think that I shall probably be in 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 the Duke of Burgundy has 
 English archers in his pay, and France is at truce with Eng- 
 land, there seems less reason than at other times to demand 
 sureties of his loyalty, especially as he has shown that he is in 
 no way well disposed to the Armagnacs. ' ' 
 
 " Between ourselves, Guy, I think that the duke in no way 
 expected that hostages would be given, and that he was by no 
 means well pleased when a messenger arrived from the herald 
 to say that he was returning with your lady and her children. 
 What was his intention I know not, but in times like these it 
 is necessary sometimes to reward faithful followers or to secure 
 doubtful ones, and it may be that he would have been glad to 
 have had the opportunity of finding so fair a castle and estate 
 at his disposal. You know the fable of the wolf and the 
 lamb; a poor excuse is deemed sufficient at all times in 
 France when there is a great noble on one side and a simple
 
 A RIOT 1^9 
 
 knight on tlie other, and I reckon that the duke did not cal- 
 culate upon the willingness of your Sir Eustace to permit his 
 wife and children to come here, or upon the dame's willing- 
 ness to do so, and in no way expected matters to turn out as 
 they have done, for there is now no shadow of excuse for him 
 to meddle with Villeroy. Indeed, I (piestion whether the 
 condition about hostages was of his devising; but it may 
 well be that the king or the queen wished it inserted, and he, 
 thinking that there w^as no chance of that alternative Ijeing 
 accepted, yielded to the wish. Mind, all this is not spoken 
 from my own knowledge, but I did hear that Duke John was 
 much put out when he found that the hostages were coming, 
 and there was some laughter among us at the duke being for 
 once outwitted." 
 
 " Then you do not love him overmuch. Count? " 
 " He is our lord, Guy, and we are bound to fight in his 
 cause, but our vows of fealty do not include the word love. 
 The duke his father was a nol)le i)rince, just and honourable, 
 and he was loved as well as honoured. Duke John is a dif- 
 ferent man altogether. He is brave, as he ])roved in Hun- 
 gary, and it may be said that he is wise, but his wisdom is 
 not of the kind that Burgundian nobles love. It might have 
 been wise to remove Orleans from his path, although I doubt 
 it, but it was a dastardly murder all the same ; and although 
 we are bound to support him, it alienated not a few. Then 
 he condescends to consort with these sorry knaves the butch 
 ers, and others of low estate, to take them into his counsels, 
 and to thrust llicui upon us, at which. 1 may toll you, there 
 is grievous discontent. All this is rank treason to the duke. 
 I have no doubt, but it is true nevertheless. Here we are 
 at our first stopping-place. This is a sa/Ze iV amies ; it is kept 
 by a Burgundian master, who has with him two or three of 
 the best swordsmen in France, and here a number of us meet 
 9
 
 130 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 every morning to learn tricks of fence, and to keep our- 
 selves in good exercise, which indeed one sorely needs in this 
 city of Paris, where there is neither hawking nor hunting nor 
 jousting nor any other kind of knightly sport, everyone be- 
 ing too busily in earnest to think of amusement. Several 
 of my best friends are sure to be here, and I want to in- 
 troduce you to them." 
 
 When they entered the salon they found some thirty young 
 knights and nobles gathered. Two or three pairs in helmet 
 and body-armour were fighting with blunted swords, others 
 were vaulting on to a saddle placed on a framework roughly 
 representing a high war-horse; one or two were swinging 
 heavy maces, whirling them lound their heads and bringing 
 them down occasionally upon great sand-bags si.K feet high, 
 while others were seated on benches resting themselves after 
 their exercises. D'Estournel's arrival was greeted with a 
 shout, and several of those disengaged at once came over to 
 him. 
 
 " Laggard ! " one exclaimed, " what excuse have you to 
 make for coming so late? I noted not that De Jouvaux's 
 wine had mounted into your head last night, and surely the 
 duke cannot have had need of your valuable services this 
 morning ? " 
 
 " Neither one nor the other befell, D'Estelle. But first let 
 me introduce to you all my friend Guy Aylmer, an English 
 gentleman, the son of a knight of that country, and him.self 
 an esquire of Sir Eustace de Villeroy. I am sure you will 
 welcome him when I tell you that he saved my life last 
 night when attacked by a band of cut-throats. Guy, these 
 are my friends Count Pierre d'Estelle, Count Walter de 
 Vesoul, the Sieur John de Perron, and the Knights Louis de 
 Lactre, Sir Reginald Poupart, Sir James Regnier, Sir Thomas 
 d' Autre, and Sir Philip de Noisies. " 
 
 I
 
 A RIOT 131 
 
 " I can assure you of our friendship," the first-named of 
 these gentlemen said cordially to Guy, " for indeed you 
 have rendered us all a service in thus savinir to us our 
 friend D'Estourncl. Tell us how the matter occurred, 
 Charles; in sooth, \vc sliall have to take these ruffians of 
 Paris in hand. So long as they cut each other's throats no 
 great harm is done, but if they take to cutting ours it is 
 time to give them a lesson." 
 
 " The matter was simple enough," D'Estournel said. '' As 
 yo'i know, it was late before we broke up at I)e Jouvaux's 
 last night, for I heard it strike half-past ten by the bell of 
 St. Germain as I sallied out. I was making my way home 
 like a peaceful citizen, when two men came out from a 
 narrow lane and stumbled roughly across me. Deeming 
 that they were drunk, I struck one a 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 broke in. 
 
 " Well, hardly, perhaps; but I forgot my character at the 
 moment. However, an instant later there w-as a shout, and 
 a dozen or so armed men poured out from the lane and fell 
 upon me. I saw at once that I had been taken in a trap. 
 Luckily there was a deep doorway close by, so I sprang into 
 it. and, drawing my sword, ])ut myself in a posture of de- 
 lence before they were \\\)on me. 1 ran the first through the 
 body, and that seemed to teach the others some caution. 
 I'ortunately the doorway was so deep that only two could 
 as.sail me at once, and 1 held my ground for some time 
 l)retty fairly, only receiving a few scratches. Presently I 
 saw another opening, and, i)arrying a thrust, I ran my 
 sword through the fellow's throat. He fell with a loud 
 outcry, which was fortunate, for it came to the ears of 
 my friend here, and brought him and a stout retainer — a
 
 132 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 prodigiously tall fellow, with a staff longer than himself — 
 to my aid. They were but just in time, for the ruffians, 
 furious at the fall of another of their companions, were 
 pressing me hotly, and slashing so furiously with their 
 swords that it was as much as I could do to parry them, 
 and had no time to thrust back in reply. My friend here 
 ran two of them through, his tall companion levelled six 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 believe they thought that the man with the staff 
 was the Evil One himself, who had got tired of aiding them 
 in their villainous enterprises. ' ' 
 
 " It was a narrow escape indeed, Charles," Count Walter 
 de Vesoul said gravely, " and it was well for you that there 
 was that doorway hard by, or your brave friend would have 
 found but your body when he came along. It is evident, 
 gentlemen, that when we indulge in drinking parties we 
 must go home in couples. Of course, Charles, you must 
 lay a complaint before the duke, and he must let the Parisians 
 know that if they do not keep their cut-throats within bounds 
 we will take to sallying out at night in parties and will cut 
 down every man we find about the streets." 
 
 " I will lay my complaint, but I doulit if much good will 
 come of it. The duke will speak to the provost of the 
 butchers, and nothing will be done." 
 
 " Then we will take them in hand," the other said angrily. 
 " H the Parisians won't keep order in their streets we will 
 keep it for them. Such doings are intolerable, and we will 
 make up parties to scour the streets at night. Men passing 
 peaceably along we shall not of course molest, but any parties 
 of armed men we find about we will cut down without hesita- 
 tion." 
 
 " I shall be heartily glad to join one of the parties when-
 
 A RIOT 133 
 
 ever you are disposed, De Vesoul," D'Estonrnel said. " Per- 
 chance I may liijlit on one or more of the four fellows who 
 got away last night. Now I am ready to have a bout with 
 swords. ' ' 
 
 " We have all had our turn, Charles," the other said. 
 
 "Then T must work with the mace," the count said. 
 " My friend here, you see, did not come off as scatheless last 
 night as I did, or else I would have asked him to have a bout 
 with me. He held his own so well against two of them who 
 fell on him together that I doubt not 1 should find him a 
 sturdy adversary." 
 
 " I fear not. Count," Guy said smiling. " I can use my 
 sword, it is true, in English fashion, but I know little of 
 feints and tricks with the sword such as I am told are taught 
 in your schools." 
 
 "A little practice here will amend that," D'Estournel 
 said. " These things are well enough in a sallc (f amies, and 
 are useful when one man is opposed to another in a duel, but 
 in a battle or mc/ce I fancy that they are of but little use, 
 though indeed I have never yet had the chance of trying. 
 We will introduce you to the master, and I hope that you 
 will come here regularly ; it will give real pleasure to all. 
 'i'his salon is kept up by the duke for our benefit, and as you 
 are one of his most pressingly invited guests you are certainly 
 free of it." 
 
 They went up in a body to the master. " Maitre Baudin," 
 Count Charles said, " I have to introduce to you a gentle- 
 man who is our mutual friend, and who last night saved my 
 life in a street brawl. He is at present an esquire of Sir 
 ICustace de Yilleroy, and has travelled hither with the 
 knight's dame, who has come at the invitation of the duke. 
 I lis father is an English knight, and as the friend of us all we 
 trust that you will put him upon the list of your pupils."
 
 134 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " I shall be pleased to do so, Count Charles, the more so 
 since he has done you such service." 
 
 " I am afraid that you will find me a very backward 
 pupil," Guy said. " I have been well taught in English 
 fashion, but as you know, maitre, we were more famed for 
 downright hard hitting than for subtlety and skill in arms." 
 
 " Downright hard hitting is not to be despised," the 
 master said, " and in a battle it is the chief thing of all ; yet 
 science is not to be regarded as useless, since it not only 
 makes sword-play a noble pastime, but in a single combat it 
 enables one who is physically weak to hold his own against a 
 far stronger antagonist. ' ' 
 
 " That I feel greatly, maitre. I shall be glad indeed of 
 lessons in the art, and as soon as my shoulder is healed I 
 shall take great pleasure in attending your school regularly, 
 whenever my lady has no need of my presence. 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 en- 
 able me to take my part in a conflict with full-grown men." 
 
 " You showed last night that you could do that," Count 
 Charles said with a smile. 
 
 " Nay, men of that sort do not count," Guy said. " They 
 are but rough swordsmen, and it was only their number that 
 rendered them dangerous. There is little credit in holding 
 one's own against ruffians of that kind." 
 
 " Well, I will be lazy this morning," the young count said, 
 "and do without my practice. Will you all come round to 
 my rooms, gentlemen, and drink a glass or two of wine and 
 make the better acquaintance of my friend ? He is bound to 
 be back at his lodgings by one, and therefore you need not be 
 afraid that I am leading you into a carouse." 
 
 Guy passed an hour in the count's lodgings and then re- 
 turned to the provost's. The count accompanied him, saying
 
 A RIOT 135 
 
 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 in for the morn- 
 ing. 
 
 " 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. " 1 hope that you will accept this ring in token 
 of my gratitude ; I have had it enlarged this morning so that 
 it may fit one of your strong fingers. It may be useful some 
 day to turn into money should you find yourself in a pinch." 
 
 " I thank you, sir," Tom said. '■ 1 will wear it round my 
 neck, for in truth rings are not for the use of men in my con- 
 dition. As to gratitude, I feel that it is rather the other way, 
 for my arms were beginning to get stiff for want of use. I 
 only wish that the fray had lasted a bit longer, for I had 
 scarce time to warm to it, and I hope that the ne.xt time your 
 lordship gets into trouble I may have the good hick to be near 
 at hand again." 
 
 "I hope you may, my friend ; a.ssuredly I could want no 
 better helper." 
 
 After the count had taken his leave Guy went upstairs and 
 told Lady Margaret how he had si)ent the morning. 
 
 " I am very glad to hear what you say about the fencing 
 school, Guy ; it will be good for you to have such training. 
 And indeed 'tis well that you should have some employment, 
 for time would hang but wearilv on your hands were you to 
 remain long caged up here. 1 shall he very glad for you to 
 go. It will make no difference to us whether we take our 
 walk in the morning or in the afternoon." 
 
 After dinner they went out. Guy escorted Dame Mar- 
 garet, Agnes and Charlie followed, Long Tom and Jules 
 Varoy bringing up the rear, both armed with swords and car- 
 rying in addition heavy cudgels. First of all they visited the
 
 136 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 cathedral, where Dame Margaret and her daughter knelt for 
 some time in prayer before one of the shrines ; then crossing 
 the bridge again tiiey followed along the broad pavement be- 
 tween the foot of the walls and the river, which served as a 
 market, where hucksters of all sorts plied their trade ; then 
 entering the next gate on the wall they walked down the street 
 to 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 shiver as she looked at its frowning towers ; " the 
 poor wretches who are once entombed there can have but 
 little hope of escape. Surely there cannot be so many state 
 prisoners as to need for their keeping, a building so large as 
 that. Still, with so turbulent a population as this of Paris, it 
 doubtless needs a strong castle to hold them." 
 
 " It seems to me, madame, that, though useful doubtless as 
 a prison, the castle was never really built for that purpose, 
 but as a stronghold to overawe Paris." 
 
 " That may be so, Guy ; at any rate I am glad that they 
 did not use it as our place of detention instead of the house of 
 Maitre Leroux." 
 
 " They see well enough, madame, that you are more se- 
 curely held than bolts and bars could detain you. I imagine 
 that they would like nothing better than for you to get away 
 back to Villeroy, since it would give them an excuse for an 
 attack on the castle." 
 
 "Doubtless that is so, Guy; I came freely, and I must 
 stay freely until some change takes place that will leave it open 
 to us to fly. But in sooth it seems to me that nothing short 
 of the arrival of an English army could do that. Were the 
 Armagnacs to get the better of the Burgundians our position 
 would be even worse than it is now." 
 
 " That is true enough, madame, for the Burgundians have
 
 A RIOT 137 
 
 no cause of hostility whatever to Sir Eustace and you, while 
 we have given the Armagnacs good reasons for ill-will against 
 us. Still, were they to come here it would be open to you to 
 fly, for all Artois is Burgundian ; and though the duke might 
 not be able to hold his position here, Artois and Flanders 
 would long be able to sustain themselves, and you would 
 therefore be safe at Villeroy, for they would have other mat- 
 ters to attend to without meddling with those who only ask to 
 be let alone." 
 
 On their way back from the Bastille they saw a crowd in 
 the street and heard loud shouts. 
 
 " We had best turn off by this side street, madame," Guy 
 said; "doubtless it is a body of the scoundrel butchers at 
 their work of slaying some enemy under 'the pretext of his 
 being an Orleanist. Do you hear tlieir shouts of ' Paris and 
 Burgundy ! ' ? " 
 
 Turning down a side street they made a circuit round the 
 scene of the tumult, and then coming up into the main street 
 again resumed their way. After walking a considerable dis- 
 tance 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 the hotels of the great lords. These 
 I)alaces are all fortified buildings. Our country castles are 
 strong, but there is no air of gloom about them ; these narrow 
 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 in future." 
 
 " You can take a boat on the river, madame, and row up 
 or down into the country. They say it is pretty ; once fairly 
 away from Paris, there are hills and woods and villages." 
 
 "That may be pleasant. If they would but let me go and
 
 138 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 live in one of those quiet spots I should be as contented as it 
 is possible for me to be away from my husband. 
 
 "Nothing can be kinder than are Maitre Leroux and his 
 wife, but one cannot but feel that one is a burden upon them. 
 My hope is that when the king comes to his senses I may be 
 able to obtain an interview with him, and even if I cannot 
 have leave to return to Villeroy I may be allowed to take up 
 my abode outside the walls, or at any rate to obtain a quiet 
 lodging for ourselves." 
 
 For the next three weeks the time passed quietly. Guy 
 went every morning to the salle cf anncs, for his wound being 
 on his left shoulder he was able to use his sword arm as soon 
 as it began to heal. 
 
 "You underrated your skill," the fencing - master said 
 when he had given him his 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 afford to do 
 without them. Still, doubtless after a couple of months' 
 practice here you will be so far improved that he will need to 
 be a good swordsman who 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, "because indeed there has been nothing of im- 
 portance to tell you. The Armagnacs are, I hear, collecting 
 a great army, and are likely ere long to march in this direc- 
 tion. The butchers are becoming more and more unpopular 
 and more and more violent ; not a day passes but many 
 citizens are killed by them under the i)retence that they are 
 Armagnacs, but really because they had expressed themselves 
 as hostile to the doings of these tyrants. I have cast your 
 horoscope, and I find that the conjunction of the planets at 
 your birth was eminently favourable. It seems to me that
 
 A RIOT 139 
 
 about this time you will pass through many perilous advent- 
 ures, but you are destined to escape any dangers that threaten 
 you. You will gain hunour and renown, and come to fortune 
 through a marriage. There are other things in your career 
 that are uncertain, since I cannot tell at what date they are 
 likely to occur and whether the planets that were favourable 
 at your birth 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," for C.uy 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 rather win fort- 
 une by my own hand than by marriage, though it will not 
 come amiss." 
 
 "Whatever way it may happen, you will be knighted," 
 the astrologist said gravely, " after a great battle, and by the 
 hand of a sovereign ; tliough by whom the battle will be 
 fought and who the sovereign may be I cannot say, but me- 
 thinks 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 any other that could befall me." 
 
 "Bear yom- destiny in mind," the Italian said earnestly, 
 "remember that in many cases predictions bring about their 
 own fulfilment ; and truly I am rejoiced that I have found 
 that the stars i)oint out so prosperous a fiiture for you." 
 
 Guy was not free from the superstition of the time, and 
 although in his English home he had seldom heard astrology 
 mentioned, he had found since he had been in France that 
 many even of the highest rank had an implicit belief in it, 
 and he was convinced that at any rate the count himself be- 
 lieved in the power of the stars. He was gratified, therefore, 
 to be told that his future would be prosperous; and, indeed,
 
 140 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 the predictions were not so improbable as to excite doubt in 
 themselves. He was already an esquire, and unless he fell in 
 combat or otherwise, it was probable that he would attain the 
 honour of knighthood before many years had passed. The 
 fact, however, that it was to be bestowed by royal hand 
 added greatly to the value of the honour. Knighthood was 
 common in those days ; it was bestowed 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 
 would now be the duties of officers when their levies were 
 called out, and they could themselves bestow the rank upon 
 any man possessing a certain amount of land ; but to be 
 knighted by a distinguished leader, or by a sovereign, was a 
 distinction greatly prized, and placed its recipient in quite 
 another category to the knights by service. It was a testi- 
 mony alike of valour and of birth, and w^as a proof that its 
 bearer was a warrior of distinction. The prophecy that he 
 would better his fortune by marriage weighed little with him; 
 marriage was a matter that appeared to him at present to be a 
 very remote contingency ; at the same time it was pleasant to 
 him to be told that his wife would be an heiress, because this 
 would place him above the need of earning his living by his 
 sword, and would enable him to follow his sovereign, not as 
 one of the train of a powerful noble, but as a free knight. 
 
 I
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 1-41 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 
 
 THE Duke of Burgundy had left Paris upon the day after 
 lie had received Dame Margaret, and as the king had a 
 lucid interval, the Duke of Aquitaine, his son, was also absent 
 with the army. In Paris there existed a general sense of un- 
 easiness and alarm. The butchers, feeling that their doings 
 had excited a strong reaction against them, and that several 
 of the other guilds, notably that of the carpenters, were com- 
 bining against them, determined to strike terror into their 
 opponents by attacking some of their leaders. Several of 
 these were openly murdered in the streets, and the houses of 
 others were burnt and sacked. One evening when Guy had 
 returned at nine o'clock from a supper at Count Charles's 
 lodgings, it being 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 the door 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 tlie voice and ran down and oj^ened the 
 
 door. 
 
 " What is it, signora? " 
 
 " My father bids me tell you, sir, that he but learned the 
 instant before he despatched me that the butchers are going to 
 attack this house this evening, under the pretext that there 
 are English spies here, but really to slay the provost of the 
 silversmiths, and to gratify their followers by the sack of his 
 house. I fear that I am too late, for they were to march from
 
 142 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 the abattoirs at nine, and it is already nearly half -past. 
 Look ! I see torches coming up the street." 
 
 " It is too late, indeed, to fly, even if we wished to," Guy 
 said. " Dame Margaret and the children retired to bed an 
 hour ago. Will you take this ring," 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? They 
 are in the house on this side of the Hotel of St. Pol. He is 
 still up, and has some of his friends with him. Tell him from 
 me that this house is being attacked, and beg him to gather a 
 party, if he can, and come to our assistance. 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 of the distant crowd could now be distinctly heard. 
 Guy put up the strong bars of the door and then rushed up- 
 stairs. First he knocked at the door of Maitre Leroux. 
 
 "The butchers are coming to attack your house!" he 
 shouted. "Call up your servants; bid them take to their 
 arms." Then he ran up to the room where his men slept. 
 Long Tom, who had met him at D'Estournel's door and 
 accompanied him home, sprang to his feet from his pal- 
 let as Guy entered. " The butchers are about to attack 
 the house, Tom ; up all of you and arm yourselves ; bring 
 down your bow and arrows. Where do the men - servants 
 sleep?" 
 
 "There are five of them in the next room, and the two 
 who serve in the shop are in the chamber beyond," the 
 archer replied, as he hastily buckled on 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 about to be attacked. A moment later Maitre 
 Leroux himself appeared and repeated the order. 
 
 " Art sure of what you say. Master Guy ? " he asked.
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 143 
 
 " Look from the window and you will see them approach- 
 ing," Guy replied, and going to the casement window which 
 was at the front of the house he threw it o])en. Some four 
 hundred yards away a dense throng was coming along ; a 
 score of torches lighted up the scene. 
 
 " Resistance is vain," the silversmith said. " It is my life 
 they seek ; I will go down to them." 
 
 " Resistance will not be in vain," Guy said firmly. '• I 
 have already sent for aid, and we shall have a body of Bur- 
 gundian men - at - arms here to our assistance before long. 
 Your life will not satisfy them ; it is the plunder of your 
 shop and house that they long for, and you may be sure 
 Lhat they will put all to the sword if they once break in. 
 Now let us run down and see what we can do to strengthen 
 our defences. ' ' 
 
 " The shutters and doors are all strong," the provost said 
 as they hurried downstairs, followed by the four men-at- 
 arms and the servants — for in those days men removed 
 but few of their garments as they lay down on their rough 
 pallets. 
 
 " In the first place," Guy said, " we must pile everything 
 that we can find below against these doors, so that when 
 they yield we can still make a defence here, before we re- 
 tire. Are there other stairs than these ? " 
 
 " No." 
 
 " So much the better. As soon as we have blocked the 
 door we will l)arricade the first landing and defend our- 
 selves there. Jean Bart, do you take the command below 
 for the present. Seize everything that you can lay hands 
 on, logs from the wood-store, sacks of charcoal, cases, every- 
 thing heavy that you 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 have
 
 144 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 brought bows or cross-bows with them. Try to parley witli 
 them as long as you can, Maitre 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 hers ,'lf, and had just come into the 
 front room. 
 
 "The butchers are about to attack the house, lady; we 
 are going to defend it. 1 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 of voices from the street. The silver- 
 smith went to the casement and opened it, and he and Guy 
 looked out. A shout of fury arose from the street, with 
 cries of "Death to the English spies!" "Death to the 
 Armagnac provost ! " 
 
 Leroux in vain endeavoured to make his voice heard, 
 and so tell the crowd that his guests were not spies, but 
 had been lodged at his house by the Duke of Burgundy 
 himself A tall man on horseback, one of several who were 
 evidently leaders of the mob, pressed his way through the 
 crowd to the door and evidently gave some orders, and a 
 din of heavy sledge-hammers and axes beating against it at 
 once mingled with the shouts of the crowd. The horseman 
 crossed again to the other side of the street and shook his 
 fist threateningly at Leroux. 
 
 "That is Jacques Legoix," the silversmith said, as he 
 retired from the window; " 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 by picking off that fellow on horseback 
 opposite." 
 
 1
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 145 
 
 Tom had already bent his l)Ow and had an arrow in 
 readiness, a moment later the shaft flew and struck the 
 butcher between the eyes, and he fell dead from 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," Guy said. 
 
 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 manage it." Disregarding 
 the furious yells of the crowd, he sent arrow after arrow 
 among the men using the sledges and axes. Many of them 
 had steel caps with projecting rims which sheltered the 
 neck, but as they raised their weapons with both hands 
 over their heads they exposed their chests to the marksman 
 above, and not an arrow that was shot failed to bring down 
 a man. When six had fallen no fresh volunteers came 
 forward to take their places, although another horseman 
 made his way up to them and endeavoured by persuasions 
 and threats to induce them to continue the work. This 
 man was clad in armour, and wore a steel cap in the place 
 of the knightly helmet. 
 
 " Who is that fellow ? " Guy asked the merchant. 
 
 "He is the son of Caboche, the head of the flayers, one 
 of the most pestilent 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 a chance I will send a shaft through it." 
 
 The man with a gesture of anger turned and gave in- 
 structions to a number of men, wlio pushed their way 
 through the crowd, first picking up some of the fallen 
 hammers and axes. The fate of his associate had evidently 
 taught the horseman prudence, for as he moved away he 
 
 10
 
 146 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 kept his head bent down so as not to expose his face to the 
 aim of the terrible marksman at the window. He halted a 
 short distance away and was evidently haranguing the crowd 
 round him, and in his vehemence raised* his arm. The 
 moment he did so Tom's bow twanged. The arrow struck 
 him at the unprotected part under the arm-pit, and he fell 
 headlong from his horse. Maddened with rage the crowd 
 no longer hesitated, and again attacked the door. Just 
 as they did so there was a roar of exultation down the 
 street as twelve men brought up a solid gate that they 
 had beaten in and wrenched from its hinges from a house 
 beyond. 
 
 " You can shoot as you like now, Tom. I will go down 
 and see how, the men are 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 of logs, sacks, and other materials was piled against 
 the door, and a short distance behind stood a number of bar- 
 rels of wine and heavy cases ready to be placed in position. 
 
 " Get them upstairs, Jean," Guy said ; " they will make a 
 better barricade than the furniture, which we may as well save 
 if po.ssible." 
 
 The nine men set to work, and in a very short time a strong 
 barricade was formed 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 of silver there must be enough for a royal banqueting- 
 table." 
 
 Some, indeed, of the massive chests were so heavy that it 
 required the efforts of six men to carry them upstairs. 
 
 ''How do matters go, Guy?" Dame Margaret asked 
 quietly as he re-entered the apartment. 
 
 " Very well," he replied. "I don't think the door will 
 
 I
 
 •■lUMS l;o\V 1UAN(.L1_), AND lllE ARROW bTRULK lill, HUKbE- 
 MAN UNDER THE ARM-PIT."
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 147 
 
 hold out much longer ; but there is a strong barricade behind 
 it which it will take tliem some time to force, and another on 
 the landing here that we ought to be able to hold for an hour 
 at least, and before that yields we will have another 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 chests and build them up there." 
 
 "Thank you, madame ; I trust long before the barricade 
 here is carried we shall have D'Kstournel and his friends to 
 our assistance. Indeed, I doubt whether they will be able to 
 carry it at all ; it is as solid and almost as strong as a stone 
 wall, and as there are thirteen or fourteen of us to defend it, 
 it seems to me that nothing short of battering the cases to 
 pieces will enable them to force a way." 
 
 " I wish I could do something," Agnes broke in ; "it is 
 hard not to be able to help while you are all fighting for us. 
 I wish I had brought my bow with me, you know I can shoot 
 fairly." 
 
 "I think that it is just as well thai you have not," Guy 
 said with a smile. " I do not doubt your courage lor a mo- 
 ment, but if you were placing yourself in danger we should all 
 be anxious about you, and I would much rather know that you 
 were safe with your mother upstairs." 
 
 Guy now went to the window. Maitre Leroux had been 
 directing his servants in the formation of the barricades. 
 
 " I can do nothing to protect the door," the archer said ; 
 " they have propped up that gate so as to cover the men who 
 are hammering at ii. 1 have been distributing my arrows 
 among the crowd, and in faith there will be a good many 
 vacancies among the butchers and flayers in the market to- 
 morrow morning. I am just going up to fill my quiver again 
 and bring down a spare armful of arrows. "
 
 148 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " Leave those on the landing here, Tom, and bring your 
 full quiver down below. The door will not hold many min- 
 utes longer : I could see that it was yielding when I was down 
 there just now. I don't think that we shall be able to make a 
 long defence below, for with their hooked halberts they will 
 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 the things behind it." 
 
 Guy ran out, climbed the barricade — which on the landing 
 was four feet high, l)ut as it was built on the edge of the top 
 stair it was nine inches higher on that face — let himself drop 
 on to the stairs, and ran down into the passage. 
 
 "I think, Maitre Leroux," he said, " that you and your 
 men had better go up at once and station yourselves at the 
 barricade. There is no room here for more than five of us to 
 use our arms, and when we retire we shall have to do so 
 quickly. Will you please fasten a chair on the top step in 
 such a way that we can use it to climb over the barricade 
 without delay? We are like to be hard pressed, and it is no 
 easy matter to get over a five-foot wall 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, as nearly as possible the thickness of the height of 
 one of the steps. After trying several they found one that 
 would do, and on placing it on the stair 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 that it 
 could be pulled up over the barricade when the last of the de- 
 fenders had entered. By the time this was finished the battle 
 below began in earnest. The infuriated assailants had pulled 
 the doors outwards and were making desperate efforts to climb 
 the pile of logs. This they soon found to be impossible, and
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 149 
 
 began with their halberts to pull them down, and it was not 
 long before they had dislodged sufficient to make a slope up 
 which they could climl). Their work had not been carried on 
 with impunity, for the archer had stationed himself on the top 
 and sent his arrows thick and fast among them. 
 
 " In faith, master," he said to Guy, who stood close be- 
 hind, " methinks that I am doing almost as much harm as 
 good, for I am aiding them mightily in making their slope, 
 which will [)resently contain as many dead men as logs." 
 
 As soon as they deemed the slope climbable the furious 
 assailants charged up. They were met by Guy and the four 
 men-at-arms. Tom had now slung his bow behind him and 
 had betaken him.self to his heavy axe, which crashed through 
 the iron caps of the assailants as though they had been egg- 
 shells. But in sut h numbers did they press on that Guy saw 
 that this barricade could 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 you have climbed the barri- 
 cade, do you, Tom, take your place on the top. Jean Bart 
 and I will come up last, and you can cover us with your ar- 
 rows. Tell Maitre Leroux to remove the light into the room, 
 so that they will not be able to see what there is to encounter, 
 while these torches here and those held by the crowd will 
 enable you to see well enough to take aim. Now!" he 
 shouted, " fall back ! " 
 
 Tom and the two men-at-arms sprang up the stairs, Guy and 
 Jean Bart followed more slowly, and halted a few steps from 
 the top. 
 
 " All up, master ! " Tom shouted, and Jean and Guy were 
 able to cross the barricade before the foremost of their pursu- 
 ers reached them. There had indeed been confusion below, 
 for several of those who had first climbed the barricade had,
 
 150 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 instead of pressing hotly in pursuit, run along the hall and 
 through the door into the shop, in their eagerness to be the 
 first to seize upon the plunder. They expected the others to 
 follow their example, but one of their leaders placed himself 
 in their way and threatened 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 we have given him ? You may be sure 
 that the richest prizes have been carried above." 
 
 There was an angry altercation, which was continued until 
 those who had first run into the shop returned with the news 
 that it had been completely stripped of its contents. There 
 was now no longer any hesitation in obeying their leader, and 
 the men poured up the stairs in a mass. Suddenly some 
 torches appeared above, and those in front saw with conster- 
 nation the obstacle that stood between them and their prey. 
 They had little time for consideration, however, for the ar- 
 rows from the archer now smote them, and that with a force 
 and rapidity that bewildered them. Five or six of those in 
 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 the order, they ran up. But neither 
 helm nor breast-plate availed to keep out the terrible English 
 arrows, which clove their way through the iron as if it had 
 been pasteboard. Stumbling over the bodies of those who 
 had fallen, the front rank of the assailants at last reached the 
 barricade, but here their progress was arrested. A line of men 
 stood behind the smooth wall of massive cases, and those who 
 strove to climb it were smitten with axe or sword, while they 
 themselves could not reach the defenders above them. They 
 could but thrust blindly with pike or halbert, for if a face was 
 raised to direct the aim one of the deadly arrows struck it in-
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 151 
 
 stantly. In vain they strove by the aid of the lialberts to haul 
 down a case from its position, the weight was too great for one 
 man's strength to move, and before several could grasp the 
 handle of the halbert to aid them, the shaft 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 witli the wine which had been freely served out 
 before starting, still pressed forward, each fearing that the sil- 
 versmith's treasures would be appropriated before he could ob- 
 tain his share. For half an liour the fight continued, then 
 there was a roar in the street, and Dame Margaret, Avho, after 
 seeing the barricade above completed, had come down to 
 Iier room and was gazing along the street, ran out on to the 
 landing. 
 
 "Help is at hand! " she cried, "the knights are com- 
 ing!" 
 
 Then came the loud tramp of horses, mingled with shouts 
 of " Burgundy ! " The crowd at the entrance at once turned 
 and ran out, and as the alarm reached those within, they too 
 rushed down, until the stairs were untenanted save by the dead. 
 Bidding the others hold their places lest the assailants should 
 return, Guy ran in and joined Lady Margaret at the window. 
 A fierce conflict was going on in the street, with .shouts of 
 " Burgundy ! " "A rescue ! " "A rescue ! " 
 
 The knights, who were followed by some fifty men-at-arms, 
 rode into the mol), hewing them down with their swords. 
 The humiliations that they had received from the arrogance 
 and insolence of the butchers had long rankled in their minds, 
 and they now took a heavy vengeance. The windows of all 
 the houses opposite, from which men and women had been 
 ])eering timidly out, were now crowded ; women waving their 
 handkerchiefs to the knights, and men loudly shouting greet-
 
 152 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 ings and encouragements. The whole of the traders of Paris 
 were bitterly opposed to the domination of the market guilds, 
 and while they cared but little for the quarrel between the 
 rival dukes, the alliance between Burgundy and the butchers 
 naturally drove them to sympathize with the opposite party. 
 The proof afforded by the charge of the knights upon the mob 
 delighted them, as showing that, allied with them though 
 they might be, the Burgundians were determined no longer to 
 allow the rioting and excesses of the men of the market guilds 
 to continue. 
 
 In two or three minutes all was over. The resistance, 
 though fierce, was short, and the mob was driven down the 
 side streets and chased until the trading quarter was cleared of 
 them. As the knights returned Guy went down to the door, 
 to which Maitre Leroux had already descended to thank his 
 rescuers for their timely aid. 
 
 " I thank you, my lords and knights," the silversmith said, 
 " for the timely succour you have rendered me. I would pray 
 you to enter and to allow me to thank you in more worthy 
 fashion, but indeed the stairs and passage are encumbered 
 with dead." 
 
 " Dame Margaret of Villeroy prays me to say that she also 
 desires greatly to thank you," Guy said. 
 
 " I feared that we should have been too late," Count Charles 
 replied. " We lost no time when your messenger came, Guy, 
 but it took some time to rouse the men-at-arms and to saddle 
 our horses. You must have made a stout defence indeed, 
 judging by the pile of dead that encumber your passage." 
 
 " There are many more inside," Guy .said, " and methinks 
 that we could have held out for another hour yet if it had 
 been needed. Indeed, the only thing that I feared was that 
 they might set fire to the lower part of the house." 
 
 " I should like to see your defences, Maitre Leroux," Count
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 153 
 
 Walter de Vesoul said. " What say you, my friends, shall 
 we mount and see the scene of this ])attle? Methinks we 
 might well gain something by it, for 'tis no slight thing that 
 an unfortified house should for over an hour defend itself 
 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, we should surely pay our respects to this Eng- 
 lish lady, — who while a hostage of the duke has been thus 
 sorely ill-treated by the scum of Paris, — if she will please re- 
 ceive 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 them to broach a cask of wine and 
 to regale the men-at-arms, the provost led the way upstairs. 
 
 "Wait a moment, good provost," the Count de Vesoul 
 said, " let us understand the thing from the beginning. I see 
 that the knaves lying here and 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; liow 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 when she chose him as one of the four 
 men-at-arms to accompany her, he begged leave to bring his 
 bow and arrows, and has in truth, as you see, made good use 
 of them." 
 
 '• That is the same tall fellow who, as I told you, Walter, 
 did me such good service in that fray," said D'Eslournel. 
 
 " By Saint .Anne, Guy, I would that 1 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 that great gate and used it as a screen while they 
 battered in the door here."
 
 154 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " Then you built the barricade behind it ? " Count Walter 
 said as he climbed over the heap of logs. 
 
 "Yes, Count, it was built against the door, but when that 
 gave way they pulled it down with halberts until they could 
 climb over it. But, as you see, no small portion of slope on 
 the outside is composed of their bodies. The archer's arrows 
 dill good execution as they worked at it, and when they made 
 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 that barricade we had built across the top." 
 
 The knights picked their way among the bodies that en- 
 cumbered the stairs. 
 
 " By Saint Denis, Charles, this is a strong work indeed ! " 
 the count said to D'Estournel, as they reached the top; " no 
 wonder the knaves found it too much for them. What are 
 all these massive cases? " 
 
 " They contain the goods from my shop," Maitre Leroux 
 said. "Master Aylmer had them carried here while the 
 archer was defending the door, and by so doing not only 
 made, as you see, a stout breast-work, but saved them from 
 being plundered." 
 
 " They were well fitted for it," Guy said, "for they are 
 very weighty, and though 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 off the heads of the 
 halberts with axes; and tlie work was all the more difficult 
 as our archer had always a shaft fitted to let fly whenever 
 they lifted their heads." 
 
 " But how did you manage to get over safely when they won 
 the barricade below?" D'Estournel asked ; " it was not an 
 easy feat to climb this wall with 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
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 155 
 
 for haste. The archer and two otliers went first, and he 
 took his stand on the top of the chests in readiness to cover 
 the retreat of the fourth num-at-arms and myself. But 
 happily many of the knaves wanted to sack tlie shop more 
 than to follow us, and there was such confusion below, that 
 we had time to climb over and pull up the chair before they 
 had mustered to the attack." 
 
 While they were talking Long Tom and the others had 
 removed one of the chests and made a passage by which they 
 could pass through, and Maitre Leroux led them into his 
 private apartments, which were similar to, although larger 
 than, Dame Margaret's. A number of candles had already 
 been lighted, and in a minute Mistress Lerou.K entered, fol- 
 lowed by two of her maids carrying trays with great beakers 
 of wine and a number of silver goblets, and she and the pro- 
 vost then poured out the wine and offered it with further e.x.- 
 pressions of thanks to the knights. 
 
 " Say naught about it, madame," Count Walter said ; " it 
 was high time that a check was put on these rough fellows 
 who lord it over Paris and deem themselves its masters. I 
 doubt not that they will raise some outcry and lay their com- 
 plaint before the duke; but you, I trust, and other worthy 
 citizens, will be beforehand witli tlicm, and send off a mes- 
 senger to him laying complaints against these fellows for 
 attacking, plundering, and burning at their will the houses of 
 those of better repute than themselves. We have come to 
 your help not as officers of the duke, but as knights and 
 gentlemen who feel it a foul wrong that such things should be 
 done. Moreover, as Dame Margaret of Villeroy, a hostage 
 of the duke, was lodged here at his request, it was a matter 
 that nearly touched his honour that her life should be placed 
 in danger by these scurvy knaves, and we shall so represent 
 the matter to the duke."
 
 156 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Just as the knights had drunk their wine, Guy, who had 
 left them on the landing, entered, escorting Dame Margaret 
 and her two children. Count Charles d'Estournel, after 
 saluting her, presented his companions to her, and she 
 thanked each very heartily for the succour they had brought 
 so opportunely. 
 
 "In truth, lady," the Count de Vesoul said, " methinks 
 from what we saw that you might even have managed without 
 us, so stoutly were you defended by your esquire and your 
 retainers, aided as they were by those of the provost, though 
 in the end it may be that these must have succumbed to num- 
 bers ; for I can well imagine that your assailants, after the 
 loss that they have suffered, would have spared no effort to 
 avenge themselves, and might indeed, as a last resource, 
 have fired the house. This they would no doubt have done 
 long before had it not been that by so doing they would have 
 lost all the ]Dlunder that they counted on. This stout defence 
 will no doubt teach these fellows some moderation, for they 
 will see that citizens' houses are not to be plundered without 
 hard fighting and much loss. 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 a proclama- 
 tion saying that in order to suppress the shameful disorders 
 that have taken place, he gives notice that all who attack the 
 houses of peaceful citizens will henceforth be treated as evil- 
 doers and punished accordingly." 
 
 After some further conversation the knights prepared to 
 leave. 
 
 " I shall do myself the honour, sirs," Maitre Leroux said, 
 " of sending to your lodgings to-morrow the cups that you 
 have used, as a small testimony of 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
 
 A STOUT DEFENCE 157 
 
 been employed in clearing the stairs, throwing the bodies 
 that had encumbered it out into the street. The men at-arms 
 of the knights had, after drinking the wine that had been 
 sent out to them, aided in clearing the i>assage; buckets of 
 water had been thrown down on the stairs, and the servitors 
 by a vigorous use of brooms had removed most of the traces 
 of the fray. The work had just ijeen finished, and Dame 
 Margaret's men had, by Guy's orders, stationed themselves 
 on the landing to do honour to the knights as they set out. 
 
 *' Ah, my tall friend," D'Estournel said to the archer, "so 
 you have been at work again, and I can see that you are 
 even more doughty with the bow than with that long staff of 
 yours. Well, this time there must have been enough fighting 
 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 o( logs 
 below, when things were for a time brisk, it has been alto- 
 gether too one-sided to please me." 
 
 " Most people would think that the one-sidedness was all 
 the other way," D'l'^stournel laughed. "Well, men, you 
 have all done your duty to your lady right well lliis night, 
 and there is not one of us here who would not gkidly liave 
 such brave fellows in his service. I see that you are all four 
 wounded." 
 
 " They are scarce to be called wounds, Sir Count, seeing 
 that they are but flesh cuts from their halberts which we got 
 in the fray bchjw. These slaughterers can doubtless strike a 
 good blow with a jKile-axe, but they are but clumsy varlets 
 with other wea])ons. Puit to give them their due, they fought 
 stoull)- if with but link- skill ur discretion." 
 
 Several of the others also said a few words of commenda- 
 tion to the men. 'I'he provost and (luy escorted the knights 
 to the door below. 'l"he latter had ordered twenty of their
 
 158 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 men-atirms to remain in the house until morning, after 
 which ^en were to stay there until the doors had been re- 
 paired and refixed. As soon as the knights had ridden off 
 the silversmith ordered several bundles of rushes to be strewn 
 in the shop for the guard, and a meal of cold meat to be set 
 for their supper. Two of them were posted as sentinels at the 
 door. 
 
 " I shall not open the shop to-morrow," he said as he as- 
 cended the stairs with Guy, " nor indeed shall I do so until 
 things have settled down. There will be for some time a 
 mighty animosity on the part of these butchers and skinners 
 against me, and it is only reasonable that after such an attack 
 I should close my shop. Those who have dealings with me 
 will know that they can do their business with me in private. 
 And now methinks we will retire to bed ; 'tis past midnight, 
 and there is no fear of our being disturbed again. If they 
 send anyone to spy out whether we are on the watch, the 
 sight of the Burgundian soldiers below will suffice to tell 
 them that there is nothing to be done. The first thing to- 
 morrow I will set the carpenters to work to make me an even 
 stronger pair of doors than those that have been spoilt." 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 AFTER THE FRAY 
 
 ON going into Dame Margaret's apartments Guy found that 
 she had again retired to rest, and at once threw himself 
 on his bed without disrobing himself further than taking off 
 his armour, for he felt that it was possible the assailants might 
 return after finding that the Burgundian knights and men-at-
 
 AFTER THE FRAY 159 
 
 arms had ridden away. He had told the men-at-arms to 
 keep watch by turns at the toj) of the stairs, where the barri- 
 cade still remained, and to run in to wake him should they 
 hear any disturbance whatever at the door below. He slept 
 but lightly, and several times went out to see that the watch 
 was being well kept, and to look up and down the street to 
 assure him.self that all was quiet. 
 
 "You did nobly last night, Guy," Dame Margaret said as 
 she met him in the morning; "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 protected us, 
 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 that our defence was made good. It was his 
 shooting that caused the long delay in breaking open the 
 door, and that enabled us to hold the barricade below-, 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 than to the strongest and bravest of 
 his men-at-arms. It was, too, owing to your interference on 
 behalf of Count Charles d'Elstournel that we owe it that 
 succour came to us; it was his friendship for you that 
 prompted him to gather his friends to come to our aid ; and it 
 was the warning, short though it was, sent us by that strange 
 Italian that enabled you to send to the count for aid. I must 
 see his daughter and thank her personally for the part she 
 played in the matter. No, Guy, had it not been for you 
 this house would now have been an empty shell, and all of us 
 would have been lying under its ruins. I have been thinking 
 during the night that you must be most careful when you go 
 abroad ; you know that the son of that monster Caboche, the 
 leader of the skinners, and doubtless many leaders of the
 
 160 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 butchers, among them Legoix, were killed, and their friends 
 are certain to endeavour to take vengeance on you. They 
 saw you at the window, they will know that you are my 
 esquire, and will doubtless put down their defeat entirely to 
 you. You cannot be too careful, and, above all, you must 
 not venture out at night save on grave occasion. Agnes," 
 she broke off as the girl entered the room, "you too must 
 thank our brave esquire for having so stoutly defended 
 us." 
 
 "I do thank you most heartily, Guy," the girl said, 
 " though I felt it very hard that I could do nothing to help 
 you. It was terrible sitting here and hearing the fight so 
 close to us, and the dreadful shouts and screams of those 
 people, and to have notliing to do but to wait. Not that I 
 was frightened, I felt quite confident that you would beat 
 them, but it was so hard to sit quiet. I should not have 
 minded so much if I could have been standing 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 a castle is besieged and her 
 lord is away that a woman may buckle on armour and set an 
 example to her retainers by showing herself on the wall and 
 risking the enemies' bolts, or even, if necessary, taking her 
 place with her retainers on the breach; at other times she 
 must be passive and wait while men fight." 
 
 " If I had only had my bow," Agnes said regretfully, " I 
 could really have done 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 work enough for me as it was. If you had gone out 
 I must have done so, and then Charlie would have wanted to 
 go too. No ; it was much better that we all sat together as
 
 AFTER THE FRAY 161 
 
 we did, waiting quietly for what miglit come, and praying for 
 those who were fighting for us. ' ' 
 
 " I was glad that Madame Leroux stayed upstairs with her 
 maid instead of coming down here as you asked her, mother ; 
 she looked so scared and white that I do think it would have 
 been worse than listening to the fighting to have had to sit 
 and look at her." 
 
 Dame Margaret smiled. " Yes, Agnes, but I think that 
 she was more frightened for her husband than for herself, and 
 I don't suppose that she had ever been in danger before. In- 
 deed, I must say that to look out at that 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 composed and to set an example, but a citizen's wife 
 would not feel the same obligation, and might show her alarm 
 without feeling that she disgraced herself or her husband." 
 
 On going out Guy found their host already engaged in a 
 conference with a master carpenter as to tlie construction of 
 the new doors. They were to be very strong and heavy, 
 made of the best oak. and protected l)y thick sheets of iron ; 
 the hinges were to l)c of great strength to bear the weight. A 
 smith had also arrived to receive instructions for making and 
 setting very strong iron bars before the shop, the front of 
 which would retpiire to be altered to allow of ma.ssive shutters 
 being erected on the inside. Iron gates were also to be fixed 
 before the door. 
 
 " That will make something like a fortress of it, AFaster 
 Aylmer," the silversmith said, " and it will then need heavy 
 battering-rams to break into it. Several others of my craft 
 similarly protect their shops ; and certainly no one can 
 blame me, after the attack of last night, for taking every 
 means to defend myself. 1 intend to enlist a party of ten
 
 162 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 fighting men to act as a garrison until these troubles are all 
 over." 
 
 " I think that you will act wisely in doing so," Guy said. 
 " Your servants all bore themselves bravely last night, but 
 they had no defensive armour and were unaccustomed to the 
 use of weapons. Only I would advise you to be very careful 
 as to the men that you engage, or you may find your guard 
 within as dangerous as the mob without." 
 
 " I will take every pains as to that, you may be sure, and 
 will engage none save after a careful inquiry into their char- 
 acters. ' ' 
 
 The streets had already been cleared of the slain. All 
 through the night little parties had searched for and carried 
 off their dead, and when at early morning the authorities sent 
 a party down to clear the street there remained but some 
 twenty-five bodies, evidently by their attire belonging to the 
 lowest class, and presumably without friends. That day pe- 
 titions and complaints were sent to the king by the provosts 
 of the merchants, the gold and silver smiths, the cloth mer- 
 chants, the carpenters and others, complaining of the tumults 
 caused by the butchers and their allies, and especially of the 
 attack without cause or reason upon the house of Maitre Le- 
 roux, the worshipful provost of the silversmiths. Several 
 skirmishes occurred in the evening between the two parties, 
 but an order was issued in the name of the king to the Maire 
 and syndics of Paris rebuking them for allowing such disturb- 
 ances and tumults, and ordering them to keep a portion of 
 the burgher guard always under arms, and to repress such dis- 
 turbances, and severely punish those taking part in them. 
 
 Maitre Leroux and his wife paid a formal visit to Dame 
 Margaret early in the day to thank her for the assistance that 
 her retainers had given in defending the house. 
 
 "You were good enough to say, madame," the silversmith
 
 AFTER THF. FRAY 103 
 
 said, " that you regretted tlie troidjle that your stay here gave 
 us. We assured you tlien, and truly, tliat the tr()ul»]e was as 
 nothing, and that we felt your presence as an honour ; now 
 you see it has turned out more. Little did we think when 
 you came here but a few days since that your coming would 
 be the means of preserving our lives and property, yet so it has 
 been, for assuredly if it had not been for your es(iuire and 
 brave retainers we should have been murdered last night. As 
 it is we have not only saved our lives but our property, and 
 save for the renewal of the doors we shall not have been the 
 losers even in the value of a crown i)iece. Thus, from being 
 our guests you have become our benefactors ; and one good 
 result of what has i)a.ssed is, that henceforth you will feel that, 
 however long your stay here, and however much we may try 
 to do for you, it will be but a trifle towards the discharge of 
 the heavy obligation under which we feel to you." 
 
 After a meeting of the city council that afternoon, a guard 
 of ten men was sent to the silversmith's to relieve the Burgun- 
 dian men-at-arms. l''ive of these were to be on duty night 
 and day until the house was made secure b)' the new doors 
 and iron grill erected in front of the shop. Guy proposed 
 to Dame Margaret that he should give up his visit to the sallc 
 (farmcs, but this she would not hear of. 
 
 "I my.self and the ( hildren will go no more abroad tmtil 
 matters become more settled, but it is on all accounts well 
 that you should go to the sc;hool of arms. Already the friends 
 that you have made have been the means of saving our lives, 
 and it is well to keep them. We know not what is before us, 
 but assuredly wc need friends. Maitre Leroux was telling 
 me this morning that the Armagnacs are fast approaching, 
 and that in a few days they will be within a short distance of 
 Paris. Their apjiroach will assuredly embitter the hostility 
 between the factions here, anil should they threaten the town
 
 164 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 there may be fierce fighting within the walls as well as with- 
 out. At present, at any rate, there are likely to be no more 
 disturbances such as that of last night, and therefore no occa- 
 sion for you to remain indoors. Even these butchers, arro- 
 gant as they are, will not venture to excite the indignation 
 that would be caused by another attack on this house. That, 
 however, will make it all the more likely that they will seek 
 revenge in other ways, and that the house will be watched at 
 night and any that go out followed and murdered. 
 
 ' ' You and Tom the archer are no doubt safe enough from 
 the attack of ordinary street ruffians, but no two men, how- 
 ever strong and valiant, can hope to defend themselves suc- 
 cessfully against a score of cut-throats. But I pray you on 
 your way to the school go round and thank, in my name, 
 this Italian and his daughter, and say that I desire much to 
 thank the young lady personally for the immense service she 
 has rendered me and my children. Take the archer with 
 you, for even in the daytime there are street brawls in which 
 a single man who had rendered himself obnoxious could read- 
 ily be despatched." 
 
 "In faith. Master Guy," Long Tom said as they sallied 
 out, " it seems to me that if our stay in Paris is a prolonged 
 one I shall return home rich enough to buy me an estate, for 
 never did money so flow into my pocket. We have been here 
 but a short time, and I have gained as much and more than 
 I should do in a year of hard service. First there was that 
 young French count, the very next morning when he called 
 here he gave me a purse with thirty crowns, telling me pleas- 
 antly that it was at the rate of five crowns for each skull I 
 cracked on his behalf. Then this morning Maitre Leroux 
 came to me and said, ' Good fellow, it is greatly to your skill 
 and valour that I owe my life, and that of my wife; this will 
 help you to set up housekeeping when you return home,'
 
 AFTER THE FRAY 165 
 
 and he gave me a purse with a luinclred crowns in it ; what 
 think you of that, master? The other tiuee also got purses of 
 fifty crowns each. If that is the rate of i)ay in Paris for a 
 couple of hours' fighting, I do not care how often I take a 
 share in a fray." 
 
 " You are doing well indeed, Tom, but you must remem- 
 ber that sooner or later you might go into a fray and lose your 
 life, and with it the chance of buying that estate you speak of. ' ' 
 
 " We must all take our chances, master, and there is no 
 winning a battle without the risk of the breaking of cas(iues. 
 Are we going to the house we went to the first night we came 
 here, Master Guy? Mcthinks that this is the street we 
 stopped at." 
 
 " Yes, Tom. It was the man who lives here who sent me 
 word that the butchers were going to attack the provost's 
 house, by the same messenger who 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 think not that they would have carried the barri- 
 cade had they fought till morning." 
 
 "Perhaps not, though I would not say so for certain, for 
 they might have devised some plan such as they did for cov- 
 ering themselves while they assaulted the door. F5ut even 
 had they not done so they would have been sure before they 
 retired to have fired tlie hou.se." 
 
 "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 have done their business just as 
 well for them." 
 
 " That would have been so, Tom. had they only wished to 
 kill us; but though, no doubt, the leaders desired chiefly the 
 life of the provost, the mob simply fought for plunder. If
 
 166 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 they had found all the jeweller's store in his shop, they would 
 have fired the house very quickly when they discovered that 
 they could not get at us. But it was the plunder that they 
 wanted, and it was the sight of those chests full of silver-ware 
 that made them venture their lives so freely, in order to have 
 the handling of it. I do not think that I shall be long here, 
 Tom. Do not wait for me at the door, but stroll up and 
 down, keeping a short distance away, so that I can see you 
 when I come out." 
 
 A decrepit old woman opened the door, and on Guy giving 
 his name she said that she had orders to admit him if he 
 called. The girl came out dressed in 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 him and had 
 shown him your ring, and he and his friends had declared 
 tliat they would call up their men and come at once to 
 your aid, I coufd not go back and wait until this morning 
 to learn if they arrived in time, so I ran to your street again 
 and hid in a doorway and looked out. Just as I got 
 there they broke in the door and I saw some of them rush 
 in. But there was a pause, 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 a sudden rush, 
 and I almost cried out. I thought that it was all over. A 
 great many entered and then there was a pause again. The 
 crowd outside became more and more furious ; it was dreadful
 
 AFTER THE FRAY 167 
 
 to hear their shouts and to see the waving of torches and 
 weapons. 
 
 ■' They seemed to be ahiiost mad to get in. The crush 
 round the door was terrible, and it was only when two or 
 three horsemen rode in among them shouting, that the press 
 ceased a little. One horseman obtained silence for a moment 
 by holding up liis hand. He told them that their friends 
 inside were attacking a barricade, and would soon carry it, 
 and then there would be silver enough for all ; but that by 
 pressing forward they did but hamper the efforts of their com- 
 rades. It seemed, oh, such a long, long time before I saw the 
 Burgundians coming along, and I could not help throwing 
 my cap up and shouting when they charged into the crowd. 
 I waited until it was all over, and then I ran back home and 
 had a rare scolding for being out so late ; but I did not mind 
 that much, after knowing that yon were all safe." 
 
 At this moment a voice from the landing above said : " Are 
 you going to keep Master Aylmer there all day with your chat- 
 tering, Katarina? " The girl made a little face and nodded 
 to Guy to go upstairs. 
 
 " Katarina is becoming a madca])," the astrologer said, as 
 he led Guy into the room. " I cannot blame her altogether ; 
 I have made a boy of her, and I ought not to be shocked at 
 her acting like one. But she gave me a rare fright 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 her carrying my message to the Count d'Estonr- 
 nel we should have been burnt alive before morning." 
 
 " It was unfortiuiate that I sent you the message .so late. 
 Master Aylmer. I was busy when a medical student who 
 sometimes gathers news for me in the butchers' quarter came
 
 168 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 here, and left a missive for me. Had he sent up a message 
 to me that it was urgent, I would have begged the personage 
 I had with me to wait a moment while I read the letter. As 
 it was, it lay downstairs till my visitor departed. When I 
 learned the news I sent off Katarina at once. She had but 
 a short time before come in, and was fortunately still in her 
 boy's dress, so there was no time lost. I went out myself at 
 ten o'clock to see what was going on, and must have been 
 close to her without either of us knowing it. I looked on for 
 a short time ; but seeing that nothing could be done, and 
 feeling sure that the house must be taken, — knowing nothing 
 of the chance of the Burgundians coming to the rescue, — I 
 returned here and was surprised to find that Katarina had not 
 returned. 
 
 " I did not think that she could have reached the shop and 
 warned you before the mob arrived, and therefore I became 
 greatly alarmed as the time went by without her appearing. 
 Indeed, my only hope was that she must have been looking on 
 at the fight and would return when it was all over, as indeed 
 it turned out ; and I should have rated her much more soundly 
 than I did had she not told me how she had fetched the Bur- 
 gundians and that they had arrived in time. I hear that there 
 is a great stir this morning. The number of men they have 
 lost, and specially the deaths of Legoix and of the young 
 Caboche, have infuriated the butchers and skinners. They 
 have already sent off two of their number to lay their com- 
 plaint before the Duke of Burgundy of the conduct of some of 
 his knights in attacking them when they were assailing the 
 house of a noted Armagnac. But they feel tliat they them- 
 selves for the moment must remain quiet, as the royal order 
 has emboldened the Maire, supported by the traders' guilds, 
 and notably by the carpenters, who are a very strong body, 
 to call out a portion of the city guard, and to issue an order 
 
 I
 
 AFTER THE FRAY 169 
 
 that all making disturbances, whomsoever they may be and 
 under whatsoever pretext they are acting, will be summarily 
 hung if captured when so engaged. 
 
 " In spite of this there will no doubt be troubles ; but they 
 will not venture again to attack the house of the silversmith, 
 at any rate until an order comes from the Duke of Burgundy 
 to forbid his knights from interfering in any way with their 
 doings." 
 
 "Which T trust he will not send," Guy said; "and I 
 doubt if the knights will obey it if it comes. They are already 
 much enraged at the insolence of the butchers, and the royal 
 proclamation this morning will justify them in 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 lady mistress to thank you for sending the news, 
 and still more for the service your daughter rendered in sum- 
 moning the knights to her assistance. She desires much to 
 return thanks herself to your daughter, and will either call 
 here to see her or would gladly receive her at her lodging 
 should you prefer that." 
 
 " I should prefer it. Master Aylmer. Your lady can scarce 
 pass through the streets unnoticed, for her English appearance 
 marks her at once ; and as all know she lodges at the silver- 
 smith's, she will be more particularly noticed after the events 
 of last night, and her coming here will attract more attention 
 to me than I care for. Therefore I will myself bring Katarina 
 round and will do myself the honour of calling upon your lady. 
 I can wrap the girl up in a cloak so that she shall not attract 
 any observation, for no one knows, save the old woman below, 
 that I have a daughter here ; and with so many calling at the 
 house, and among them some reckless young court gallants, I 
 care not that it should be known, if for no other reason than, 
 were it so, it would be soon suspected that the lad who goes so
 
 170 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 often in and out is tlie girl in disguise, and I could then no 
 longer trust her in the streets alone. ' ' 
 
 " You will find my lady in at whatever hour you come, 
 signor, for she has resolved not to go abroad again until order 
 is restored in Paris." 
 
 '' The decision is a wise one," the Italian said; "though 
 indeed I think not that she would be in any danger, save that 
 which every good-looking woman runs in troubled times like 
 these, when crime is unpunished, and those in authority are 
 far too occupied with their own affairs to trouble their heads 
 about a woman being carried off. But it is different with you 
 and your comrade. The butchers know well enough that it 
 was your work that caused their failure last night. Your 
 appearance at the window was noticed, and it was that tall 
 archer of yours who played such havoc among them. There- 
 fore I advise you to be ever on your guard, and to purchase a 
 mail shirt and wear it under your doublet; for, however 
 watchful you may be, an assassin may steal up behind you 
 and stab you in the back. You may be sure that Caboche 
 and the friends of Legoix will spare no pains to take ven- 
 geance upon you." 
 
 Guy presently rejoined the archer in the street. " Hence- 
 forth, Tom," he said, "you must always put on breast-and- 
 back piece when you go out. I have been warned that our 
 lives will almost surely be attempted, and that I had best put 
 on a mail shirt under my doublet." 
 
 " Perhaps it would be best, Master Guy. I fear not three 
 men if they stand up face to face with me, but to be stabbed 
 in the back is a thing that neither strength nor skill can save 
 one from. But as I care not to be always going about in 
 armour I will expend some of my crowns in buying a shirt of 
 mail also. 'Tis better by far than armour, for a man coming 
 up behind could stab one over the line of the back-piece or
 
 AFTER THE KRAV 171 
 
 under the arm, while if you have mail under your coat they 
 will strike at you fair between the shoulders, and it is only by 
 striking high up on the neck that they 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's 
 crowns I will have a right good one." 
 
 Guy nodded. He was wondering in his own mind how he 
 should be able to procure one. His father had given him a 
 purse on starting, but the money might be needed for emer- 
 gencies. He certainly could not ask his mistress for such a 
 sum, for she too might have need of the money that she had 
 brought with her. He was still turning it over in his mind 
 when they reached the fencing-school. He was greeted with 
 acclamations as he entered by the young count and his 
 friends. 
 
 ''Here is our defender of houses," the former exclaimed. 
 "Truly, Guy, you have given a lesson to the butchers that 
 they sorely needed. They say that the king himself, who is 
 in one of his good moods to-day, has interested himself 
 mightily in the fray last night, and that he has expressed a 
 wish to hear of it from the esquire who he has been told com- 
 manded the defence. So it is not unlikely that there will be 
 a royal message for you to attend at the palace. Fortunately 
 we had the first say in the matter this morning. My father 
 returned last night, and as he is rather a favourite of his majesty, 
 we got him to go to the king and obtain audience as soon as 
 he arose, to com[)lain of the conduct of the butchers in attack- 
 ing the house of the provost of the silversmiths, and where, 
 moreover. Dame Villeroy, 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 he had not been 
 told of her coming, and that this insult to her touched his 
 honour. He sent at once for the Maire and syndics, and
 
 173 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 upbraided them bitterly for allowing such tumults to take 
 place, and commanded them to put a stop to them under pain 
 of his severe displeasure. 
 
 "That accounts, you see, for the Maire's proclamation 
 this morning. The king desired my father to thank me and 
 the other knights and gentlemen for having put down the riot, 
 and said that he would at once send off a message to the Duke 
 of Burgundy commanding him to pay no attention to any re- 
 ports the butchers might send to him, but to give them a stern 
 answer that the king was greatly displeased with their con- 
 duct, and that if any fresh complaint about them was made he 
 would straightway have all their leaders hung. 
 
 " It is one thing to threaten, and another to do, Guy; but 
 at any rate, so long as the duke is away they will see that 
 they had best keep quiet; for when the king is in his right 
 senses and is not swayed by others, he is not to be trifled 
 with. 
 
 " You can imagine what an excitement there was last night 
 when that boy you sent arrived. The ring was sent up first, 
 and when Igave orders that he should be admitted he came 
 in well-nigh breathless. There were six or eight of us, and 
 all were on the point of leaving. Thinking that it might be 
 something private, they had taken up their hats and cloaks. 
 The boy, as he came in, said, ' Which of you is Count 
 Charles d'Estournel? ' 'I am,' I said. '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 are attacking Maitre Leroux's house, and had begun 
 to hammer on the door when I was still in the street. If they 
 make their way in, they will surely kill 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
 
 AFTER THE FRAY 173 
 
 to do SO. We had long been smarting under the conduct of 
 these ruffians, and moreover I was glad to discharge a part of 
 my debt to you. So each ran to his lodgings and despatched 
 servitors to summon their men-at-arms, and to order the 
 horses 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 ; but though we used all the speed 
 we could it was more than an hour before all were assembled. 
 The men-at-arms were scattered, and had to be roused; then 
 there was the work, of getting the stables open, and we had to 
 force the doors 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 the crowd 
 were stationary, and guessed at once that you were still hold- 
 ing out — though how you could have kept so large a number 
 at bay was beyond us. We struck heartily and heavily, you 
 may be sure, and chased the wolves back to their dens with a 
 will. I hear that, what with those you slew in the house and 
 street and those we cut down, it is reckoned that a couple of 
 hundred were killed ; though as to this none can speak with 
 certainty, seeing that so many bodies were carried away be- 
 fore morning." 
 
 " I trust that none of you received wounds, Count 
 Charles?" 
 
 ''None of us; though several of the men-at-arms had 
 gashes from the rascals' 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 gentle- 
 men. He has been to the lodging of Master Guy Aylmer, 
 and. has learned that he will most likely be here. If so, he
 
 174 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 has the king's command to conduct him to the palace, as His 
 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 Majesty loves to be entertained and 
 amused." 
 
 " Had I better a.sk the usher to allow me to go back to my 
 lodging to put on a gayer suit than this ? " Guy asked. 
 
 "Certainly not; the king loves not to be keiJt waiting. 
 Fortunately no time has been wasted so far, as this is on the 
 road from the silversmith's to the palace." 
 
 The Louvre at that time bore no resemblance to the present 
 building. It was a fortress surrounded by a strong embattled 
 wall, having a lofty tower at each corner and others flanking 
 its gates. On the water-face the towers rose from the edge of 
 the river, so that there was no passage along the quays. The 
 building itself was in the castellated form, though with larger 
 windows than were common in such edifices. Eight turret- 
 shaped buildings rose 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 protected by four em- 
 battled towers on each side, so that if the outer wall were 
 carried it could still defend itself. In the court-yard be- 
 tween the outer wall and the palace were rows of low bar- 
 racks, where troops were lodged. Tw^o regiments of the best 
 soldiers of Burgundy were quartered here, as the duke feared 
 that some sudden rising of the Armagnac party might put 
 them in possession of the king's person, in which case the 
 Orleanists would easily persuade him to issue proclamations 
 as hostile to Burgundy as those wdiich were now published in 
 his name against the Orleanists. The Louvre, indeed, differed 
 but slightly from palaces of several of the great nobles within
 
 DANGER THREATENED 175 
 
 the walls of Paris, as all of these were to some extent fortified, 
 and stood as separate fortresses capable of offering a stout re- 
 sistance to any attack by the populace. 
 
 " I would rather face those villains of last night for another 
 hour than go before the king," Guy said, as he prepared to 
 follow the attendant; " but 1 trust that good may come of 
 my interview, and that I can interest the king in the case of 
 my mistress." 
 
 Joining the usher, who was waiting at the entrance, and 
 who saluted him courteously — for the manner in which the 
 message had been conmiunicated to the usher showed him 
 that the young sf|uire was in no disgrace with the king — 
 Guy walked with him to the Louvre, which was a short half- 
 mile distant. Accompanied as he was by a royal officer, the 
 guard at the gate offered no interruption to his passage, and 
 proceeding across the court-yard he entered the great door- 
 way to the palace, and, preceded by the Uvsher, ascended the 
 grand staircase and followed him along a corridor to the 
 apartments occupied by the king. 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 DANGER THREATENED 
 
 ON being ushered into the royal a])artment Guy was led up 
 to the king, who was seated in a large arm-chair. He 
 was stroking the head of a greyhound, and two or three other 
 dogs lay at his feet. E:<cept two attendants, who stood a 
 short distance behind his chair, no one else was present. 
 The king was i)ale and fragile - looking ; there was an e.x-
 
 176 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 pression of weariness on his face, for in the intervals between 
 his mad fits he had but little rest. He was naturally a kind- 
 hearted man, and the troubles that reigned in France, the 
 constant contention among the great lords, and even among 
 the members of his own family, were a constant source of dis- 
 tress to him. Between the Duke of Burgundy, the queen, 
 his nephew of Orleans, and the other royal dukes 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 the moment to be in the ascendant, in no slight degree 
 contributed to the terrible attacks to which he was subject. 
 At the present moment the Duke of Burgundy was away, 
 and therefore, feeling now comparatively free, he looked 
 up with interest when the usher announced Guy Aylmer. 
 
 "You are young, indeed, sir," he said, as Guy made a 
 deep bow, " to be the hero of the story that I heard this 
 morning. I hear that you have been slaying many of the 
 good citizens of Paris ! " 
 
 "Some have certainly been slain, sire; but I think not 
 that any of them could be considered as good citizens, being 
 engaged, as they were, in attacking the house of the worship- 
 ful provost of the silversmiths, Maitre Leroux." 
 
 "I know him," the king said, "and have bought many 
 rare articles of his handiwork, and more than once when I 
 have needed it have had monies from him on usance. 'Tis 
 a grave scandal that so good a citizen should thus be attacked 
 in my city, but I will see that .such doings shall not take 
 place again. And now I would hear from your own lijjs how 
 you and a few men defended the house so long, and, as I hear, 
 with very heavy loss to those attacking 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
 
 DANGER THREATENED 177 
 
 dame, who, with her two children, have been brought as 
 hostages to Paris under your royal order." 
 
 A look of pain passed across the king's face. " Your lord 
 is our vassal for his castle at Villeroy ? " 
 
 " He is, sire, and is also a vassal of England for the estates 
 of his wife." 
 
 *' 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 or myself; but they told me 
 that his vassalage to me has sat but lightly ui)on him." 
 
 " His father and grandfather, sire, were vassals of England, 
 as Villeroy was then within the English bounds, but he is, I 
 am assured, ready faithfully to render any service tliat your 
 majesty might demand of him, and is willing to submit him- 
 self, in all respects, to your will. But since he wishes not to 
 take any part in the troubles between the princes, it seems that 
 both regard him with hostility. Two months since his castle 
 was attacked by some eight thousand men from Ham, led by 
 Sir Clugnet de Brabant. These he repulsed with heavy loss, 
 and deemed that in so doing he was acting in accordance 
 with your majesty's ])rorlamation, and was rendering faithful 
 service to you in holding the castle against your enemies, and 
 he had hoped for your majesty's approbation. He was then 
 deeply grieved when your royal herald summoned him, in 
 your name, either to receive a garrison or to send his wife antl 
 children hither as hostages." 
 
 "I will see into the matter," the king said earnestly. 
 "And so your mi.strcss was bestowed at the house of Maitre 
 Leroux?" 
 
 " She was, sire, and is most hospitably entertained by him." 
 
 *' Now let us hear of this defence. Tell me all that took 
 place; withhf)ld nothing." 
 
 Guy related the details of the defence. 
 
 12
 
 178 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " Truly it was well done, young sir, and I owe you thanks 
 for having given so shrewd a lesson to these brawlers. Maitre 
 Leroux has good reasons for being thankful to the duke for 
 lodging your lady in his house, for he would doubtless have 
 lost his life had you and your four men not been there. 
 When the Duke of Burgundy returns I will take council with 
 him touching this matter of your mistress. I know that he 
 gave me good reasons at the time for the bringing of her 
 hither, but in the press of matters I do not recall what they 
 were. At any rate, as she is here as my hostage her safety 
 must be ensured, and for the present I will give orders that a 
 guard be placed at the house." 
 
 He extended his hand to Guy, who went on one knee to 
 kiss it and then retired. 
 
 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 audience with him; but I knew that 
 it would be useless, he would but have replied to 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 Italian noble, and the girl, on laying aside 
 her cloak, was also in the costume of a young lady of posi- 
 tion. Guy presented the count to his mistress. 
 
 " I am greatly indebted to you, Count Montepone," she 
 said, " for the timely warning that you sent us, and still more 
 for the service rendered to us by your daughter in summon- 
 ing the Burgundian knights to our aid. " Truly," she added 
 with a smile, ''it is difficult to believe that it was this young 
 lady who was so busy on our behalf. I thank you, maiden, 
 most heartily. And, believe me, should the time ever come 
 when you requi-re z friend; which i hope may never be the
 
 nil. KiNi; txTiiNDi:u ills hand u» i;uv, wiiu went on one 
 
 KNEE TO KISS IT."
 
 DANGER THREATENED 179 
 
 case, you will find one in me on whom you can confidently 
 rely. 
 
 " This is my daughter Agnes. She is, methinks, but a 
 year or so younger than yourself, though she is as tall or 
 taller, and she will gladly be your friend also." 
 
 Katarina replied quietly and composedly, and Guy, as he 
 Avatched her and Agnes talking togetlier, was surprised at the 
 wa}' in which she adapted herself to circumstances. As a boy 
 she assumed the character so perfectly that 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. As he saw her at her father's in female attire 
 something of the boy's nature seemed still to influence her. 
 There was still a touch of sauciness in her manner, and some- 
 thing of defiance, as if she resented his knowledge of her in 
 her other character. Now she had the quiet composure of a 
 young lady of rank. As iJame Margaret had said, she was 
 but little older than Agnes ; but though less tall than the 
 English girl, she looked a woman beside her. Guy stood 
 talking with them while Dame Margaret and the count con- 
 versed apart. Gradually as they chatted Katarina's manner, 
 which had at first been somewhat stiff, thawed, and Guy left 
 her and Agnes together and went to look through the window. 
 
 He could vaguely understand that Katarina at first, know- 
 ing that Dame Margaret and Agnes must be aware of her go- 
 ing about as a boy, was standing a little on her dignity. The 
 simple straightforwardness of Agnes and her admiration of 
 the other's boldness and cleverness had disarmed Katarina, 
 and it was not long before they were chatting and laughing 
 in girlish fa.shion. There was a difference in their laughter, 
 the result of the dissimilar lives they had led. One had ever 
 been a happy, careless child, allowed to roam about in the 
 castle or beyond it almost unattended, and had only to hold
 
 180 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 herself as became the position of a maiden of rank on special 
 occasions, as when guests were staying in the castle ; the 
 other had been for years her father's assistant, engaged in 
 work requiring shrewdness and quickness and not unattended 
 at times with danger. She had been brought into contact 
 with persons of all ranks and conditions, and at times almost 
 forgot her own identity, and was in thought as well as manner 
 the quick -witted messenger of her father. After the latter 
 had chatted for some time with Dame Margaret he beckoned 
 her to him. 
 
 "Dame Margaret has promised me to be your protector 
 should aught befall me, child," he .said, "and I charge you 
 now in her hearing should anything happen to me to go at 
 once to her castle at Villeroy, and should she not be there to 
 her castle at Summerley, which lies but twelve miles from 
 the English port of Southampton, and there to place yourself 
 under her guardianship, and to submit yourself to her will 
 and guidance wholly and entirely. It would be well indeed 
 for you to have a quiet English home after our troubled life. 
 To Italy you cannot go, our estates are long since confiscated ; 
 and did you return there you would find powerful enemies 
 and but lukewarm friends. Besides, there would be but one 
 mode of life open to you, namely, to enter a convent, which 
 would, methinks, be of all others the least suited to your in- 
 clinations." 
 
 " I can promise you a hearty welcome," Dame Margaret 
 said kindly. " I trust that you may never apply for it ; but 
 should, as your father says, aught happen to him, come to me 
 fearlessly, and be assured that you will be treated as one of 
 my own family. We shall ever be mindful of the fact that 
 you saved our lives last night, and that nothing that we can 
 do for you will cancel that obligation." 
 
 " I trust that I may never be called upon to ask your hos-
 
 DANGER THREATENED 181 
 
 pitality, Lady Margaret," the girl said ()iiietly, " but I thank 
 you with all my heart for proffering it, and I feel assured that 
 I should find a happy home in England." 
 
 " 'Tis strange how it has all come about," her father said. 
 " 'Tis scarce a month since I saw Dame Margaret enter Paris 
 with her children, and the thought occurred to me that it 
 would be well indeed for you were you in the charge of such 
 a lady. Then, as if in answer to my thoughts, I saw her 
 young esquire in the crowd listening to me, and was moved 
 at once to say words that would induce him to call upon me 
 afterwards, when I saw that I might i)ossibly in these troublous 
 times be of use to his mistress. And thus in but a short time 
 what w^as at first but a pa.ssing thought has been realized. It 
 is true that there are among my clients tliose whose protection 
 I could obtain for you ; but France is at present as much torn 
 by factions as is our native Italy, and none can say but, how- 
 ever highly ]jlaced and powerful a man may be to-day, he 
 might be in disgrace to-morrow." 
 
 Carefully wrapping his daughter up in lier cloak again, the 
 Italian took his leave, refusing the offer of Dame Margaret 
 for two of her men-at-arms to accompany them. 
 
 " There is no fear of trouble of any sort to-day," he said. 
 " The loss that was suffered last night was so severe that 
 the people will be quiet for a few days, especially as the 
 king, as well as the city authorities, are evidently determined 
 to put a stop to rioting. Moreover, the fact that the Bur- 
 gundian nobles have, now that the duke is away, taken a 
 strong i)art against the butchers' faction has for the moment 
 completely cowed them. But, apart from this, it is my special 
 desire to return to my house unnoticed. It is seldom that I 
 am seen going in and out, for I leave home as a rule before 
 my neighbours are about, and do not return till after night- 
 fall. I make no secret of my being a vendor of drugs at
 
 182 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 the fairs, and there are few can suspect that I have visitors 
 after dark." 
 
 " I hke 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. Any man away from his native 
 country can assume a title without anyone questioning his 
 right to use it, .so long as he is content to live in obscurity, 
 and to abstain from attracting the attention of tho.se who 
 would be likely to make inquiries. But I have no doubt 
 that our friend is, as he represents himself, the Count of 
 Montepone, and I believe him to be sincere in the matter of 
 his dealings with us. He tells me that he has received 
 more than one hint that the reports that he deals with the 
 stars and exercises divinations have come to the ears of the 
 church, and it is likely ere long he may be forced to leave 
 Paris, and indeed that he would have done so before now 
 had it not been that some of those who have had dealings 
 with him have exercised their influence to prevent things 
 being pushed further. 
 
 " No doubt it is true that, as he asserts, he in no way 
 dabbles in what is called ' black art,' but confines himself to 
 reading the stars ; and he owned to me that the success he 
 has obtained in this way is to some extent based upon the 
 information that he obtains from persons of all clas.ses. He 
 is evidently a man whose nature it is to conspire, nt)t so 
 much for the sake of any prospect of gain or advantage, but 
 for the pleasure of conspiring. He has dealings Avith men 
 of both factions. Among the butchers he is believed to be 
 an agent of the duke, who has assumed the character of a 
 vendor of nostrums simply as a disguise, while among the 
 Armagnacs he is regarded as an agent of Orleans. It is 
 doubtless a dangerous game to play, but it both helps him 
 in his profession of astrologer and gives him influence and
 
 DANGKR rUREATENED 183 
 
 power. I asked liini why he thus mingled in pubhc affairs. 
 He smiled and said : ' ^\'e arc always conspiring in Italy; we 
 all belong to factions. 1 have been brought up in an atmos- 
 phere of conspiracy, and it is so natural to me that I could 
 scarce live without it. I am rich : men who trade upon the 
 credulity of fools have plenty of clients. My business of a 
 quack doctor brings me in an income that many a poor 
 nobleman would envy. I travel when 1 Hke ; I visit alter- 
 nately all the great towns of France, though Paris has al- 
 ways been my head-quarters. 
 
 " ' As an astrologer I have a wide reputation. The name 
 of the Count Smarondi — for it is under that title that 1 
 practise — is known throughout France, though few know 
 me personally or where I am to be found. Those who 
 desire to consult me can only obtain access to me through 
 some of those whose fortunes I have rightly foretold, and 
 who have absolute faith in me, and even these must fust 
 obtain my consent before introducing anyone to me. All 
 this mystery adds both to my reputation and to my fees. 
 Could anyone knock at my door and ask me to calculate 
 his horoscope he would prize it but little ; when it is so 
 difficult to obtain an introduction to me, and it is regarded 
 as a matter of favour to be allowed to consult me, people 
 are ready to i)ay extravagant sums for my advice. And,' 
 he said with a smile, ' the fact that ten days or a fortnight 
 always elapses between the time 1 am asked to receive a 
 new client and his or her first interview with me, enables 
 me to make such minute in<iuiries that I can not only gain 
 their complete confidence by my knowledge of certain events 
 in their i)ast, but it will aid me in my divination of their 
 future. 
 
 " ' I believe in the stars, madame, wholly and implicidy, 
 but the knowledge to be gained from them is general and
 
 184 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 not particular ; but with that general knowledge, and with 
 what I know of men's personal character and habits, of their 
 connections, of their political schemes and personal ambi- 
 tions, I am able in the majority of cases so to supplement the 
 knowledge I gain from the stars, as to trace their future 
 with an accuracy that seems to them astonishing indeed. 
 For example, madame, had I read in the stars that a dire 
 misfortune impended over you last night, and had I learned 
 that there was a talk among the butchers that the provost 
 of the silversmiths was a strong opponent of theirs, and that 
 steps would shortly be taken to show the Parisians the danger 
 of opposing them, it would have needed no great foresight on 
 my part to tell you that you were threatened with a great 
 danger, and that the danger would probably take the form of 
 an attack by the rabble on the house you occupied. I should 
 naturally put it less plainly. I should tell you to beware 
 of this date, should warn you that I saw threatening faces 
 and raised weapons, and that the sounds of angry shouts 
 demanding blood were in my ears. 
 
 " ' Any astrologer, madame, who works by proper methods 
 can, from the conjunction of the stars at anyone's birth, 
 calculate whether their aspect will be favourable or un- 
 favourable at any given time, and may foretell danger or 
 death y . but it needs a knowledge of human nature, a knowl- 
 edge of character and habits, and a knowledge of the ques- 
 tioner's surroundings to be able to go much farther than 
 this. That I have had marvellous successes and that my 
 counsels are eagerly sought depends, then, upon the fact 
 that I leave nothing to chance, but that while enveloping 
 myself in a certain amount of mystery I have a police of 
 my own consisting of men of all stations, many, indeed 
 most of whom, do not know me even by sight. They have 
 no idea of the object of my inquiries, and indeed believe
 
 DAN(;K,R 'IHKF.AlliNED 185 
 
 that their paymaster is the head of the secret poUce, or the 
 agent of some powerful minister.' 
 
 " You see, Guy, the count spoke with perfect frankness 
 to me. His object naturally was to gain my confidence by 
 showing himself as he is, and to explain why he wished to 
 secure a home for his daughter. He took up his strange 
 profession in the first place as a means of obtaining his 
 living, and perhaps to secure himself from the search of 
 private enemies who would have had him assassinated could 
 be have been found ; but he follows it now from his love 
 for an atmosphere of intrigue, and for the power it gives him, 
 because, as he told me, he has already amassed a consider- 
 able fortune, and could well retire and live in luxury did lie 
 choose. He said frankly that if he did not so interest him- 
 self his existence would be simjily intolerable to him. 
 
 " ' I may take my daughter to England,' he said ; ' I 
 may stay there until I see her established in life, but when 
 I had done so I should have to return here. Paris is always 
 the centre of intrigues ; I would rather live on a crust- here 
 than be a prince elsewhere.' 
 
 " He certainly succeeded in convincing me wholly of his 
 sincerity, as far as w^e are concerned. Devoted to intrigue 
 himself, he would fain that his daughter should live her life in 
 peace and tranquillity, and that the money for which he has 
 no use himself should be enjoyed by her. ' I have lost my 
 rank,' he said, 'forfeited it, if you will ; but she is the Count- 
 ess Katarina of Montei)onc. and I should like to know that 
 she and my descendants after her should live the life that my 
 ancestors lived. It is a weakness, a foll\-, I know; but we 
 have all our weak points and our follies. At any rate I see 
 that that fancy could not well be carried out in France or in 
 Italy, but it may be in l>nglantl.' .\t any rate, after all he 
 has told me 1 feel thai he has it in his power to be a very use-
 
 186 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 fill friend and ally to us here ; I am convinced that he is truly 
 desirous of being so." 
 
 " And how did you like the girl, Agnes? " she said, rais- 
 ing her voice. Agnes had fetched Charlie in, and they -were 
 looking together down into the street 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 one bit. But I 
 do think that she would be very nice when one came to know 
 her thoroughly." 
 
 " She has lived so different a life to yourself, Agnes, that it 
 is no wonder that you should feel at first that you have noth- 
 ing in common with her. That she is very clever I have no 
 doubt, and that she is brave and fearless we know. Can you 
 tell us anything more, Guy ? " 
 
 " Not very much more. Lady Margaret. I should say that 
 she was very true and loyal. I think that at present she enters 
 into what .she has to do in something of the same spirit as her 
 father, and that she thoroughly likes it. I think that she is 
 naturally full of fun and has high spirits, and that she enjoys 
 performing these missions with which she is entrusted as a 
 child enjoys a game, and that the fact that there is a certain 
 amount of danger connected with them is in itself attractive to 
 her. I am glad that yon have told me what he said to you 
 about himself, for I could not understand him before. I think 
 I can now, and understanding him one can understand his 
 daughter. ' ' 
 
 At eight o'clock all retired to bed. They had had little 
 sleep the night before, and the day had been full of events. 
 Guy's last thought was that he was .sorry for the king, who 
 seemed to wish to do what was right, but who was a mere
 
 DANGER THREATENED 187 
 
 puppet in the hands of Burgundy or Queen Isobel, to be used 
 as a lay figure when required by whichever had a temporary 
 ascendency. 
 
 For the next fortnight Guy worked hard in tlie salle 
 d' amies, being one of the first to arrive and the last to depart, 
 and after taking a lesson from one or other of the masters he 
 spent the rest of the morning in practising with anyone who 
 desired an adversary. Well trained as he was in English 
 methods of fighting, he mastered with a cpiickness that sur- 
 jn'ised his teachers the various thrusts and parries that were 
 new to him. At the end of that time he was able to hold his 
 own with the young Count 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 to them, and there were fre- 
 quent skirmishes near the walls of Paris between parties of 
 their knights and the Burgundians. Paris was just at present 
 more 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 Bur- 
 gundy had been fully effected, and that the great lords would 
 soon enter Paris together, was received with a joy that was 
 modified by recollections of the past. Burgundy and Orleans 
 had once Ijefore sworn a solemn friendship, and yet a week 
 or two later Orleans lay dead in the streets of Paris, murdered 
 by the order of Burgundy- Was it likely that the present 
 patching u|) of the (juarrel would have a much longer dura- 
 tion ? On the former occasion the quarrel was a personal 
 one between the two great houses, now all P'raiu e was divided. 
 A vast amount of blood had been shed, tlu're had been cruel 
 massacres, executions, and wrongs, and the men of one faction
 
 188 - AT AGINCOURT 
 
 had come to hate those of the other ; and although neither 
 party had dared to put itself in the wrong by refusing to listen 
 to the mediators, it was certain that the reconciliation was a 
 farce, and that it was but a short truce rather than a peace 
 that had been concluded. Nevertheless Paris rejoiced out- 
 wardly, and hailed with enthusiasm the entry of the queen, 
 the Dukes of Aquitaine, 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 mar- 
 ried Burgundy's daughter, but it was rumoured that he was by 
 no means disposed to submit himself blindly to the advice of 
 her father. The only effect of the truce between the parties 
 was to add to the power of the Burgundian faction in Paris. 
 But few of the Armagnac party cared to trust themselves in 
 the city that had shown itself so hostile, but most of them re- 
 tired to their estates, and the great procession that entered 
 the town had been for the most part composed of adherents 
 of Burgundy. Three days after their arrival in the town Guy, 
 on leaving the salle cf amies, found Katarina in her boy's at- 
 tire waiting for him at the corner of the .street. 
 
 " My father wouldspeak with you. Master Guy," she said shy- 
 ly, for in the past two months she had always been in her girl's 
 dress when he had met her. " Pray go at once," she said ; " I 
 will not accompany you, for I have other 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 meeting last night they determined 
 that a body of them should wait upon the Dukes of Aquitaine 
 and Burgundy to complain of the conduct of the knights who 
 fell upon them when attacking the silversmith's, and demand 
 in the name of Paris their execution." 
 
 " They would never dare do that ! " Guy exclaimed in- 
 dignantly.
 
 DANGER THREATENED 189 
 
 "They will assuredly do it, and 1 see not how they can 
 be refused. The duke has no force that could oppose the 
 Parisians. They might defend the Louvre and one or two of 
 the strongly fortified houses, but the butchers would surround 
 them with twenty thousand men. Burgundy's vassals might 
 come to his assistance, but the gates of Paris would be closed, 
 and it would need nothing short of an army and a long siege 
 before they could enter Paris. When they had done so they 
 might punish the leaders, but Burgundy would thereby lose for 
 ever the support of the city, which is all-important to him. 
 Therefore if you would save your friends you must warn 
 them that it will be necessary for them to make their way 
 out of Paris as quickly and as quietly as may be. In the next 
 place, and principally, you yourself will assuredly be murdered. 
 There was a talk of the meeting demanding your execution and 
 that of your four men ; but it was decided thai there was no 
 need to do this, as you could all be killed without trouble, and 
 that possibly the Duke of Aquitaine might refuse on the ground 
 that, as your lady had come here under safe-conduct as a royal 
 hostage, you were entitled to protection, and it would be con- 
 trary to his honour to give you up. 
 
 " There are others who have displeased the Parisians whose 
 lives they will also demand, and there are several women 
 among them; therefore, it is clear that cwn tlie sex of your 
 lady will not save her and her children from the fury and 
 longing for revenge, felt by the family of Legoix and by 
 Caboche the skinner. The only question is, where can they 
 be bestowed in safety? 1 know what you would say, that all 
 this is monstrous, and that it is incredil)le that the Parisians 
 will dare to take such steps. I can assure you that it is as I 
 say; the peril is most imminent. Probably to-night, but it' 
 not, to-morrow the gates of Paris will Ik- < losed, and there will 
 be no escape for any whom these people have doomed to death.
 
 190 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 In the first place, you have to warn your Burgundian friends ; 
 that done, you must see to the safety of your four men. The 
 three Frenchmen may, if they disguise themselves, perchance 
 be able to hide in Paris, but your tall archer must leave the 
 city without delay, his height and appearance would betray 
 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 he would place her in the Louvre, 
 or in one of the other castles— that is, if she could persuade 
 him of the intentions of the Parisians, which indeed it would 
 be difficult for her to do ; but even could she do so she would 
 not be safe, for if he is forced to surrender some of his own 
 knights and ladies of the court to these miscreants, he could 
 not refuse to hand over Lady Margaret. They might, it is 
 true, possibly escape from Paris in disguise, but I know that 
 there is already a watch set at the gates. The only resource 
 that I can see is that she should with her children come hither 
 for a time. This is but a poor jjlace for her, but I think that 
 if anywhere she might be safe with me. No one knows that I 
 have had any dealings whatever with you, and no one connects 
 me in any way with politics. What should a vendor of nos- 
 trums have to do with such affairs? Thus, then, they might 
 remain here without their presence being in the slightest degree 
 suspected. At any rate I have as good means as any for learn- 
 ing what is being done at their councils, and should receive 
 the earliest 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 time to remove them to some other place 
 of concealment. 
 
 " Lastly, as to yourself, I take it that nothing would induce 
 you to fly with your Burgundian friends while your lady is in 
 hiding in Paris? "
 
 IN HIDING 191 
 
 " Assuredly not ! " Guy said. " My lord appointed me to 
 take charge of her and watch 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 her danger. Still, I will not say that your reso- 
 lution is not honourable and right. But, at least, you must 
 not stay here, for your detection would almost certainly lead 
 to hers. You, however, can be disguised ; I can darken your 
 skin and hair, and, in some soiled garb you may hope to pass 
 without recognition. AVHiere to bestow you I will talk over 
 with my daughter. As soon as it becomes dusk this evening 
 she will present herself at the house-door of Maitre Leroux. 
 She will bring with her disguises for your lady, the children, 
 and yourself — I have many of them here — and as soon as it is 
 quite dark she will guide here Dame Margaret with her daugh- 
 ter and son. You had best not sally out with them, but can 
 follow a minute or two later and join them as soon as they turn 
 down a side street. As to the men, yon must arrange with 
 them what they had best do. My advice is that they should 
 this afternoon saunter out as if merely going for a walk. They 
 ought to go sei:)arately ; you can decide what they had best do 
 when outside." 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 IN HIDING 
 
 THE news of this terrible danger was so wholly unexpected 
 that Guy for a moment felt almost paralyzed. 
 " It seems almost incredible that such wickedness could 
 take place ! " he exclaimed. 
 
 " My information is certain." the count replied. " I do
 
 192 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 not say that I think your Burgundian friends are in so much 
 danger as some of those of the king's party, as Burgundy's 
 influence with these Parisians goes for something; still, he 
 might not be able to save them if they waited till the demand 
 was made, although he might warn them if he learned that 
 they were to be among those demanded." 
 
 " Does the duke, then, know what is intended? " 
 
 The count smiled. "We know what followed the last 
 reconciliation," he said, "and can guess pretty shrewdly at 
 what will happen now. Then the duke murdered Orleans, 
 now he may take measures against the supporters of the present 
 duke. It was certain that the struggle would begin again as 
 soon as the kiss of peace had been exchanged. Last time he 
 boldly avowed his share in the murder ; this time, most con- 
 veniently for him, the Parisians are ready and eager to do his 
 work for him. Dismiss from your mind all doubt ; you can 
 rely upon everything that I have told you as being true. 
 Whether you can convince these young knights is a matter 
 that concerns me not ; but remember that if you fail to con- 
 vince your mistress, her life and those of her children are for- 
 feited ; and that, so far as I can see, her only hope of safety 
 is in taking refuge here." 
 
 " I thank you with all my heart," Guy said, " and will now 
 set about carrying out your advice. First, I will return to my 
 lady and consult with her, and see what we had best do with 
 the men. As to Count Charles d'Estournel and his friends, I 
 will see them as soon as I have arranged the other matter. 
 Their case is not so pressing, for, at least, when once beyond 
 the gates they will be safe. I will see that my lady and the 
 children shall be ready to accompany your daughter when she 
 comes for them." 
 
 " Look well up and down the street before you sally out," 
 the count said ; "see that there are but i^^i people about. It
 
 IN HIDING 193 
 
 is a matter of life and death that no one who knows you shall 
 see you leave this house." 
 
 Guy followed his advice, and waited until there was no one 
 within fifty yards of the door, then he went out, crossed the 
 street, took the first turning he came to, and then made his 
 way back to the silversmith's as fast as he could. 
 
 " What ails you, Guy? " Dame Margaret said as he entered 
 the room, "you look sorely 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 of Montepone of so strange and grave a nature that 
 I would not tell you it, were it not tliat he is so much in earn- 
 est, and so well convinced of its truth that I cannot doubt it." 
 
 He then related what the count had told him, and repeated 
 the offer of shelter he had made. 
 
 " This is, indeed, beyond all bounds," she said. " What, 
 is it credible that the Duke of Burgundy and the king's son, 
 the Duke of Aquitaine, can hand over to this murderous mob 
 of Paris noble gentlemen and ladies? " 
 
 " As to Burgundy, madame, it seems to me from what the 
 count said that he himself is at the bottom of the affair, 
 though he may not know that the Parisians demand the lives 
 of some of his own knights as well as those of his opponents. 
 As he did not of old hesitate to murder Orleans, the king's 
 own brother, we need credit him willi no scruples as to how 
 he would rid himself of others lie considers to stand in his 
 way. As to A(iuitaine, he is a young man and powerless. 
 There are no Orleaiiist nobles in the town to whom he might 
 look for aid ; and if a king's brother was slain, why not a 
 king's son? It seems to me that he is powerless." 
 
 " That may be ; but I cannot consent to what the count 
 proposes. A\'hat ! disguise myself I and hide from this base 
 mob of Paris ! It would be an unworthy action." 
 
 13
 
 194 AT AGINCOURT " 
 
 "It is one that I knew you would shrink from, madame; 
 but pardon me for saying that it is not your own life only, 
 but those of your children that are at stake. When royal 
 princes and dukes are unable to oppose these scoundrel 
 Parisians, women and children may well bend before the 
 storm." 
 
 Dame Margaret sat for some time with knitted brows. At 
 last she said : " If it must be, Guy, it must. It goes sorely 
 against the grain; but for the sake of the children I will 
 demean myself, and will take your advice. Now' you had 
 best summon the four men-at-arms and talk over their case 
 with them." 
 
 Guy went upstairs and fetched the four men down. 
 
 "We have sure news, my friends," Dame Margaret said 
 calmly, " that to-night we 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 refuge has been made to me and the children, 
 and for their sake, unwilling as I am 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 to protect us. I have now called you to talk about your- 
 selves. The gates will speedily be guarded and none allowed 
 to sally out, therefore what is to be done must be done 
 quickly." 
 
 "We will all stay and share your fate, madame. You 
 could not think that we .should leave you," Robert Picard 
 said, and the others murmured their agreement. 
 
 " You would add to my danger without being able to 
 benefit me," she said, "and my anxiety would be all the
 
 IN HIDING 195 
 
 greater. No, you must obey my commands, wiiicli are that 
 you forthwith quit Paris. Beyond that I must leave you to 
 judge your own course. As French men-at-arms none would 
 question you when you were once beyond the gate. You 
 may find it difficult t(j travel in this disturbed time, but )-ou 
 are slirewd enough to make up some story that will account 
 for your movements, and so may work your way back to 
 Villeroy. Tlie ditliculty is greater in the case of your English 
 comrade — his height and that light hair of his and ruddy 
 face would mark him anywhere, and if lie goes with you 
 would add to your danger, especially as his tongue would be- 
 tray him as being luighsh the first time he spoke. However^ 
 beyond ordering you to cpiit Paris, I must leave this matter 
 in your hands and his, and he will doubtless take counsel with 
 my escjuire and see if any di.sguise can be contrived to suit 
 him. I will see you again presently. You had best go with 
 them, Guy, and talk the matter over." 
 
 " This thing cannot be done, Master Guy," the archer 
 said doggedly when they readied their apartments; "it is 
 not in reason. What should 1 say wlien I got home and 
 told them at Sunnnerley that I saved my own skin and left our 
 dear lady and the cliildren to be murdered without striking a 
 blow on their behalf? 'i'he thing is beyond all reason, and I 
 will maintain it to be so." 
 
 " I can understand what you say, Tom, for I feel exactly 
 as you do. The (piestion is, how is the matter to be ar- 
 ranged? " 'I'hcn he broke into French, which the archer by 
 this time understood well enough, thougli he could speak it 
 but poorly. 
 
 "Tom is saying that he will not go, men," lie said, " and 
 I doubt not that you feel as he does. At the same time our 
 lady's orders must be carried out in the first place, and you 
 must leave Paris. But I say not that you need travel to any
 
 196 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 distance ; on the contrary, I should say that, if it can be ar- 
 ranged, you must return here in a few days, having so changed 
 your attire and aspect that there is no fear of your being re- 
 cognized, and bestow yourself in some lodging where I may 
 find you if there be need of your services." 
 
 "That is what will be best, Master Guy," Robert Picard 
 said. " We have but to get steel caps of another fashion to 
 pass well enough, and if need be we can alter the fashion of 
 our hair. There are few here who have noticed us, and I 
 consider that there is no chance whatever of our being recog- 
 nized. There are plenty of men among the cut-throats here 
 wlio have served for a while, and we can easily enough get up 
 some tale that will pass 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 his tongue a French 
 twist." 
 
 " No, that is really the difficulty. We might dye that hair 
 of his and darken 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 his speech." 
 
 "I would never open my mouth, Master Guy; if need 
 were I would sooner cut out my tongue with a dagger." 
 
 " You might bleed to death in the doing of it, Tom. No ; 
 we must think of something better than that. You might 
 perhaps pass as a Fleming, if we cannot devise any other dis- 
 guise." 
 
 " Leave that to me. Master Guy, I shall think of some- 
 thing. I will at any rate hide somewhere near Paris, and 
 the lads here will let me know where they are to be found, 
 and I shall not be long before I join them in some such guise 
 as will pass muster. But it will be necessary that we should 
 know where you will be, so that you can communicate with 
 us."
 
 IN HIDING 197 
 
 " That I don't know myself yet ; but 1 will be every evening 
 in front of Notre Dame when the bell strikes nine, and one of 
 you can meet me there and tell me where you are bestowed, 
 so that I can always send for you in case of need. Now I 
 think that you had better lose no time, for we know not at 
 what hour a guard will be placed on the gate. You had 
 better go out in pairs as if merely going for a walk. If you 
 are stopped, as may well hapi)en, return here ; but as you 
 come purchase a length of strong rope, so that you may let 
 yourselves down from the wall. Now that peace has been 
 made, there will be but slight watch save at the gates, and you 
 should have no difficulty in evading the sight of any who may 
 be on guard." 
 
 "That will be easy enough," Roljcrt Picard said confi- 
 dently. "We had best not come back here, for there may. 
 be a watch set upon the house and they may follow us." 
 
 " The only thing that troubles me," Tom said, " is that I 
 must leave my bow behind me." 
 
 "You can get another when you get back toVilleroy; 
 there are spare ones there." 
 
 " Yes, yes, l)ut that is not the same thing, Master Guy ; a 
 man knows his own bow, and when he takes to a fresh one 
 his shooting is sjwilt until he gets to know it well. Every 
 bow has its niceties ; for rough shooting it makes but little 
 matter, but when it comes to aiming at the slit in a knight's 
 vizor at eighty yards one makes poor shooting with a strange 
 bow." 
 
 "Well, you must i)ractise with your new one, that is all, 
 Tom ; and if you hide yours here it may be that you will be 
 able to recover it before we start for Villeroy. You must leave 
 your bundles behind, it would look suspicious if you were to 
 attempt to take them with you. I should advise you to put 
 on one suit over the other, it will not add greatly to your
 
 198 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 bulk. 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 near Paris; if .she asks any questions 
 say that you intend to disguise Tom, and he will travel with 
 you." 
 
 A few minutes later there was a tapping at Dame Margaret's 
 door; Guy opened it and the four men entered. 
 
 " I wish you good fortunes, my friends," Dame Margaret 
 said. " Here is a letter, Robert, that I have written to my 
 lord telling him that you have all served me faithfully and 
 well, and that I commend you to him. I have told him that 
 you are leaving me by my special orders, and tliat you would 
 willingly have stopped and shared ray danger, but that, as I 
 feel that force would avail nothing and your presence might 
 lead to the discovery of my hiding - place, I bid you go. 
 Here are four purses to pay the ex])enses of your journey 
 and of any disguises you may find it necessary to adopt. And 
 now farewell. Tarry not an instant, my heart will be hghter 
 when I know that you are beyond the walls." 
 
 She held out lier hand to them; each in turn knelt and 
 kissed it, the three Frenchmen in silence but with tears run- 
 ning down their cheeks. Tom was the last, and said as he 
 rose : 
 
 " I am obeying your orders. Lady Margaret, but never be- 
 fore have I felt, as I feel now, that I am doing a mean and 
 cowardly action. I would rather stay by your side, though I 
 knew that I should be cut in pieces this very night, than leave 
 you thus." 
 
 " I doubt it not, Tom. I know well how your inclinations 
 lie, and yet I feel that it is necessary that you should go. If 
 the great nobles cannot withstand this cruel mob of Paris, the 
 arm of a single man can avail nothing, and your presence 
 would bring danger rather than safety to me."
 
 IN HIDING 199 
 
 " I feel that, \uy lad} ; clitl 1 not do so I would not go 
 even at your command. Vou are my liege lady, and I have a 
 right to give my life tor )ou, and would do it were it not that 
 I see that, as you say, my staying here would bring danger 
 upon you." 
 
 As soon as they had gone Dame Margaret said : "Now, 
 Guy, I will detain you no longer ; hasten and warn your 
 friends." 
 
 Guy hurried away ; he found that Count Charles was on 
 the point of mounting to go for a ride with some of his 
 friends. 
 
 " Stay a moment I beg of you. Count," Guy said as he 
 hurried up, " 1 iia\e a matter of most serious import to tell 
 you." 
 
 "Wait, my friends," the young count said to Sir Pierre Es- 
 telle, Count Walter de Vesoul, and the Sieur John de Perron, 
 who were already mounted; "1 shall not detain you many 
 minutes." 
 
 "Well, what is it. friend Guy?" he asked as he entered 
 his room. 
 
 " 1 have come to warn you of a great danger, Count. This 
 evening a mob of Parisians, I know not how numerous, but at 
 least of great strength, will demand from Burgundy and the 
 Duke of A([uitaine the surrender to them of you and the 
 others who took part in defeating them the other night, be- 
 sides other gentlemen, and, as 1 hear, ladies." 
 
 ^^ Pardieu ! if it be so the duke will give the impudent 
 knaves their answer." 
 
 " Ten thousand armed men are not apt to take an answer. 
 Count. You know that many times already the Duke of 
 Burgundy has been o\erl>orne by the leaders of these Parisians 
 and forced to do things that must have displeased him, as they 
 displeased you all. therefore 1 implore you to ride off while
 
 200 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 you may. Even now it is possible that the gates may be 
 closed, but if so, they are not likely to be strongly guarded. 
 It is evident that your going would at any rate save the duke 
 from grave embarrassment." 
 
 " Are you sure that this news is true? " the count asked. 
 
 " Absolutely certain. If you would save yourself and your 
 friends I pray you to call upon them at once to mount and 
 ride in a body to one of the gates. You may bid some of 
 your retainers mount and follow you at a short distance, and 
 if you find the gates closed and the fellows will not let you 
 out, call them up and fight your way out. You can stay for 
 to-night at Sevres, and if you find in the morning that I have 
 not spoken truly you can return and upbraid me as you will. 
 If, however, you find that strange events have happened here, 
 then you had best ride away to Burgundy and stay there un- 
 til you find that these villainous knaves here have been re- 
 duced to order, which methinks it will need an army to 
 undertake. ' ' 
 
 The count went to the Avindow, opened it, and called his 
 friends below to come up. 
 
 " No, no," D'Estelle said laughing ; "if we once come up 
 we shall stay there. If you cannot come now, join us at the 
 Lion d'Or at Sevres, where you will find us eating the dinner 
 that we have sent on to order. ' ' 
 
 "The matter is urgent," D'Estournel said. "1 am not 
 joking with you, but pray you to come up at once." 
 
 Seeing that the matter was serious the three knights dis- 
 mounted and went up. They were at first absolutely incred- 
 ulous when they heard from Count Charles what Guy had 
 told them. 
 
 "That the knaves owe us no good -will 1 know well 
 enough," Count Walter said, "for they have over and over 
 again laid their complaint against us before the duke ; but it
 
 IN HIDING 201 
 
 is hard to believe that they would dare to demand what Bur- 
 gundy would never grant." 
 
 Guy repeated the arguments that he had used with D'Es- 
 tournel. 
 
 " There is no limit," he said, " to the arrogance of these 
 knaves, and in truth it cannot be denied that they are masters 
 here, and that even the duke cannot altogether withstand 
 them; and you know, moreover, how essential is their good- 
 wall to him. But even should he ever so obstinately refuse 
 their demands they might well take their way without his 
 leave. What can he, with a handful of knights and a feu- 
 hundred armed men, do against the mob of Paris? I earn- 
 estly pray you, gentlemen, to treat the matter as serious. 
 ^Vavn your eight friends without delay ; bid your retainers 
 mount and ride to the gate. If it is open, all the better, it 
 is but a party of pleasure bound for Sevres, and if you learn 
 to-morrow morning 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 and ride with you to dine 
 there ; if any refuse, say you have a motive that they will 
 learn when they get there, and almost compel them to go 
 with you. I pledge you my honour that you will have no 
 reason to regret having taken my advice." 
 
 "Well, what do \ou say, gentlemen?" Count Walter 
 a.sked. "As Master Aylmer says, it will at worst be but a 
 carouse, which I hope he will share with us." 
 
 "That I would right gladly do," Guy replied, " but I have 
 the safety of my lady 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 men out of the town, 
 and a place of safety has been prepared for her and the 
 children. I shall see them safely bestowed there at night- 
 fall."
 
 202 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 "Since you have thought such preparations necessary we 
 will at any rate act on the information that you have given 
 us, and will promise not to blame you unduly should it turn 
 out that the affair you speak of does not come off. Let us 
 lose no time, gentlemen ; let us each go to two of our friends 
 and take no denial from them to our invitation to dine with 
 us at Sevres. Let us say nothing to them about bringing their 
 men-at-arms and grooms with them. We can ourselves mus- 
 ter some thirty fighting men, and that should be enough with 
 our own swords to bring these knaves to reason if 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 coimes of it." 
 
 The four gentlemen at once mounted and rode off, — after 
 giving directions to their grooms to order their men-at-arms 
 to mount at once and to wait for them at a spot a quarter of 
 a mile from the gate, — and Guy strolled off in the same direc- 
 tion. In half an hour he had the satisfaction of seeing the 
 men-at-arms ride up and halt as ordered. Walking a little 
 further on he saw that something unusual had happened. 
 Groups of people were standing about talking, and each man 
 who came up from the gate was questioned. Joining one of 
 the groui)s he soon learned that the excitement was caused by 
 the unusual closing of the gates, no one being allowed either 
 to enter or pass out. None could account for this proceeding. 
 It was certain that it had not been done by the orders either 
 of the Dukes of Aquitaine or Burgundy, — for there were no 
 royal guards or men-at-arms with the duke's cognizance, — 
 but by men of the city, who, as all agreed, must be acting 
 under the orders of the butchers. 
 
 " It is a bold deed," one .said, " for which they will have 
 to account. It is a usurpation of authority, and one the Duke
 
 IN HIDING 203 
 
 of Aquitaine, who is now king in all but name, will surely re- 
 sent hotly." 
 
 " How strong is the party? " one of the bystanders asked, 
 putting the question 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 Bur- 
 gundian men-at-arms were drawn up. In ten minutes D'Ks- 
 tournel and his party rode up. Guy was glad to see that he 
 had with him the whole of his comjjanions. He at once went 
 up to them. 
 
 " The gates are closed, C'ount, and held by forty or fifty of 
 the townsmen in arms, so you see that my information was 
 correct. Had you not better tell your friends of the truth 
 now, for otherwise they might hesitate to take 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 until we had left Paris, l)ut I find it neces- 
 sary to do so now. I have learned surely that the rabble of 
 Paris have resolved upon massacring us to-night for the share 
 we took in that little affair at the provost of the silversmiths. 
 To that end they have shut the gates, and hold it with some 
 fifty armed men. It is as well that some of us have brought 
 our men-at-arms here. I can hardly fancy that these ra.scals 
 will try to prevent us from passing out, seeing that they have 
 no warrant but their own for closing the gates against us, but 
 if they do there is nothing for it but to oi)cn them ourselves. 
 Let us ride forward at once, gentlemen, for these fellows may 
 receive a reinforcement at any time." 
 
 So saying, he jMit spurs to his horse, calling upon the men- 
 at-arms to follow. His three companions, who were already 
 in the secret, joined him at once ; and the others, after a
 
 304 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 pause of astonishment and almost incredulity, followed, in no 
 way loath at the chance of another fight with the followers of 
 the butchers. As they approached the gate the townsmen 
 hastily drew up in front of it. 
 
 " What means this? " Count Walter de Vesoul said haugh- 
 tily, as he reined up his horse a few paces from the line. ' ' By 
 what authority do you dare close the gates and thus stand 
 armed before them ? ' ' 
 
 " By the authority of the city of Paris," the leader of the 
 party said insolently. 
 
 "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, and open the gates, or I will 
 ride over you." 
 
 The butcher answered him with a derisive laugh. " It Avill 
 cost you your lives if you attempt it," he said. 
 
 " Gentlemen, draw your swords and give these rough fel- 
 lows the lesson they need ; " 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 in the 
 teeth of the prohibition of the master of the butchers had ap- 
 parently not so much as entered the minds of the guard, and 
 as soon as the knights and their followers fell upon them, the 
 greater portion of them flung down their arms and fled, a few 
 only fighting stoutly until overpowered. As soon as the skir- 
 mish was over the keys were brought out from the guard-room, 
 and the sate unlocked and the massive bars taken down. In 
 the meantime some of the men-at-arms had run up on to the 
 wall, hoisted the portcullis, and lowered the drawbridge across 
 the fosse. As soon as they returned and mounted the party 
 rode through. As they did so, four men ran out from a lane 
 near the wall and followed them ; and Guy at once recognized 
 in them the archer and his three companions. Greatly
 
 IN HIDING 205 
 
 pleased, he returned to the city and informed Dame Margaret 
 of what had taken place. 
 
 "No doubt," he said, " when they found the gates shut 
 they remembered what I had said, that I Avas going to warn 
 Count Charles and his friends, and went back to observe what 
 these were doing ; and the sight of their retainers going tow- 
 ards the gate must have told them which way they intended 
 to leave ; and they, no doubt, went down and hid up near 
 the gate to 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 friends got away. There can be no doubt now that 
 the count's information was accurate ; the gates having been 
 closed, as he said they would be, vouches for this. Katarina 
 has been here ; she was dressed this time as an apprentice in 
 the service of some trader, and brought a large box containing 
 our disguises and yours. For you there is a bottle of dye for 
 your hair, a mixture for darkening your skin, and clothes — the 
 latter such as would be worn by a workman. Charlie is to wear 
 a girl's dress, at wliicli he is mightily offended ; nor is Agnes 
 better pleased, for a boy's suit has been sent for her. My 
 disguise is simply a long cloak with a hood, such as is worn 
 by the wives of small traders. Katarina explained that it had 
 been thought better to change the sex of Agnes and Charlie, 
 so that, when a hue and cry is raised for a missing woman, 
 with a girl of fourteen, and a boy of ten, no one should asso- 
 ciate the woman wiili two lads and a little girl, whom they 
 passed in the street, as being the party for which search is be- 
 ing made. And now, Guy, do you not think that we should 
 warn our good host of the danger that threatens, for, doubt- 
 less, he also has been marked out as a victim ? " 
 
 " I will see him at once, and will tell him as much as it 
 is necessary for him to know. Assuredly it is now too late
 
 3G6 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 for him to escape beyond the walls, unless he were to take his 
 wife with him, and bring his serving-men to let them down 
 from the walls ; but this, 1 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 received sure information that the butchers would that 
 evening make a slaughter of some of their opponents, that 
 they would be in such force that resistance would be hopeless, 
 and that the few royal troops and the followers of Burgundy 
 would be insufhcient 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 shut and are being guarded by strong 
 parties of the butchers' rabble, shows but too surely that there 
 is danger in the air. In the first place, there is your lady to 
 be thought of ; I must endeavour to obtain for her also shelter 
 among my friends. ' ' 
 
 " We have already arranged for a hiding-place lor her and 
 the children, Maitre Leroux. I mav not name where it is to 
 anyone, but suffice that it is a quiet house where there is little 
 fear of any suspicions resting upon them, and where they will 
 be able to remain until order is restored." 
 
 " I fear that that will be a long time," the silversmith said. 
 "The butchers boast that they can place 20,000 men under 
 arms, and indeed the terror excited by them is so great, that 
 very many who hate their doings as much as T do myself have 
 been forced to make a semblance of joining them. Next 
 about your men-at-arms, they are brave fellows and I owe 
 them much." 
 
 " They are all safe outside the walls. Some Burgundian 
 knights, indignant that this rabble should dare stop them, cut 
 their way out through the Port St. Denis, and our men took 
 advantage of the gates being open to follow them."
 
 IN HIDING 207 
 
 " And as to yourself, Master A) liner? " 
 
 "I have dyes to blacken my hair and a tincture for darken- 
 ing my face. I have also a disguise by which I may pass as - 
 an apprentice to a trader. I shall at all hazards remain in 
 Paris, but what I shall yet do 1 know not. And now about 
 yourself and Madame Leroux — you will not, I hope, think of 
 defending the house as you did before." 
 
 " Certainly not ; it would not avail to save our lives, and 
 would assuredly cost those of my servitors and most likely of 
 the women. I have friends, who will, I hope, gladly take us 
 in. Maitre Lepelletiere, the Master Carpenter, who has been 
 doing my doors, is an old friend of mine, and after the last 
 attack, urged me to withdraw for a time from the attention 
 of the mob, and offered me refuge in his place. He lives in 
 the Rue des Fosses ; which is close to the old inner wall that 
 is now for the most part in ruins. You pass along by the 
 hospital, and when beyond the old wall turn 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 
 thirty or forty yards wide ; and doubtless when the house was 
 built, it was before the i)resent wall was erected, and stood 
 on the outer side of the fosse round the old one. There are 
 many others of the same trade who live in that quarter, and 
 as they are for the most part opposed to the butchers, I doubt 
 not that my friend will have no difficulty in obtaining a lodg- 
 ing for 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 u])on. but should not a 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.
 
 208 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " In hiding my wares. In a city like Paris, with its sieges 
 and its tumults, a prudent man having goods of great value 
 will assuredly prepare a place of safety for them. I will set 
 my men to work at once ; the business must be finished be- 
 fore it becomes dark, for as soon as it does so we must leave 
 the house and close it." 
 
 "I have nothing to do at present, and shall be glad to 
 help your men," Guy said. 
 
 He followed the silversmith downstairs. Maitre Leroux 
 called his head man. 
 
 "We must move, Jacques, and that quickly; you have 
 heard that the gates are shut." 
 
 " Yes, master, people are talking of nothing else." 
 
 "I have news that there will be trouble to-night, so we 
 must set to work at 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 the others to go back into the shop and pack 
 up all the silver goods in the chests. As soon as they were 
 gone Jacques looked inquiringly at his master, who nodded. 
 Then he touched a brick in the wall some seven feet above 
 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 Guy to set him down. 
 
 " Go to the doorway," he said, and hurried across to 
 where Maitre Leroux was standing ; then kneeling down he 
 pushed his hand under the sill of the doorway and then stood 
 up. 
 
 " Do you hear that ? " the silversmith said. 
 
 "I hear a dull rumbling somewhere," Guy replied. As 
 he spoke he saw half the floor, which was apparently of solid 
 flags, beginning to rise.
 
 IN HIDING son 
 
 " This was done in my father's time," Maitre Leroux said, 
 "and it was made for him by Maitre Lepelletiere's father 
 with the aid of two or three good smiths, who put the 
 machinery together at his house and were in ignorance where 
 it was intended to be placed." 
 
 The trap-door was now raised, and Guy to his astonish- 
 ment saw a stream of running 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 of rare good-luck that my father hit upon it. A 
 map that he had showed him that in the old days, before 
 there were any houses on this side of the river, a narrow 
 branch left the stream some hundred yards above the position 
 of his house, made a circuit and came into it again as much 
 below. He inquired among some old men, and learned that 
 they had heard their grandfathers say that they knew that at 
 some time or other this stream had been built over when 
 Paris began to grow in this direction. After he had con- 
 trived this apparatus that jou see, which is worked by a 
 heavy counterpoise in the wall, he began to dig, and a foot 
 below the surface came upon an arch of brickwork, so my 
 father concluded that his house was exactly over the old 
 stream . 
 
 "On breaking through the crown he discovered, as yoti 
 see, that the water still flowed through this tunnel, which is 
 some three and a half yards wide and eight feet deep. My 
 men, all of whom are trusty fellows, know of the existence of 
 this hiding-place, but Jacques is the only one besides myself 
 who knows the secret of the opening. Now, Jacques, fetch 
 the chests along as fast as they are ready." 
 
 The chests were soon brought up and one by one lowered. 
 Chains were attached from the handle of each to that of the 
 14
 
 210 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 one that followed ; they were almost the weight of the water 
 and sank until within an inch or two of the surface. Each 
 was floated down as it was lowered, until twenty great chests 
 had been taken down. Then one more heavy and ponderous 
 than the rest was attached to the train, and a sloping board 
 being placed from the cellar floor to the bottom of the stream, 
 the case was allowed to slide down this until it rested on the 
 bottom several feet beyond the trap-door. 
 
 " There you see," the silversmith said, "even if they dis- 
 covered the trap -door and broke up the floor with sledge- 
 hammers, which would be no easy matter, and probed the 
 stream with lances, they would find nothing. As you saw, 
 there is a chain to the end of the last box, which is, as it 
 were, an anchor to the rest; this chain Jacques will now at- 
 tach to a strong wire, and fasten that to a ring below the 
 water's edge, and a foot beyond the trap-door, so that when 
 danger is past we shall haul up. the chain and recover the 
 cases one by one in the order in which they have been sent 
 down." 
 
 As soon as Jacques had fastened the wire to the ring he 
 touched another heavy spring under the sill, then pulled hard 
 on the trap -door; this gradually began to sink, and in a 
 minute was in its place again. At the same time the brick 
 that had been pushed in above came out into its place again, 
 dust was then swept into the crack at the edge of the trap- 
 door, and no one who had not seen the latter raised would 
 have dreamt of its existence.
 
 THE MASTERS OF PARIS 211 
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 THE MASTERS OF PARIS 
 
 1"^HE trap-door closed, die firewood was carried back again, 
 and Guy went upstairs, where he found that Dame 
 Margaret, Agnes, and Charlie had already put on their dis- 
 guises. 'J'heir faces had been slightly darkened ; Agnes had 
 coiled her hair up under a cap, while Dame Margaret's would 
 be completely hidden under the hood. She and Charlie 
 could have passed very well even in daylight, but Agnes by 
 no means looked her character. Her mother had darkened 
 the skin at the back of her neck as well as on her face, but 
 the girl's evident discomfort and shyness were so unboylike 
 that they would at once be noticed. Cuy fetched a short 
 cloak reaching only to his 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 the back of her head effectually. 
 
 " I did not expi<t that you would be ready so soon," he 
 said, turning to Dame Margaret; "it will not lie dark for 
 two hours yet." 
 
 "No; but 1 thought it nuu h better to be prepared to 
 leave at any moment. Mistress Leroux has shown me a door 
 opening from tlie yard into a very narrow lane behind. She 
 says that it has not been used for years, but she has been 
 down herself with the key and has unlocked it, so that we
 
 212 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 have only to let a bar down to open it, and if there should be 
 an attack on the front of the house we can escape that way. ' ' 
 
 " It would be best to leave that way in any case," Guy 
 said, "and thereby you will avoid observation by anyone 
 who may be watching. It is evident that the citizens of this 
 quarter are very anxious and alarmed ; looking from the 
 window I have seen them standing in groups, or going in and 
 out of each other's houses. They cannot know what is 
 going to take place, but the closing of the gates by the 
 butchers without any warrant has, of course, 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 of disturbance until evening ; men who are engaged in 
 work, that may some day bring punishment upon those con- 
 cerned in it, prefer darkness. Besides, at that time all care- 
 ful men will be in their houses, and will not dare to come 
 out whatever sounds they may hear. ' ' 
 
 Maitre Leroux presently came up. 
 
 " I have been out and trying to gather news. There are 
 all sorts of rumours abroad, but none know aught with cer- 
 tainty. They say that the butchers have stationed guards at 
 the end of all the streets leading to the market quarter, and 
 they allow none to pass in or out. It is reported that Aqui- 
 taine has sent an officer to the butchers to demand under what 
 warrant they have closed the gates of the city, and to order 
 them to open them forthwith, and to withdraw the men sta- 
 tioned there. It is said that their answer was that they had 
 acted for the good of the state, and for the safety of the 
 king's person, and that they would presently call upon his 
 highness 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 gate of St. Denis. Some say that
 
 THE MASTERS OF PARIS 21'6 
 
 it was forced open by order of the Duke of Burgundy, 
 while others affirm that Caboche, and that mischievous varlet 
 John de Troyes, went in great haste to the duke when they 
 received the news, that he declared to them that he knew 
 nothing whatever of the affair, 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 off one by one 
 than that they should move off together. 'Tis well that my 
 wife bethought 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 very good repute. I talked at one 
 time of having it bricked up, and only refrained from doing 
 so from the thought that it might be useful on some such oc- 
 casion as this. Your esquire has not gone out, I suppose, 
 Lady Margaret? " 
 
 " No, he is putting on his disguise — at least, he is colour- 
 ing his hair and face, and so altering himself that he would 
 not be known ; but he will not put on his full disguise until 
 later." 
 
 Guy soon came out. He was in his ordinary garments, 
 but having put on his best suit beneath them he looked 
 broader and bulkier than usual, while his blackened hair and 
 darkened face had made so great a change in his appearance 
 that both Agnes and her mother agreed that they would not 
 have known him. 
 
 " You could certainly go anywhere, Guy, and mix with any 
 crowd, and no one would have a suspicion that you were the 
 young Englishman for whom the whole town was searching." 
 
 Half an hour l)efore it became dark, Guy went down to the 
 front door. Standing there listening attentively, he presently 
 heard three little knocks given, as by a hand on the door. 
 He opened it a little, Katarina slipped in, and he again fast- 
 ened it and put up ti\e bar.
 
 214 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 "I brought the disguises early," she said, " as I thought 
 thev might be required in haste, but my father has learned 
 that it will be eight o'clock before the butchers sally out with 
 their forces from the markets." 
 
 " All here are ready and prepared to start at a moment's 
 notice, and have arranged 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-hour and have noticed two or three men hanging 
 about, and by their furtive glances in the direction of the 
 house I have no doubt that they are watching it. I had to 
 wait until there happened to be a group of people before the 
 door, and then slipped in behind them, and got in without, I 
 am sure, their having seen me. I have been uneasy as to how 
 we should leave, for if they saw a party of three or four issu- 
 ing out together, one of them would be sure to follow." 
 
 They were now upstairs. The fact that Agnes was in the 
 same disguise as herself freed Katarina from the shame-faced- 
 ness that she would otherwise have felt at being seen by Dame 
 Margaret in her present attire. 
 
 " You are well disguised," the latter said as she entered. 
 " I no longer wonder that you are able to go about as a boy 
 without suspicion ; you look one to the life, while Agnes is 
 so awkward that she would be detected in a moment." 
 
 " She has not had the practice that I have had," Katarina 
 said with a laugh ; " the awkwardness will soon wear off if 
 she has to dress like this for a short time. As for me, I have 
 learnt all a boy's tricks and ways. I can whistle and shout 
 with any of them, can quarrel, and bluster, be saucy on oc- 
 casion, and have only once been in trouble." 
 " How was that, Katarina? " 
 
 "A l)oy who was a bit taller tlian I ran against me and 
 declared that it was my fault, and gave me a cuff on the head.
 
 THE MASTERS OF PARIS 215 
 
 I might have run away, and of course I ought to have done 
 so, but I was angry, tor he really hurt me ; so I 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 and ran. He had hit nie too, but I did not feel it 
 at the time, and next morning 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, he could not tell 
 me. I had a very important message to carry that morning 
 for him. At firet he said I could not go out in that state ; but, 
 as I told him, 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 men and maids had all been sent away, 
 and none remained save Maitre Leroux and his 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 no fear of anyone watching behind, for it is not 
 likely that any of them know of this entrance to my house ; 
 still, it is as well to make certain. When you get out of the 
 lane you had best stay there until the others have passed on, 
 then you can follow them. We will wait for a few minutes 
 after they have gone, and lock the door behind us. You have 
 not forgotten where you are to find us. ' ' 
 
 "No, I have the name and house right. Shall I ask for 
 you as Maitre Leroux? " 
 
 " I have not thought of that. No, it will be better, per- 
 haps, to ask for Philip Sampson ; it were just as well that none 
 should know my name there except Lepelletiere and his 
 wife. ' ' 
 
 As arranged Guy went out first ; there was still light enough 
 for him to make his way along the narrow lane without falling 
 over piles of dirt and rubbish that at some points almost
 
 216 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 blocked it. The street into which it opened was also a very 
 narrow one, and no one was about. In a minute Dame Mar- 
 garet, walking with Katarina, and with Agnes close behind, 
 holding Charlie's hand, passed him. 
 
 " It is all quite clear," he said. Keeping some fifteen yards 
 behind he followed them until they entered a broader street. 
 There were a good many people about here. The nearest way 
 would have been to have crossed the road and passed by an- 
 other small street facing that from which they had come, but 
 somewhat to his surprise they turned and went along the 
 broader street. 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 al- 
 ways in frequented streets they made a long detour before they 
 reached that in which the count resided, and it was with a 
 feeling of great relief that Guy saw them enter the house. 
 He himself, as arranged, did not approach it for another quar- 
 ter of an hour, then he went and knocked 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 be best, madame, that your daughter should continue 
 at present in that disguise. In the first place, she will get 
 accustomed to it, and should she have occasion to move again 
 she would be able to do so without attracting notice ; in the 
 second place, it would be desirable that, even accidentally, 
 no one should know that there is a young lady of her age 
 here. I have no visitors save on business, but possibly either 
 she or your boy might come out on to the stairs when one is 
 going up or down. It would be unfortunate that he should 
 see them at all, but if it were but a boy he caught sight of he
 
 THE MASTERS OF PARIS 217 
 
 would not at any rate associate them with your party. These 
 precautions may seem to you absurd, but it is often by httle 
 accidents that things are discovered when as it seemed every- 
 thing had been [provided 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 1 shall not mind it." 
 
 " I shall not like beinu dressed as a girl," Charlie said 
 sturdily. 
 
 The count smiled. " ^Vell, 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, about yourself. 1 have arranged for 
 you to lodge with a man who gets news for me; it is in 
 tlie butchers' quarter. \vhi( li is the last jjlace where any- 
 one would think of looking for you. Besides, there you 
 will see all that is going on. I have two other disguises in 
 addition to that I sent you ; one is that of a young butcher, 
 another is that of one of the lads who live in misery, who 
 sleep at the market where they can earn a few sous l)y 
 doing odd jobs, and beg or steal when they can do nothing 
 else. 1 hear that you have also arranged for a shelter in 
 the quarter between the walls ; that too may be very use- 
 ful, 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 mucli more plea.sant for you 
 there than in the market ipiarter. Lastly, 1 have got you a 
 wiiite hood, which may be uiost useful of all." Guy looked 
 surprised. " Henceforth," tlie count went on, " white is to 
 be the butchers' colour. .\11 who march this evening are 
 to be so clad, and as soon as it is known to-morrow, you 
 will find three-fourths of the people wearing it. for not to do 
 so will be taken as a sign of liostilit) to their faction. They
 
 218 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 will have started by this time, and if it pleases you to put on 
 the butcher's dress and the white hood over it you can mingle 
 in safety with them and see all that is done; then when they 
 return to their quarter, you can go with them. The house to 
 which you are to go is the third on the left - hand side of 
 the Rue des Couteaux. My man lodges at the top of the 
 house, the room to the left when you mount the stair — his 
 name is Simon Boucher. The lane is at the back of the 
 butchers' market. The man has no idea who you are. I 
 have simply told him that I will send a young man to help 
 gather news for me of what is going on, that you would work 
 separately, but that he was to do all in his power to aid you, 
 and that at any time if he wanted to send a message to me 
 and could not himself come, he was to intrust it to you, and 
 similarly he was to bring any message that you might want to 
 send to the spot where he meets my messenger. The man 
 works for one of the Thiberts. He does not know who I am, 
 but T think he believes me to be an agent of Burgundy's, and 
 that I collect the information so that he may be privately in- 
 formed of what is doing. I have encouraged that idea, be- 
 cause it is more likely to keep him truthful to me, since he 
 would think that were he to play me false the duke would 
 see that some harm or other befell him. Therefore, it is as 
 well that you should drop a word as if by accident that will 
 confirm that notion, and will lead him to believe that you 
 too are working under the orders of the duke. This will lull 
 any suspicion that he might feel on seeing, as he must do, that 
 you live in a position far higher than would appear from your 
 garb. And now, if you would see to-night's doings, you had 
 best put on that disguise and the white hood, and be off with- 
 out delay ; you will find the things in the room above." 
 
 In a few minutes Guy was ready to start. He could not 
 help looking with disfavour at the greasy and stained gar-
 
 THE MASTERS OF PARIS 210 
 
 ments, and he put them on with an expression of strong dis- 
 gust. The two suits that he had taken off he made up into a 
 bundle, placed the jdisguise he had brought with him with 
 them, putting up separately that of which the count had 
 spoken, and which was so ragged and dirty that he inwardly 
 hoped he might never be obliged to assume it ; then he went 
 downstairs again. He had strapped round his waist a heavy 
 sword placed beside the clothes, and carried in his hand a 
 short pike. Dame Margaret smiled when he entered, and 
 Katarina laughed aloud at the expression of liis face. 
 
 " Truly, Guy," the former said, " you might go anywhere 
 in that garb without a soul suspecting you. This journey 
 with me is leading you into strange disguises and adventures: 
 which will give you nuich matter for talk when we are safely 
 back at Summerley." 
 
 " I have left my other disguises above," he said to the 
 count. " The decent one of an apprentice I have placed 
 with my own clothes, and will take them with me to any 
 lodging that 1 may get among the carpenters, but that beggar 
 suit I will take to Simon Boucher's the next time I come. I 
 suppose 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 better carry the apprentice's disguise also to your 
 lodging in the market. You would not gain favour among 
 the carpenters were you to go among them in the dress you 
 now wear, and your calling upon me here in your apprentice's 
 dress would excite no attention ; therefore, if you have need 
 to come here during the day, you had best come as an ap- 
 prentice." 
 
 Guy now went down into the street through which the 
 butchers' force would pass. In a short time he heard a deep 
 dull sound, and soon they came along, a host of armed men.
 
 220 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 He fell in unnoticed near the head of the column. Soon 
 after he had joined them they halted, and three or four 
 knights came up and entered into conversation with their 
 leaders. Guy recognized among them Sir Robert de Mailly, 
 Sir Charles de Lens, and several others of the household of 
 the Duke of Burgundy. These talked for some time with the 
 Sieur de Jacqueville, Governor of Paris, who had joined 
 the butchers' faction and was now riding at the head of the 
 column, whereupon the force went no farther, but turned and 
 retraced its steps. Guy wondered greatly where the butchers 
 could be going, but soon found that they were making for the 
 Bastille. After much parley between De Jacqueville and the 
 governor, the latter consented, on the order of the Duke of 
 Burgundy's friends, to hand over to them Sir Peter des 
 Essars and his brother Sir Anthony, who were both sup- 
 porters of the Orleanists and had come to Paris secretly, 
 and had by the orders of the Duke of Aquitaine been ad- 
 mitted as guests to the Bastille. 
 
 These were marched back to the Louvre, the gates of which 
 were opened by the orders of Burgundy's friends, and the two 
 knights were thrown into the prison of the palace. On the 
 way back the houses of a very rich upholsterer and of a 
 cannon -founder of great repute, both of whom had with- 
 stood the butchers, were broken into and their owners both 
 murdered. After this the mob marched to the house of 
 Maitre Leroux. No reply being given to their summons to 
 open, an attack was made upon the door. While they were 
 engaged in doing this, screens of wattles covered with two or 
 three thicknesses of hides were placed so as to shelter the 
 a,ssailants from the arrows that had proved so deadly on 
 the occasion of their last attack. It was thus evident that 
 the outrage was a planned one. Guy looked on with some 
 amusement until the door gave way under the action of
 
 THE MASTERS OF TARTS 221 
 
 some very heavy sledge- hammers wielded by a jiarly of 
 brawny smiths; the moment it did so the crowd made a 
 tremendous rush. 
 
 So great was the pressure that many were thrown down 
 and tramjded to death in the doorway. It was not long be- 
 fore .several of the windows were thrown o\)en and voices 
 shouted down that the house was deserted. A yell of fury 
 burst from the crowd below, but the pressure at the door was 
 even greater than before. The loss incurred during the first 
 attack had caused all hut the Inavest and most determined to 
 hang back somewhat ; now, however, that it seemed that the 
 silversmith's stores could be ransacked without danger, all 
 were anxious to have a hand in it. Presently one of the 
 leaders appeared 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 has the 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 a voice shouted out : 
 
 " They are trying to cheat us, my friends ; those who got 
 in first have divided \ip the spoil and wish us to have no share 
 in it." 
 
 This caused a fresh outburst of commotion. At a signal 
 from the leader above a number of well-armed men. who were 
 evidently a sort of body-guard, pres.sed forward to the door 
 and drove back the crowd with blows from the staves 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 so the windows were lit up by a lurid light which 
 showed that it had been fired on each floor, and the flames
 
 222 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 very soon burst out through the casements. Satisfied with 
 having done this the butchers returned to their quarter, and 
 Guy mounted to the chamber of Simon Bouclier. The man 
 had evidently just returned, as he too wore a white hood. 
 He had been carrying a torch in the procession, and this was 
 stuck into a ring on the wall. 
 
 "Well, comrade," he said as Guy entered, "I suppose 
 you are the man I was told would come here to-night. ' ' 
 
 " I am so," Guy said. " I should have been here before, 
 but I joined the procession, as I guessed that you would be 
 there also." 
 
 ''Yes," the man said; "though I should not have gone 
 had I not thought that more would come of it. What have 
 we done ? Captured two knights and killed two 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 Bur- 
 gundy are as united as ever, and that they will stand no in- 
 trigues 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 times as many next time we go 
 to the Louvre. To-morrow morning, you know, we are 
 going to pay a visit to the Duke of Aquitaine at his hotel, 
 to teach that young man that he has to do as we and Bur- 
 gundy order him, or that it will be worse for him." 
 
 " So I understand," Guy said carelessly. " As long as all 
 hold together in this quarter everything will go right. My 
 duty principally is to find out if there are any signs of waver- 
 ing ; there are no signs, of course, among the butchers, but 
 some of the others are thought to be but half-hearted."
 
 • Wtl.L, CU.MKADi:, SAID .sIMiiN, 'I SITVOSE YOl' ARK THE MAN 
 I WAS TOLD WOULD 0>MK TO-Mi;ilT?"
 
 THE INIASTERS OF PARIS 223 
 
 " The butchers and skinners are all right, never fear," the 
 man said ; " and if there are others in the quarter who may 
 not be quite so hot in the matter 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; the smiths 
 and the carpenters and masons are ever jealous of us of the 
 markets, but they have no leaders, and hold not together as 
 we do. Besides, they know that we have Burgundy witli 
 us, so whatever they think they are not likely to say much, 
 for if it came to a battle we could sweep them out of the 
 city." 
 
 "Yes, yes, 1 know that there is no fear of that, the great 
 thing is to make sure that some of those who seem to be 
 hottest in the matter, are not taking money from the other 
 party; there are one or two I am specially to observe." 
 
 " I understand you, comrade. I myself have never had 
 much confidence in John de Troyes nor his medical students. 
 He is good at talking, no one will deny that ; but for myself 
 I would rather that we kept among ourselves and had nothing 
 to do with such cattle, who have no interest in the privileges 
 of the guilds, and who take part with us no one knows why. 
 But I am sleepy ; that bundle of fresh rushes in the corner is 
 yours, I got them in the hay-market to-day when I heard that 
 you were coming. You can keep beside me to-morrow morn- 
 ing and I will get you a good place in the ranks. From 
 whence shall I say that you come, as man)- will ask the ques- 
 tion, 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 a man to have come from just at present." 
 
 Guy was thoroughly fatigued with the long excitement 
 of the day. At eleven in the morning everything had been 
 going on as usual, now Dame Margaret and the two children
 
 224 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 were in hiding, her four men-at-arms fugitives, and Paris was 
 virtually in a state of insurrection against the royal authority, 
 stirred up thereto by the Duke of Burgundy, who had thus 
 openly leagued himself with the scum of Paris. That what 
 he had seen that evening was but the beginning of a series of 
 crimes, Guy could not doubt ; and although this man had ex- 
 pressed his confidence in the power of the market-men to 
 sweep the craftsmen out of Paris, he felt sure from what he 
 had heard, that this could not l)e done until a fierce and 
 doubtful battle had been fought in the streets. At eight next 
 morning he 'went out with his companion. 
 
 "It is well not to go into a place where we shall meet 
 many till your face is 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 
 his place 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 approach excited general apprehension. The 
 streets were deserted as it passed along. None of the case- 
 ments were opened, and although the traders dared not put 
 up their shutters, none of them appeared at the doors, where 
 their apprentices and workmen gathered to look at the proces- 
 sion. Passing along steadily and in good order, and headed 
 as before by the knights of the Duke of Burgundy's household, 
 they drew up before the palace of the Duke of Aquitaine. 
 Caboche, John de Troyes, and one of the butchers entered the 
 house. The guards having no orders, and seeing how strong 
 was the force that was at their back, did not venture to oppose 
 their entrance, and they pushed on into the private apart- 
 ments of the duke and informed him that they, on behalf of 
 the good town of Paris and for the welfare of his father and 
 
 I
 
 THE MASTERS OF PARIS 235 
 
 himself, required the delivery to them of certain traitors now 
 in the hotel. 
 
 The duke, furious at their insolence, told them that such 
 affairs were not their business, and that there were no traitors 
 in the hotel. In the meantime many of the White Hoods had 
 followed their leaders, Simon and Guy entering with them. 
 They scattered through the apartments and seized the duke's 
 chancellor, the Duke of Bar, a cousin of the king, and twelve 
 other knights and gentlemen, some of whom were in the 
 apartment of the Duke of Aquitaine himself. While this was 
 going on the Dukes of Burgundy and Lorraine arrived, and 
 Aquitaine, turning to the former angrily, said: 
 
 " Father-in-law, this insurrection has been caused by your 
 advice ; those of your household are the leaders of it ; you 
 shall some day repent of this. The state shall not be always 
 governed according to your will and pleasure." 
 
 However, in sj)ite of his indignation and remonstrance, 
 the twelve gentlemen were carried away and confined in 
 diiTerent prisons ; and [presently discovering the king's secre- 
 tary, they killed him and tlirew the body into the river. 
 They compelled the Duke of Aquitaine himself to leave his 
 palace, and with the king, his father, to take up his abode 
 in the Hotel de St. Pol. Placing a strong guard round it, so 
 as to prevent them from leaving Paris, the mob then com- 
 pelled all the nobles and even the prelates, they met, to put 
 on white hoods, and their leaders sent off letters to the chief 
 towns in France to inform them that what they had done was 
 for the welfare of the king and kingdom, and rciiuiring them 
 to give aid should there be any necessity for it ; they then 
 published an edict in the name of the king ordering that it 
 should be proclaimed in every bailiwick that no person, under 
 penalty of death and confiscation of goods, should obey any 
 summons from their superior lord to take up arms or to trouble 
 15
 
 226 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 the kingdom. The mad king was made to sign this after the 
 Dukes of Aquitaine, Berri, and Lorraine, and other nobles 
 of the council had put their names to it. 
 
 At nine o'clock that evening Guy went to the square be- 
 fore Notre Dame. Here many groups of people were talking 
 over the events of the day. Guy had, as soon as he left the 
 market quarter, taken off his white hood, and before starting 
 he put on his dress as an apprentice. There was no doubt 
 that the opinion of the great majority of those in the square 
 was hostile to the authors of the events of the day, and that 
 the consternation among the citizens was very great. After 
 thus forcing the great nobles to obey their will and outraging 
 the palace of the Duke of Aquitaine, there was no saying to 
 what length they would go, and fears were expressed that ere 
 long they might sack the whole of the better quarters of Paris. 
 
 It was so evident, however, that they had the support of 
 the Duke of Burgundy that no one saw any way out of their 
 trouble, and that nothing but the arrival of a powerful army 
 of Orleanists could relieve them from their peril. As Guy had 
 no real expectation of seeing any of his followers, — although 
 the gates had been opened that afternoon after the seizure of 
 the knights, — he attended more to the conversations going on 
 about him than to the matter on which he had come. Pres- 
 ently, however, he saw a rough-looking fellow watching him 
 attentively. He walked close to him, but not recognizing 
 him would have passed on, had not the man taken a step for- 
 ward 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 not have known you by your face. Your 
 figure and walk, when a short distance away, attracted my
 
 THE MASTERS OF PARIS 227 
 
 attention, and knowing your disguise was that of an ap- 
 prentice I made sure it was you. Then as you came closer I 
 doubted, and though I ventured upon saying the name of our 
 lord, I scarce thought that you would reply." 
 
 " Where are the others, Robert? " 
 
 " They are walking about separately seeking for you. We 
 are to meet on the steps 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 they heard angry voices, and 
 standing under a lamp Guy saw a tall man of wild and un- 
 kempt appearance, with black hair and a begrimed face, and 
 a basket of vegetables strapped to his shoulders, threatening 
 angrily with a staff three 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 the boys. " If you do not be off, and that 
 quickly, I will lay my cudgel about your shoulders." 
 
 This threat was much more efficacious than those of the 
 half-witted man had been, and the boys at once took to their 
 heels. The tall man shuffled towards the new-comers. 
 
 " Is it really you, Tom ? " Guy said in a low tone. 
 
 "It is me, sure enough, Master Guy. 1 should not know 
 myself, and am not surprised that )0u do not know me ; in 
 faith, my back aches with walking with a stoo}). and m\- legs 
 with shuffling alon" as if I had scarce the use of them, instead 
 of stepping out manfully. Is all well ? We have heard of 
 strange doings — that the butchers have, with the countenance 
 of Burgundy, liearded the Duke of Aquitaine, and even 
 carried off some of his friends from before liis face ; also that 
 the houses of three of those who had withstood them had been
 
 '228 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 burned, among them that of Maitre Leroux ; also that two 
 traders had been killed, though which two they were we have 
 not been able to learn." 
 
 " All is well, Tom; our lady and her children were safely 
 bestowed, as was also the silversmith and his wife." 
 
 " I am right glad of that ; they were a worthy couple. 
 And so his house is burned and sacked ? ' ' 
 
 " Burned, but not sacked, Tom ; for he had, before they 
 came, stowed away in a hiding-place where they could not 
 be found all those chests of his, and not a single piece of 
 silver fell into the hands of the butchers." 
 
 " That was well done," the archer said, rubbing his hands. 
 " I should like to have seen the dogs' faces when they burst 
 in and found nothing. And my bow, Master Guy ? " 
 
 " I fear that the flames will not have spared it. I went 
 past the hou.se to - day, and naught but the bare walls are 
 standing." 
 
 At this moment the bell of the cathedral struck the half- 
 hour, and Robert Picard said: " Will you stay here, Master 
 Guy ? I must go and meet the others, and forthwith bring 
 them to you here." 
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 PLANNING MASSACRE 
 
 IN a short time Robert Picard returned with his two com- 
 panions, and leaving the square, they all went along the 
 quays to a quiet spot. "We cannot be overheard here," 
 Guy said, "and now, in the first place, let me know how 
 you have fared. I knew that you had got safely away, for
 
 PLANNING MASSACKi; 229 
 
 I was near the gate of St. Denis when the Burgundians fought 
 their way out, and 1 saw you follow." 
 
 " We had no difficulty," Robert I'icard said. " We went 
 into the wood, and thence I went across to St. Cloud and 
 bought these garments that you see us in, and we hid away 
 our steel caps and harness in some bushes in the heart of the 
 wood, where they are not likely to be found. Then after a 
 long talk with Tom we agreed that he had best go as a half- 
 witted man with a basket of vegetables for sale, and 1 went 
 into St. Cloud again, dressed as I now am, and found a little 
 shop where they sold rags and old garments, and got his outfit 
 for a couple of francs, and dear at that. ^Ve thought in that 
 way he would not have to say much, and that any confusion 
 of speech would be set down to the fact that his brain was 
 weak. Hearing that the gates were open this afternoon, we 
 came in just before they were closed for the night. We have 
 got a room in a lane which honest folk would not care to pass 
 through even in daylight ; 'tis a vile hole, but consorts well 
 with our ap]jearance. " 
 
 " I will try and find you a better place to-morrow, Robert. 
 J am going to see the people with whom Maitre Leroux is in 
 hiding. I hear that they have no sympathy with these 
 butchers, and when I tell them that you are stout 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 
 at present, e.xcept that of Tom's, which 1 think we cannot 
 better. Besides, he can lie there (piietly, and need not, e.x- 
 cept when he chooses, sally out. I myself am lodging at 
 l)resent among the butchers. I hear that (abocheand the 
 Legoix are fiirious at our having slip|)ed through their fingers, 
 and they declare that, as we cannot have escaj^ed from Paris, 
 they will lay hands on \is very soon." 
 
 "I should like to lav hands on a few of them mvself.
 
 230 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Master Guy," Tom said earnestly, "say out in that wood 
 there with a quarter-staff, and to deal with four of them at a 
 time. They have burnt my bow, and I shall not get even 
 with them till I have cracked fully a dozen of their skulls. " 
 
 "I shall be Ukely to be near you in the quarter where I 
 hope to get you lodging, Tom, for I too am going to have a 
 room there, though I shall generally live where I now am, as I 
 can there obtain news of all that is going on, and might be 
 able to warn our lady in time if they should get any news that 
 may set them on her track. Heard you aught at St. Cloud 
 of any Orleanist gathering ? ' ' 
 
 " I heard a good deal of talk about it, but naught for 
 certain; but methinks that ere long they will be stirring 
 again. The news that I have heard of the insolence of the 
 mob here to the Duke of Aquitaine, and of the seizure of 
 their friends who were with him, is like to set them on fire, 
 for they will see that all the promises made by Burgundy 
 meant nothing, and that, with the aid of the Parisians, he is 
 determined to exercise all authority in the state, and to hold 
 Aquitaine as well as the king in his hands." 
 
 The next morning Guy went to the house of Maitre de 
 Lepelletiere, and inquired for Philip Sampson. Maitre Le- 
 roux was in. ■ 
 
 "I have spoken to my friend about you," he said, after 
 they had talked over the events of the last two days, " and he 
 has arranged for a room for you in a house three doors away : 
 and I have no doubt that your four men can be lodged there 
 also, for 'tis a large house, and is let out, for the most part, 
 as he told me, to journeymen carpenters. But since the 
 troubles began there has been little building, and men who 
 can find no work here have moved away to seek for it in 
 places less afiiicted by these troubles. That is one of the 
 reasons why the carpenters have not made a firmer stand
 
 PLANNING MASSACRE 231 
 
 against the butchers. I will ask him to come up here. You 
 already know him, as you have spoken with him several times 
 when he was looking after his men putting up the new 
 doors." 
 
 The master carpenter soon came in. " I will gladly get a 
 lodging for your men," he said, when Guy had explained the 
 matter to him. " We may come to blows with these market 
 people, and four stout fellows are not to be despised. There 
 will be a meeting of the council of our guild this afternoon, 
 and on my recommendation they will give me the necessary 
 documents, saying that the men — you can give me their names 
 — have received permission to work as carpenters in Paris. 
 They can then put on dresses suitable for craftsmen, and the pa- 
 pers will suffice to satisfy anyone who may inquire as to their 
 business. I think that your tall archer may safely lay aside 
 the disguise you say he has assumed, it might be likely to get 
 him into trouble ; the change in the colour of the hair and 
 the darkening of his eyebrows should be quite sufficient dis- 
 guise, and if he is always when abroad with one of his com- 
 rades, 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 ac- 
 quaintance with some of the other workmen, and by mixing 
 with these there will be less suspicion excited than if they 
 always went about together." 
 
 " I will tell my foreman to present them to the men who 
 work for me. and tliev will soon get known in the quarter. 
 Five or six of my men lodge in the house where I took the 
 room for you. It might be useful, too, were I to give you a 
 paper of apprenti( eship, and if you were similarly introduced. 
 In that case it might be convenient to exchange the small 
 room that I have taken for you tor a larger one ; as an ap-
 
 232 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 prentice you would ordinarily lodge with your master, and if 
 you did not you would scarce have a room to yourself, but 
 were you to lodge with your four men it would seem natural 
 enough." 
 
 " That would be a capital plan, Maitre Lepelletiere." 
 
 " You see, in that way, too," the carpenter went on, " you 
 would only have to place a plank on your shoulder and then 
 go where you will without exciting the least attention. I 
 will furnish you with a list of the houses where I have men 
 at work, and this again would be an assistance to you. It 
 is my foreman who took the lodging for you ; I am expect- 
 ing him here shortly for orders, and he shall go round with 
 you. As you say that your fellows are dressed at present in 
 rough fashion it will be as well that they should provide them- 
 selves with their new disguises before they come here, as, if 
 they were seen in tlieir present guise, it would prejudice them 
 with the others in the house, for craftsmen look down greatly 
 upon the rough element of the street." 
 
 "They shall do so," Guy said, "and I will come with 
 them myself this evening." 
 
 Guy presently went in with the foreman and arranged for 
 a large attic with a dormer window, at the top of the house. 
 At midday he met Robert Picard and told him the arrange- 
 ments that had been made, supplying him with money for the 
 purchase of the four dresses. " As soon as it becomes dark," 
 he said, "you had best go to some quiet spot and change 
 them. Bring the clothes you now have on in a bundle, for 
 they may yet prove useful, and meet 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 arrangements he had made. 
 
 " Since you have managed it all so well, Guy, I am glad 
 to hear that the men are all back in Paris. I before v/ished
 
 PLANNING MASSACRE 333 
 
 that they should make straight for Villeroy, but since they are 
 so safely bestowed it were best perhaps that they should be 
 within reach. Long Tom is the only one 1 shall feel anxious 
 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 his part well. I know that I myself feel very 
 glad that there are four true men upon whom we can rely if 
 any difficulty should arise." 
 
 " Some evening, mother," Agnes said, " when I have 
 grown more accustomed to this boy's dress I will go with 
 Katarina to this house so that I can carry a message there, 
 should she happen to be away when there is need for sending 
 one." 
 
 Lady Margaret hesitated, but Guy said : " By your leave, 
 my lady, I think that the idea is a very good one, saving that 
 I myself will escort the two ladies there as soon as Mistress 
 Agnes feels confident enough to go." 
 
 " In that case 1 should have no objection, Guy. Under 
 your charge I have no doubt Agnes would be perfectly safe, 
 but I could hardly bring myself to let 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 with satisfaction where Guy and the four men had ob- 
 tained a safe lodging. 
 
 " Still," he said, " I should advise you sometimes to sleep 
 at your lodging by 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 not recognize me 
 again — for none of tho.sc with whom 1 have dealings know 
 who I am or where I live — but that once was sufficient to 
 show me that the fellow might be trusted to serve me well as 
 long as he was paid well, especially as he believed that I was
 
 234 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 an agent of the duke's ; still, he is a rough and very un- 
 savoury rascal, and had I been able to think at the moment 
 of anywhere else where you could for the time safely shelter I 
 should not have placed you with him." 
 
 " I do not mind," Guy said ; " and at any rate with him 
 I have opportunities of seeing what is going on, as, for ex- 
 ample, when they insulted the Duke of Aquitaine, and it is 
 certainly well to be able to learn what the intentions of the 
 fellows are. As an Englishman I care naught for one party 
 or the other, but as one of gentle blood it fills me with anger 
 and disgust to see this rabble of butchers and skinners lording 
 it over nobles and dragging knights and gentlemen away to 
 prison ; and if it were in ray power I would gladly upset 
 their design, were it not that I know that, for my lady's 
 sake, it were well to hold myself altogether aloof from med- 
 dling in it." 
 
 "You are right," the Italian said gravely. " I myself am 
 careful not to meddle 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 as money with those who 
 consult me, and may possibly be the means of saving their 
 lives if they do but take my warning. Thus, having learned 
 what was proposed to be done yesterday morning, I was able 
 to warn a certain knight who visited me the evening before that 
 it might cost him his life were he to remain in Paris twelve 
 hours. He was incredulous at first, for I would give him no 
 clue as to the nature of the danger ; however, by a little trick 
 I succeeded in impressing him sufficiently for him to resolve 
 to leave at daybreak. This he did ; at least they searched 
 for him in vain at the Duke of Aquitaine's, and therefore I 
 have no doubt that he took my advice, engaged a boat, and 
 made his escape by the river. It was his first visit to me, 
 and I doubt not that henceforth he will be a valuable client,
 
 PLANNING MASSACRE 235 
 
 and that he will bring many of his friends to me. If I 
 mistake not, 1 shall have more opportunities of doing such 
 services and of so increasing my reputation ere long." 
 
 For a time things went on quietly. Tom and his com- 
 panions were on friendly terms with the other men in the 
 house, who all believed them to be carpenters who had come 
 to Paris in search of employment. Long Tom was supposed 
 by them to be dumb, and never opened his lips save \\hen 
 alone with his companions, and seldom left the house. The 
 room was altogether unfurnished, but furniture was regarded 
 as by no means a necessity in those days. Five bundles of 
 rushes formed their beds, and Guy, as there was little to learn 
 in the markets, generally slept there. An earthenware pan, 
 in which burned a charcoal fire over which they did what 
 cooking was necessary, a rough gridiron, and a cooking pot 
 were the only purchases that it was necessary to make. 
 Slices of bread formed their platters, and saved them all 
 trouble in the matter of washing up. Washing was roughly 
 performed at a well in the court-yard of the house. 
 
 Things had i^ow quieted down so much that a considerable 
 number of great nobles resorted to Paris, for the king had 
 now a lucid interval. Among them were the Dukes of 
 Berri, Burgundy, and Lorraine, with Duke Louis of Bavaria, 
 the queen's brother, with the Counts de Nevers, De Cha- 
 rolais, De St. 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 only biding their time to get as many 
 fish into their net as possible, and that when they would 
 draw it they would obtain a great haul. You have not been 
 down there for some time; it were best that you put on
 
 236 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 your butcher's garb again 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 mid- 
 night in the butchers' hall, and I cannot take 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 I should like well to see one of these 
 councils." 
 
 " No one is admitted save those known to be, like my- 
 self, thoroughly devoted 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 doubt- 
 less I could smuggle you in; but to-night — " and he hesi- 
 tated, "to - night it will be specially important, and they 
 have to be more particular than usual as to who are ad- 
 mitted." 
 
 Guy noticed the hesitation, and replied carelessly that 
 one occasion would be as good as another for him, and 
 presently lay down in his corner. He wondered to himself 
 what the business could be that his companion was evidently 
 anxious that he should hear nothing of. He might wish 
 that he should alone have the merit of reporting it, or it 
 might be something that it was deemed the Duke of Bur- 
 gundy himself, the butchers' friend and ally, would not ap- 
 prove of. At any rate he was determined, if possible, to 
 find it all out ; he therefore feigned sleep. At eleven o'clock 
 Simon got up and went 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 the butchers' 
 guild. He knew that Simon was not going straight there, 
 as the meeting was not, he said, for an hour, and that he
 
 PLANNING MASSACRE 237 
 
 would be stopping to drink at some cabaret with his asso- 
 ciates. The hall was but a short distance away. 
 
 When Guy approached it he saw that as yet it was not 
 lighted up. On three sides it was surrounded by a garden 
 with high trees ; near the front entrance some twenty men 
 were gathered talking together. He, therefore, went round 
 to the back ; several trees grew near the wall, and the 
 branches of one of these extended over it. With consider- 
 able difficulty Guy succeeded in climbing it, and made his 
 way along the branch and got upon the top of the wall. 
 This was about fourteen feet high, and, lowering himself by 
 his arms, he dropped into the garden and crossed to the 
 building. He took off his white hood and tlirust it into his 
 doublet. The windows 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 sill he 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 
 a hole in the shutter. 
 
 The wood was old, and after half an hour's hard work he 
 succeeded in making a hole three inches long and an inch 
 wide. By the time this was finished the hall had been lighted 
 up with torches, and men were pouring in through the doors 
 at the other end. Across the end next to him was a plat- 
 form on which was a table. For a time no one came up there, 
 for the members as they entered gathered in groups on the 
 floor and talked earnestly together. After a few minutes 
 ten men came up on to the platform ; by this time the body 
 of the hall was full, and the doors at the other end were 
 closed. A man, whom Guy recognized as John de Troyes, 
 stepped forward from tlie others on the platform and, stand- 
 ing in front of the table, addressed his comrades. 
 
 "My friends," he said, "it is time that we were at work
 
 238 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 again. Paris is becoming infested by enemies of the people, 
 and we must rid ourselves of them. The nobles are assem- 
 bled for the purpose, as they say, of being present at the mar- 
 riage of Louis of Bavaria with the widow of Peter de Na- 
 varre, but we know well enough that this is but a pretext ; 
 they have come to consult how best they can overthrow the 
 power of our Duke of Burgundy and suppress the liberty of 
 this great city. The question is, are we 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 would cost the lives of all those who have 
 made themselves prominent in the defence of the liberties 
 of Paris ; they might even go so far as to suppress all our 
 privileges and to dissolve our guilds. In this matter the 
 Duke 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 all dangerous 
 and obnoxious to the safety of Paris. But there must be a 
 longer list, 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 will read 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 must be cast into prison. They must be 
 tried and condemned." 
 
 , Even among the greater portion of those present the 
 boldness of a proposal that would array so many powerful 
 famihes against them created a feeling of doubt and hesita- 
 tion. The bolder spirits, however, burst into loud applause,
 
 PLANNING MASSACRE 239 
 
 and in this the others speedily joined, none hking to appear 
 more lukewarm than the rest. Then up rose Caboche, a big, 
 burly man with a coarse and brutal expression of face. 
 
 " I say we want no trials," he cried, striking one hand on 
 the palm of the other. "As to the number, it is well 
 enough as a beginning, but 1 would it were si.\ hundred 
 instead of sixty. I would that at one blow we could destroy 
 all the nobles, who live upon the people of France. It needs 
 but a good example to be set in Paris for all the great towns 
 in France to follow it. Still, paltry as the number is, it will, 
 as I said, do as a beginning. But there must be no mistake ; 
 if trials they must have, it must be by good men and true, 
 who will know what is necessary and do it ; and who will 
 not stand ui)on legal tricks, but will take as evidence the 
 fact that is known to all, that those people are dangerous to 
 Paris and are the enemies of the king and the Duke of Bur- 
 gundy. Last time we went, we marched 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 more powerful than any lord or noble even of the 
 highest rank, and that our alliance must be courted and our 
 orders obeyed. The Duke of Burgundy may pretend to 
 frown, but at heart he will know that we are acting in his 
 interest as well as our own ; and even if we risk his dis- 
 plea.sure, well, let us risk it. He needs us more than we 
 need him. Do what he will, he cannot do without us. He 
 knows well enough that the Orleanists will never either 
 trust or forgive him, and he committed himself so far with 
 us last time 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 this time, as last, ride at 
 our head; 'tis best to show them that Paris is independent 
 even of Burgundy, and that what we will we can do."
 
 240 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 The hall rang with the loud acclamations, then John de 
 Troyes got up again. 
 
 " 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 absolutely trust, and that 
 those who enter the prisons will not leave them alive. The 
 day after to-morrow, Thursday, the nth of May, we shall 
 hold a great assembly, 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 will 
 engage shall be present on Thursday." 
 
 At this point, Guy, seeing that the main business of the 
 meeting had been declared, and that there now remained 
 but to settle the details, got down from his post. With the 
 aid of some ivy he climbed the wall and dropped down be- 
 yond it, and made his way back to his lodging. When Simon 
 returned an hour later, Guy was apparently as fast asleep 
 as before. When sleeping at the butchers' quarter he always 
 rose at a very early hour, so that none who might have 
 noticed him in his butcher's attire should see him go out in 
 that of an apprentice, and he was obliged to walk about for 
 some time before he could call at the count's. As soon as 
 he thought that they would be 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 the Italian's chamber. 
 
 "You are early. Master Aylmer," the latter said in sur- 
 prise as he entered. "Have you news of importance? " 
 
 "I have indeed. Count," and he at once related all that he 
 had heard through the hole in the shutter. 
 
 "The insolence of these people surpasses all bounds," the
 
 PLANNING MASSACRE 241 
 
 count said angrily as he walked up and down the room. 
 "Were there any force in tlie town that could resist them 
 I would warn the Duke of Aquitaine what was intended, 
 but as it is, nothing would l)e gained by it. You can 
 only remember the eight or ten names that you have given 
 me?" 
 
 " That is all ; they were names that 1 was familiar witli, 
 while the others were strange to me. ' ' 
 
 " Two or three of them I can at least save from the grasp 
 of these rascals," he said, " but I will take them all down 
 on my tablets. What need was there for you," he went on 
 after he had done this, " to run such risk as you did — for 
 you would assuredly have been killed without mercy had 
 they caught you spying upon them — when Simon, who you 
 say was present, could have sent me full i)ariiculars of all 
 that passed ? ' ' 
 
 Guy stated his reasons for fancying that u])on this 
 occasion Simon did not intend to send a full account. 
 
 "I thought so before I started," he said, " but I was well 
 assured of it when I heard tliat, although Burgundy had 
 given the names of twelve persons whom he desiretl to be 
 arrested, he would go no further in the matter, and that 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, he was unwilling to say anytliing about this 
 matter, as Burgundy might thwart the intentions of the 
 butchers. The man is heart and soul with them, and 
 though he is willing to sell you information that can do no 
 harm to their plans, he will say nothing that might enable 
 Burgundy to thwart them." 
 
 " If T thought that Burgundy could, or would do so, I would 
 inform him as well as Aciuitaine what is doing ; but in the 
 first place he has not the power, and in the second he would 
 i6
 
 243 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 not have the will. What are a few score of lives to him, and 
 those mostly of men of the Orleanist faction, in comparison 
 with the support of Paris ? I am vexed, too, at this failure of 
 Simon, 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 
 Greve at eleven, and we shall hear when she comes back how 
 much he has told her. I am going after breakfast to my 
 booth outside the walls, where you first saw me. I must send 
 notes to the three gentlemen whom I know, begging them to 
 see me there." 
 
 " Can I take them for you? I have nothing to do, and 
 shall be glad of anything to occupy me." 
 
 ' ' I shall be obliged if }'Ou will ; you are sure to find them 
 in at this hour." 
 
 He sat down and wrote three short communications. The 
 wording was identical, but the times fixed for the interview 
 were an hour apart. They ran as follows : 
 
 ' 'My Lord, — Consulting the stars last night I find that danger 
 menaces you. It may be averted if yon quit Paris when you 
 receive this, for it seems to me that it is he?'e only that your 
 safety is menaced. Should you wish to consult me before doing 
 so, come, I pray you, to my booth in the fair at two, but come 
 mounted. ' ' 
 
 Instead of a signature a cabalistic figure was drawn below 
 it, and then the words were added : 
 
 The bearer can be trusted. 
 
 The slips of parchment were then rolled up and sealed ; no 
 addresses were put on. 
 
 " If they question you," he said, " say nothing, save that 
 I told you that the matter contained in the letter was sure and 
 certain, and that a great risk of life would assuredly be run 
 unless my advice was taken. Deliver them into the hands of
 
 PLANNING MASSACRE 243 
 
 those they concern, and trust them to no others, Master Ayl- 
 mer. If you cannot obtain access to them, say to the varlets 
 that they are to inform their lords that one from the man in 
 the Rue des Essarts desires urgently to see them, and that 
 should be sufficient if the message is given. If they refuse to 
 take it, then I pray you wait outside for a while on the chance 
 of the gentlemen issuing out. This, on which you see I have 
 made one dot, is for the Count de Rennes, who is at present 
 at the Hotel of St. Pol, being in the company of the Duke of 
 Berri ; this is for Sir John Rembault, who is at the Louvre, 
 where he is lodging with the governor, 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," Cluy said as he placed them in 
 his doublet, "if I have to stop till midnight to get speech 
 with them ; the matter of waiting a few hours is but a trifle 
 in comi)arison with the life of a man. I would that I could 
 warn others." 
 
 The Italian shook his head. " It could not be done with- 
 out great danger," he said. " Were you to carry an anony- 
 mous letter to others you might be seized and questioned. 
 The three to whom you now carry notes have all reason for 
 knowing that my predictions are not to be despised, but the 
 others would not accept any warning from an unknown person. 
 They might take it for a i)lot, and you might be interrogated 
 and even put to torture to discover who you are and whence 
 you obtained this information. 'Ihings must go on as they are ; 
 assuredly this is no time for meddling in other ]^eoi)le's affairs. 
 We are only at the beginning of troubles yet, and know not 
 how great they may grow. Moreover, you have no right to 
 run a risk for strangers when your life may be of vital service 
 to your mistress. Should you succeed in handing these three 
 letters to the gentlemen to whom they are written by noon, I
 
 244 
 
 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 shall be glad if you will bring the news to me at my booth, 
 and I shall then be able to tell you how much information the 
 butcher has sent of the proceedings last night." 
 
 Guy went first to the Louvre. As many people were go- 
 ing in and out, no question was asked him, and on reaching 
 the entrance he inquired of some varlets standing there for the 
 lodgings of the Lord de Roubaix and Sir John 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 de- 
 liver it only to himself." 
 
 " From whom do you come? I cannot disturb him with 
 such a message from I know not who." 
 
 "That is reasonable," Guy replied, "but if you tell him 
 that 1 come from the man in the Rue des Essarts I warrant 
 that he will see me. You don't suppose that I am joking with 
 you," he went on as the varlet looked at him suspiciously, 
 " when I should likely be whipped for my pains. If you will 
 give 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 several corridors, then he motioned to him to wait, 
 and entered a room. He returned in a minute. 
 
 " My lord will see you," he said, and led the way into the 
 room. " This is the person, my lord," he said, and then re- 
 tired. 
 
 The Lord of Roubaix was a tall man of some forty years of 
 age. Guy bowed deeply and handed to him the roll of parch- 
 ment. The count broke the seal and 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? "
 
 PLANNING MASSACRE 245 
 
 " I know so much, my lord, that the writer told me to as- 
 sure you that the matter was urgent, and that he could not be 
 mistaken as to what was written in the letter." 
 
 The (ount 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 me that his warnings are not to be neglected. 
 You seem by your attire to be an apprentice, young sir, and 
 yet your manner is one of higher degree." 
 
 "Disguises arc convenient in times like these, my lord," 
 Guy said. 
 
 "You are right, lad." He put his hand to his pouch, but 
 Guy drew back with a smile. 
 
 " No, my lordj had you offered me gold before you re- 
 marked that 1 was but jilaying a part, I should have taken it 
 in order to keep up that i)art ; as it is I can refuse it without 
 your considering it strange that 1 should do so." 
 
 The count smiled. " Whoexer you are, you are shrewd and 
 bold, young sir. I shall doubtless see you when I return to 
 Paris." 
 
 Guy then left, and delivered the other two missives. In 
 each case those who received them simply returned an answer 
 that they would beat the place at the hour named, and he then 
 went beyond the walls, observing as he pa.ssed out through 
 the gates that a party of White Hoods had stationed them- 
 selves 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 will be here at the time appointed, for the 
 White Hoods are watching at the gate." 
 
 "I think that they will not stop anyone to-day. Master 
 Aylmer. They intend to make a great haul to-morrow, and 
 would not wish to e.Kcite suspicion by seizing anyone to-day.
 
 246 AT AOINCOURT 
 
 Were it known that they had done so, many others who have 
 reason to believe they are obnoxious to Burgundy or to the 
 Parisians, might conceal themselves or make their escape in 
 various disguises. I hear that a request has been made that a 
 deputation of the citizens of Paris shall be received by the 
 Duke of Aquitaine to-morrow morning, and that the great 
 lords may be present to hear the request and complaints of 
 the city. ' ' 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 A RESCUE 
 
 GUY had found his mornings hang heavy on his hands, as 
 of course he had been obliged to give up attending the 
 fencing-school. Going down to the river now, he sat there 
 Avatching the passing boats until nearly one o'clock, and then 
 returned to the fair. Before reaching the booth Katarina 
 joined him. 
 
 "I have been watching for you, Monsieur Guy. Father 
 said it was as well that you should not, twice in a day, be seen 
 entering his place. He bade me tell you that the three gen- 
 tlemen 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 the Duke of Aquitaine to-morrow, and 
 would demand the arrest of those whom the Duke of Bur- 
 gundy had pointed out as his enemies. He said that they 
 would go 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. My father, when I told him, 
 said I should go no more to meet him."
 
 A RESCUE 247 
 
 ''I am very glad to hear it," Guy said. ''He is a low 
 scoundrel, and though I say not but that the information ob- 
 tained from him may have been of some advantage, for indeed 
 it was the means of my being enabled to save our lives and 
 those of my Burgundian friends, I like not the thought of 
 your going to meet him ; and 1 am sure that if he were to 
 take the idea into his thick head that it was not for the advan- 
 tage of the Duke of Burgundy that the information he had 
 given was being used, he is capable of denouncing you." 
 
 " I did not mind meeting him," the girl said. " I never 
 went into the rough quarters, but always met him in one of 
 the better squares or streets. Still, I am glad that I have not 
 to go again. T think that he had been drinking all night, 
 and with his unwashed face and his bloodshot eyes and his 
 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 my mistress'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 that any advantage is to be 
 gained by visiting him. However, I shall hear what your 
 father thinks this evening." 
 
 Upon talking over the matter with the astrologer the latter 
 at once said that he thought that it would be better for him 
 not to go to Simon's again. 
 
 " When he finds that my daughter meets him no more he 
 will feel aggrieved. T myself shall go in disguise to-morrow- to 
 meet him in the Pla( c de Greve, and tell him tliat for the 
 present there will be no occasion for him to come to the ren- 
 dezvous, as the events of the meeting wliich will have taken 
 place before I see him show that there can be no doubt that 
 the butchers are ready to go all lengths against the Orleanist 
 party ; but that if any change should occur, and private infer-
 
 248 AT AG IN COURT 
 
 mation be reciuired, you would go to his lodging again. I 
 shall make no allusion to his having given me none of the 
 names save those furnished by the duke, or remark on tiie 
 strangeness that, having been at the meeting, he should have 
 heard nothing of the measures proposed against the others ; 
 his own conscience will no doubt tell him that his failure is 
 one of the causes of my no longer desiring any messages from 
 him. I have other means of gaining information, as I have 
 one of the medical students who follow that cracked-brained 
 fellow, John de Troyes, in my i)ay. Hitherto I have not 
 employed him largely, but shall now, if need be, avail myself 
 of his services. But I do not think that I shall have any oc- 
 casion to do so. After the demand by the Parisians for so 
 many nobles and gentlemen to be arrested, it will be clear to 
 all adhering to Orleans that Paris is no longer a place for 
 them, and even the followers of Burgundy will see that those 
 the duke regarded as his servants have become his masters, 
 and there will be but few persons of quality remaining in Paris, 
 and therefore, save when some citizen wishes to consult me, I 
 shall have little to do here save to carry on my work as a 
 quack outside the gates. Ev^en this I can drop for a time, 
 for the people of Paris will not be inclined for pleasure when 
 at any moment there may be fierce fighting in the streets. I 
 shall be well content to look on for a time. I have been 
 almost too busy of late. And it was but yesterday that I 
 received news from a Carthusian monk, — whom I thought it 
 as well to engage to let me know what is passing, — that there 
 have been debates among some of the higher clergy upon re- 
 ports received that persons, evidently disguised, call upon me 
 at late hours, and that I practise diabolic arts. A determina- 
 tion has been surrived at that an inquisition shall be made 
 into my doings, my house is to be searched, and myself ar- 
 rested and tried by the judge for having dealings with the
 
 A RESCUE 249 
 
 devil. This news much disturbed me; however, when you 
 told me that the Archbishop of Bourges was among those on 
 the list of accused, and also Boisratier, confessor to the queen, 
 it is evident that these good ecclesiastics will have ample mat- 
 ter of another sort to attend to, and are not likely to trouble 
 themselves about sorcery at present." 
 
 On the following morning some twelve thousand ^Vhite 
 Hoods marched to the Hotel de St. Pol, and the leaders, on 
 being admitted, found all the great lords assembled. After 
 making various i)roi)ositions they presented a roll to the Duke 
 of Aquitaine containing the names of those they charged with 
 being traitors. He at first refiused to take it; but so many 
 of their followers 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 at once, in spite of the pro- 
 test of the duke, arrested and carried off; a proclamation was 
 made by .sound of trumpet in all the sfjuares of Paris summon- 
 ing the other forty named to appear within a few days, under 
 penalty of having their property confiscated. A week later 
 the king, basing recovered his health, went to the church of 
 Notre Dame, he and all the nol)Ies with him wearing white 
 hoods. Four days later the Parisians ro.se again, seized the 
 gates, drew up the bridges, placed strong guards at each 
 l)oint, and a cordon of armed men outside the walls all round 
 the city, to prevent any from escaping by letting themselves 
 down from the walls. 
 
 Parties of ten armed men were placed in every street, and 
 the sheriffs and other leaders marched a large body of men to 
 the Hotel de St. Pol and surrounded 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
 
 250 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 keep the city, the ivatchman waketh but in vain,'''' and upon 
 this discoursed on the bad state of the government of the 
 kingdom, and of the crimes committed. The Chancellor of 
 France demanded of the friar when he had concluded who 
 were those who had incited him thus to speak, and the leaders 
 at once said they had done so, and called up a number of 
 other leaders, Avho on bended knees declared to the king that 
 Father Eustace had spoken their sentiments ; that they had the 
 sincerest love for the king and his family, and that what they 
 had done had been for the welfare of himself and the king- 
 dom. While this was going on, the Duke of Burgundy, at 
 once indignant and alarmed at this insolence of the Parisians, 
 had gone out, and, finding the lines of armed. men surround- 
 ing the hotel, had earnestly entreated them to retire, saying 
 that it was neither decent nor expedient that the king, who had 
 but just recovered from his illness, should thus see them drawn 
 up in battle array round his abode. Those he addressed 
 replied like the leaders within, that they 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 were deliv- 
 ered up to them. 
 
 With the names of Louis of Bavaria, five knights, an arch- 
 bishop and priest, were those of nine ladies of high rank, in- 
 cluding the eldest daughter of the constable. The duke 
 found that neither his authority nor powers were of the slight- 
 est avail, and returning to the queen, showed her the list. 
 She was greatly troubled, and begged him to go with the 
 Duke of Aquitaine and beg the Parisians in her name to wait 
 for eight days, and that 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 to grant the request, 
 and declared that they would go up to the queen's apartments 
 and take those named by force, even in her or the king's pres-
 
 A RESCUE 251 
 
 ence, unless they were given u[). On their return to the 
 queen they found Louis of Bavaria and the king with her. On 
 their report of tlie Parisians' demands the Duke of Bavaria 
 went out and begged them to take him 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 
 be content with taking him a prisoner, and to arrest no others. 
 
 They would not, however, abate one jot of their pretensions, 
 and the whole of those demanded were at once brought out, 
 including the ladies. They were put two and two on horse- 
 back, each horse escorted by four men-at-arms, and were car- 
 ried to various prisons. The Duke of Burgundy now, with 
 his usual craft, professed to be well satisfied with what the 
 Parisians had done, and handed over to them the Duke of 
 Bar and the other prisoners confined in the Louvre, for whose 
 security he had solemnly pledged himself. The Parisians then 
 obliged the king to appoint twelve knights, nominated by 
 themselves, and six examiners, to try the prisoners and punish 
 all found guilty, while the dukes were obliged to draw up a 
 statement and send it to the University for their seal of ap- 
 proval of what had been done. 
 
 The University, however, to their honour, stood firm ; and 
 while king and nobles had quailed before the violence of the 
 crowd, they declared in full council before the king that they 
 would in nowise intermeddle or advise in the business; and 
 that so far from having advised the arrests of the dukes and 
 other prisoners, they were much displeased at what had taken 
 place. The University was a power ; its buildings were strong, 
 and the students were numerous, and at all times ready to take 
 part in brawls against the Parisians ; and even the butchers, 
 violent as they were, were afraid to take steps against it. 
 
 They foresaw, however, that the position taken up by the
 
 252 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 University might lead some day to an inquiry into their con- 
 duct, and therefore obtained from the king an edict declaring 
 that all that had been done was done by his approval and for 
 the security of his person and the state, and that the arrests 
 and imprisonments were therefore to be considered and re- 
 garded as having been done for the true honour and profit of 
 the crown, and that he accordingly commanded all his coun- 
 cillors, judges, and officers to proclaim that this was so in all 
 public places. This was signed by the king in council, the 
 Dukes of Berri and Burgundy, and several other nobles and 
 ecclesiastics, by the Chancellor of Burgundy, and other 
 knights attached to the duke. 
 
 Many nobles quitted Paris at once, either openly or in dis- 
 guise, including many of the Burgundian party, who were to 
 the last degree indignant at what was going on ; for the mock 
 trials were at once commenced, and many of the prisoners, 
 without regard to sex, were daily either put to death in prison 
 or drowned in the Seine. Some of the bodies were exhibited 
 on gibbets, the heads of others were fixed on lances, and some 
 of them were beheaded in the market-place. During this time 
 Paris remained in a state of terror, bands of armed butchers 
 parading the streets were loud in tlieir threats as to what 
 would be done to all who did not join heartily with them. 
 None of the better class ventured from their houses, and the 
 mob were absolute masters of the city. The leaders, however, 
 maintained for the time a certain degree of order. For the 
 time they were anxious to appear in the light of earnest friends 
 of the king, and as carrying out in his name the punishment of 
 his enemies. But many tumults, murders, and conflagrations 
 occurred in the city, and the country in general soon perceived 
 the real nature of their doings. It was known that the Orlean- 
 ist forces were marching against the city. The Count d'Eu 
 had left Paris and returned to his estates, where he raised two
 
 A RESCUE 253 
 
 thousand men-at-arms and marched to Verneuil, where the 
 Dukes of Orleans, Brittany, and Bourbon were assembled, 
 with a number of great lords, among whom were the Counts 
 of Vettus and D'Alenc^on, the king's sons. The former had 
 made his escape from Paris, and brought letters from the 
 Duke of Aquitaine declaring that he himself, with the king 
 and queen, were prisoners in the hands of the Parisians. 
 
 All these nobles, met in a great assembly, and letters were 
 written to the king, his great council, and to the Parisians, 
 ordering them to allow the Duke of Aquitaine to go wherever 
 he pleased, and to set at liberty the Dukes of Bar and Bavaria 
 and all other prisoners. Should they refuse to comply, they 
 declared war against the town of Paris, which they declared 
 they would destroy, with all within it except the king and the 
 princes of royal blood. The Parisians compelled the king to 
 send a friendly answer, putting them off with excuses, and in 
 the meantime to despatch commissaries to all the towns and 
 baronies of France assuring them that the trials and executions 
 of the traitors had been fairly conducted and their guilt 
 proved, and calling upon the country to take up arms to aid 
 Paris against various nobles who were traitorously advancing 
 against it. 
 
 During this time Guy remained quietly in his lodging with 
 the four retainers, seldom stirring abroad. The men were now- 
 regarded by all their neighbours as honest carpenters, and 
 they shared the indignation of the great body of the craft at 
 this usurpation by the market men of the government of France, 
 and at the murders of knights and ladies that were daily tak- 
 ing place. At present, however, the opponents of the butchers 
 dared not resort to arms. So great had been the fear that 
 they excited that most men, however much at heart opposed 
 to them, had been constrained to appear to side with and 
 agree with them, and as there was no means of knowing how
 
 254 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 many could be counted upon to join the carpenters were these 
 to take up arms, the latter could not venture alone to enter the 
 lists against 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 to him, for that she had deter- 
 mined, if any way of escape could be decided on, to quit 
 Paris, and to endeavour to make her way to Villeroy. He 
 was greatly pleased at the news. He had himself ventured to 
 urge this step on the day after the Duke of Bar and his com- 
 panions were seized, pointing out that it was evident that the 
 Duke of Burgundy had neither the power nor the inclination 
 to thwart the Parisians, and that although both parties were 
 now nominally hostile to the English, neither were Hkely, at 
 so critical a time, to give so much as a thought to Villeroy. 
 . Dame Margaret had agreed to this, but considered the diffi- 
 culties of getting out of Paris and traversing the intervening 
 country were so great that she preferred 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 her children 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 should like to have a tussle with these rascals be- 
 fore I go ; their doings are so wicked 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 round here 
 grumble under their breath, there does not seem any chance 
 of their doing anything. There is not an hour passes that my 
 heart is not in my mouth if I hear a step on the stairs, thinking 
 that they may have found out where my lady is hidden."
 
 A RESCUE 255 
 
 Guy had just turned into the street where the astrologer 
 dwelt when he heard 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, were standing round a 
 slight figure. 
 
 " It is well you stopped him, comrade," a voice said, that 
 Guy recognized at once as being that of Simon Boucher. " I 
 know the young fellow ; he has been to me many a time on 
 the part of a knave who professed to be an agent of Bur- 
 gundy's, making inquiries of me as to the doings in our quar- 
 ter. I have found out since that the duke employed no such 
 agent, and this matter must be inquired into. We will take 
 him with us to the market ; they will soon find means of 
 learning all about him and his employer." 
 
 Guy felt at once that if Katarina were carried to the butch- 
 ers, not only would the consequences to herself be terrible, but 
 that she would be forced 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 get her out of 
 these men's hands. The girl made a sudden attempt to free 
 herself, slipped from the grasp that one of the men had of her 
 shoulder, dived betw^een two others, and would liave been off 
 had not Simon seized her by the arm. Guy sprung forward 
 and threw himself on the butcher, and with such force that 
 Simon rolled over in the gutter. 
 
 " Run, run ! " he shouted at the same moment to Katarina, 
 wlio darted down a lane to the left, while he himself ran for- 
 ward and turned down the first lane to the right with the three 
 men in hot pursuit of him. Young, active, and unencum- 
 bered by armour, he gained on them rapidly; but when he 
 neared the end of the lane he saw some five or six White 
 Hoods, whose attention had been called by the shouts of his 
 pursuers, running to meet him. He turned and ran back till
 
 256 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 close to those who had been following him, and then suddenly 
 sprung into a doorway when they were but three or four paces 
 from him. They were unable to check their speed, and as 
 they passed he brought his sword down on the neck of the one 
 nearest, and as he fell to the ground Guy leapt out and ran up 
 the street again. He had gone but ten paces 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 the butcher's cheek, dashed past him, and kept on his 
 way. He took the first turning, and then another, leading, 
 like that in which he had been intercepted, towards the river. 
 His pursuers were fifty yards behind him, but he feared that 
 at any moment their shouts would attract the attention of an- 
 other patrol. More than once, indeed, he had to alter his 
 direction as he heard sounds of shouts in front of him, but at 
 last, after ten minutes' running, he came down on to the main 
 thoroughfare at the point where the street leading to the 
 bridge across to the island issued from it. 
 
 His pursuers were still but a short distance away, for fresh 
 parties who had joined them had taken up the chase, and Guy 
 was no longer running at the speed at which lie had started. 
 His great fear was that he should be stopped at the gate at the 
 end of the bridge ; but as there was no fear of attack this had 
 been left open, so as not to interfere with the traffic between 
 that quarter of the city on the island and those on the oppo- 
 site banks. Guy was now again running his hardest, in order 
 to get across far enough ahead of his pursuers to enable him 
 to hide himself, when a strong patrol of some twenty White 
 Hoods issued from the gate at the other side of the bridge. 
 Without a moment's hesitation he climbed the parapet and 
 threw himself over. It would, he knew, be as bad for his 
 mistress were he captured as if Katarina had. fallen into their 
 hands, for if caught he felt sure that tortures would be applied
 
 'UIV DKl.IVEREU A SLASHING HLUW ON I 1 1 K liUrCUliK's lHM,K, 
 
 AND hasiikh rA>r iiiM."'
 
 A RESCUE 257 
 
 to discover who he was and where his mistress was hidden, 
 and he had made up his mind that if he was overtaken he 
 would fight until killed rather than be captured. 
 
 When he came to the surface of the water Guy turned on 
 his back and suffered himself to float down until he recovered 
 his breath. When he did so he raised his head and, treading 
 the water, listened attentively. He was now nearly a (juarter 
 of a mile below the bridge. There was no sound of shouting 
 behind him, but he felt sure that the pursuit was in no way 
 abandoned. Already torches were flashing on the quay be- 
 tween the wall and the river, and in a short time others ap- 
 peared on his left. On both sides there were dark spaces 
 where the walls of the great chateaux of the nobles extended 
 down to the water's side, and obliged those pursuing him 
 along the quays to make a detour round them to come down 
 again to the bank. He could hardly succeed in reaching one 
 of these buildings without being seen, for the light of the 
 torches on the opposite shore would be almost certain to be- 
 tray his movements as soon as he began to swim, and even if 
 he did reach the shore unseen he might at once l)e handed 
 over to the White Hoods by those in the liolel. He tlierefore 
 remained floatintr on his l)ack, and in twenty minutes was be- 
 yond the line of the city wall. He could now swim 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 was glad to be out of it. So far as Guy had 
 heard he had not been caught sight of from the moment that 
 he had sprung from the l)ridge. It might well be supposed 
 that he had been drowned. Climbing up the bank he gained, 
 after walking a quarter of a mile, the forest that surrounded 
 Paris on all sides. Going some distance into it he threw him- 
 self down, after fust taking off his doublet and hanging it on 
 a bush to dry. He had escaped the first pressing danger, that 
 17
 
 258 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 of being taken and tortured into confession, and the rest was 
 now comparatively easy. He had but to obtain another dis- 
 guise of some sort and to re-enter Paris ; he would then be in 
 no greater danger than before, for in the sudden attack on 
 Simon, and in the subsequent flight through the ill-lighted 
 streets, he was certain that beyond the fact that he was young 
 and active, and that he was evidently not a noble, no one 
 could have noted any details of his dress, and certainly 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 thence to Versailles, which was then little more 
 than a village. By the time that he reached it his clothes 
 had thoroughly dried on him, and being of a dark colour 
 they looked little the worse, save that his tight pantaloons 
 had shrunk considerably. The stalls were just opening when 
 he arrived there, and he presently came upon one where gar- 
 ments 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 have to go to Paris ; we deal in 
 country garments." 
 
 ' ' That will suit me well enough, madame. The fact is that, 
 as you see, I am an apprentice ; but having been badly 
 treated, and having in truth no stomach for the frays and 
 alarms in Paris (where the first man one meets will strike 
 one down, and if he slays you it matters not if he but shout 
 loud enough that he has killed an Orleanist), I have left my 
 master, and have no intention of returning as an apprentice. 
 But I might be stopped and questioned at every place I pass 
 through on my way home did I travel in this 'prentice dress, 
 and I would, therefore, fain buy the attire of a young peasant."
 
 A RESCUE 259 
 
 The woman glanced up and down the street. 
 
 "Come in," she said. "You know that it is against 
 the law to give shelter to a runaway apprentice, but there 
 are such wild doings in Paris that for my part I can see no 
 harm in assisting anyone to escape, whether he be a noble 
 or an a|)prt*nlice, and methinks from your speech that you are 
 as like to l)e the former as the latter. But," she went on, 
 seeing that Guy was about to speak, " tell me nauglit about 
 it. My husband, who ought to be here, is snoring upstairs, 
 and I can sell what I will; therefore, look roimd and take 
 your choice of garments, and go into the parlour behind the 
 shop and don them <iuickly before anyone comes in. As to 
 your own I will pay you what they are worth, for although 
 those pantaloons are all too tight 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's dress, and made his way along the village until be- 
 yond the houses. Then he left the road, made a long detour, 
 and returned to Sevres. Here he first purchased a basket, 
 which he took outside the place and hid in a bush. Then he 
 went down into the market and bargained for vegetables, mak- 
 ing three journeys backwards and forwards, and buying each 
 time of different women, until his basket was piled up. Then 
 he got a piece of old rope for two or three sous, slung the 
 basket on his shoulders, crossed the ferry, and made for 
 Paris. He felt strange without his sword, which he had 
 dropped into the water on landing ; for although in Paris 
 every one now went armed, a sword would have been out of 
 character witli his dress, in the country, and still more so in 
 the disguise in which he had determined to re-enter the town. 
 He passed without question through the gate, and made his 
 way to his lodgings. As he entered Long Tom leapt up with 
 a cry of joy.
 
 260 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 •' Thank God that you are safe, Master Guy ! We have 
 been grievously disturbed for your safety, for the count came 
 here early this morning in disguise to ask if we had heard 
 aught of you. He said that his daughter had returned last 
 night saying that you had rescued her from the hands of the 
 White Hoods, and that beyond the fact that they had fol- 
 lowed you in hot pursuit she had no news of you, and that 
 the countess was greatly alarmed as to your safety. The 
 other three men-at-arms started at once to find out if aught 
 could be learned of you. I would fain have gone also, but 
 the count said that I must l)ide here in case you should come, 
 and that there was trouble enough at present without my run- 
 ning the risk of being discovered. An hour since Robert 
 Picard returned ; he had been listening to the talk of the 
 White Hoods, and had learned that one of their number had 
 been killed and another sorely wounded by a man who had 
 rescued a prisoner from the hands of a patrol. He had been 
 chased by a number of them, and finally threw himself off the 
 bridge into the Seine to avoid falling into their hands. The 
 general idea was that he was one of the nobles in disguise, of 
 whom they were in search, and that the capture would have 
 been a very important one. | 
 
 " All agreed that he could never have come up alive, for 
 there were bands of men with torches along both banks, and 
 no sign of him had been perceived. However, they are 
 searching the river down, and hope to come upon his body 
 either floating or cast ashore. Robert went out again to try 
 and 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 that it finished him ; as to the other, 
 I laid his cheek open. It was a hot pursuit, but I should have 
 got away had it not been that a strong patrol came out
 
 A RESCUE 261 
 
 through the gate at the other end of the bridge just as I was 
 in the middle, and there was no course but to jump for it. I 
 thrust my sword into the sheath, and went over. It added 
 somewhat to my weight in the water, and it sunk my body 
 below the surface, but with the aid of my hands paddling I 
 floated so that only my nose and mouth were above the 
 water; so that it is little wonder that they could not make 
 me out. I landed on the other bank a quarter of a mile be- 
 yond the walls, slept in the forest, started this morning from 
 Versailles, where I got rid of my other clothes and bought 
 these. I purchased this basket and the vegetables at Sevres, 
 then walked boldly in. No one could have seen my face in 
 the darkness, and therefore I am safe from detection, perhaps 
 safer than 1 was before." 
 
 " Well done. Master Guy ; they would have killed you as- 
 suredly if they had caught you." 
 
 " It was not that that I was afraid of — it was of being taken 
 prisoner. You see, if they had captured me and carried me 
 before the butchers in order to inquire who I was before cut- 
 ting my throat, they might have \)\\[ nic to tlie torture and 
 forced me to say who I was, and where my mistress was in 
 hiding. I hope i? they hatl, that 1 should have stood out; 
 but none can saylwhat he will do when he has red-hot ]iin- 
 cers taking bits dlit of his flesh, and his nails, perhaps, being 
 torn out at the rfcots. So even if I could not have swam a 
 stroke I should have jumped off the bridge." 
 
 " You (lid well, Master Guy," the archer said admiringly ; 
 " for indeed they say that the strongest man cannot hold out 
 against these devilish tortures." 
 
 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 thought that you were drowned like a rat, Master
 
 262 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Guy ; and though Tom here told us that 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 carry the news to his mistress. He was about 
 to give him the address — for up till now he had refrained 
 from doing so, telling them that it was from no doubt of their 
 fidelity, but that if by any chance one of them fell into the 
 hands of the White Hoods they might endeavour to wring 
 from them the secret, and it was therefore best that they 
 should not be burdened with it — but the man stopped him. 
 
 " The count told us that he would be at his booth at the 
 fair at eleven o'clock, and that if any of us obtained any news 
 we were to take it to him there. He said that there were 
 several parties of White Hoods in the streets, and that as he 
 went past he heard them say that the boy of whom they 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, and that a strict watch was to be kept on the 
 quarter both for the boy and for the man, who was said to be 
 tall and young. Simon, who had been wounded by him, had 
 declared that he knew him to be connected with the boy ; 
 that he was a young man with dark hair, and was in the habit 
 of using disguises, sometimes wearing the dress of an appren- 
 tice, and at other times that of a butcher'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 and had severely wounded himself 
 was but a lad. 
 
 " As you go, Jules," he said, " will you see Maitre Leroux 
 and ask him if he can come hither, for I would consult him 
 on the matter."
 
 THE ESCAPE 263 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE ESCAPE 
 
 MAITRE 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 Guy had 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 to thought and quickness. Is there anything 
 I can do for you ? ' ' 
 
 " This black hue that I gave my hair has been of good ser- 
 vice to me hitherto, but as it is a youth with black hair that 
 they are now looking for, 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 is fading now, and the ducking last night has 
 greatly assisted to wash it out. The shopman said that it was 
 used by court ladies and would la.st for a long time, but I 
 have already had to renew it four or five times. I would now 
 colour my hair a red or a reddish-brown ; if 1 cannot do 
 that 1 must crop it quite short. It matters nothing in this 
 disguise whether it is altogether out of the fashion or not. 
 What think you?" 
 
 " Doubtless you could get dyes of any shade at the per- 
 fumer's you si)eak of, for he supijlies most of the court ladies 
 with dyes and perfumes; and I should say that reddish-brown 
 dye would suit you well, since that differs a good deal from 
 your hair's original colour and still more from what it is at 
 present. I will ask one of Leiielleiiere's daughters to fetcli 
 it for you. It would be better than cutting it short, though
 
 264 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 that might not go badly with your present disguise, but 
 should you need to adopt any other it would look strange, 
 since in our days there is scarce anyone but wears his hair 
 down to his shoulders. In the meantime I would have you 
 wash your hair several times with a ley of potash, but not too 
 strong, or it will damage it. I warrant me that will take 
 out the dye altogether; but be sure that you wash it well in 
 pure water afterwards, so as to get rid of the potash, for that 
 might greatly affect the new dye. I will send a boy up with 
 some potash to you at once, so that you may be ready to 
 apply the dye as soon as you get it." 
 
 Late in the afternoon Guy sallied out in the disguise in 
 which he had arrived. 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 rode past 
 followed generally by two or three esquires. No one would 
 doubt that he was a young countryman freshly arrived in 
 Paris. 
 
 He had sent a message to the count by Jules Varoy that he 
 would pass along the 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 was unfastened. If 
 so he would come in, while if it were fastened he should con- 
 sider that it was judged unsafe for him to enter. He caught 
 sight of Katarina's face at the window as he glanced up. 
 There was a patrol of the White Hoods in sight, but it was 
 far down the street, and after going a few yards past the 
 house he crossed the road, and as he returned he pushed at 
 the door. It yielded at once, and with a glance round to see 
 that no one was watching he entered quickly and closed it 
 behind him.
 
 THE ESCAPE 265 
 
 " The Madonna be thanked that yon are safe ! " Katarina, 
 now in her girl's dress, exclaimed as she seized his hand. 
 " Oh, Monsieur Guy, how I have suffered ! It was not until 
 two o'clock that my father returned and told us that you were 
 safe ; I should never have forgiven myself if harm had come 
 to you from your noble effort to save me. I heard their 
 shouts as they ran in pursuit of you, and scarce thought it 
 possible that you could escape when there was so many of 
 their patrols about in the street. I cried all night at the 
 thought that you should have thrown away your life to try to 
 save mine, for I knew well enough what would have happened 
 had that evil butcher dragged me to his quarter. After my 
 father had been out early and brought back the news that you 
 had leapt into the Seine we had some little hope, 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 my father now strictly forbids me to stir outside 
 the door. So here we all sat worn with anxiety until my 
 father returned from the booth with the news. He could 
 not come back earlier, and he had no one to send, for the 
 black man must keep outside amusing the people as long as 
 my father is there." 
 
 All this was poured out so rapidly that it was said by the 
 time they reached the door njistairs. Dame Margaret silently 
 held out her hands to Guy as he entered, and .'Vgnes kissed him 
 with sisterly affection, while Charlie 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 believed you were 
 killed or a prisoner in the hands of those terrible people, it 
 seemed to me that we were quite left alone, although there
 
 266 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Still remained the four men. Neither Agnes nor I closed our 
 eyes all night. Charlie soon cried himself to sleep, Katarina 
 sat up with us till nigh morning, and we had hard work to 
 console her in any way, so deep was her grief at the thought 
 that it was owing to her that you had run this peril. All 
 night we could hear the count walking up and down in the 
 room above. He had pointed out the peril that might arise to 
 us all if you had fallen into the hands of the butchers, but at 
 the time we could not dwell on that, though there were doubt- 
 less grounds for his fears." 
 
 "Great grounds, madame. That is what I most feared 
 when I was flying from them, and I was resolved that I would 
 not be taken alive, for had I not gained the bridge I was 
 determined to force them to kill me rather than be captured. 
 It was fortunate, indeed, that I came along when I did, Kata- 
 rina, for had I not heard what Simon said I should have pa.ssed 
 on without giving a thought to the matter. There are too 
 many evil deeds done in Paris to risk one's life to rescue a 
 prisoner from the hands of a patrol of the White Hoods." 
 
 "As for me, I did not realize it until it was all over," 
 Katarina said. " I felt too frightened even to think clearly. 
 It was not until the shouts of your pursuers had died away that 
 I could realize what you had saved me from, and the thought 
 made me so faint and weak that I was forced to sit down on a 
 door-step for a time before I could make my way home. As 
 to my father, he turned as pale as death when I came in and 
 told him what had happened. ' ' 
 
 Shortly afterwards the count, who had been engaged with a 
 person of consequence, came down. He thanked Guy in the 
 warmest terms for the service 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 have left now, and it is chiefly
 
 THE ESCAPE 267 
 
 for her sake that I have continued to amass money, though I 
 say not that my own fancy for meddhng in such intrigues may 
 not take some part in the matter. After this I am resolved of 
 one thing, namely, that she shall take no further part in the 
 business. For the last year 1 had often told myself that the 
 time had come when I must find another to act as my messen- 
 ger and agent. It was difficult, however, to find one I could 
 absolutely trust, and 1 have put the matter off. I shall 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 for peace. That it will be a lasting one I have no 
 hope, but the Orleanists are advancing in such force that Bur- 
 gundy may well feel that the issue of a battle at present may 
 go against him. But even though it last but a short time, 
 there will come so many of the Orleanist nobles here with 
 doubtless strong retinues that Paris will be overawed, and we 
 shall have an end of these riots here. I shall, therefore, have 
 no need to trouble as to what is going on at the markets. As 
 to other matters I can keep myself well informed. I have 
 done services to knights and nobles of one party as well as 
 the other, and shall be able to learn what is being done in 
 both camps. The important point at present is, Lady Mar- 
 garet, that there is like to be a truce, at any rate for a time. 
 As soon as this is made and the Duke of Aquitaine has gained 
 power to act you may be sure that the leaders of the White 
 Hoods will be punished, and there will be no more closing of 
 gates and examination of those who pass in and out. There- 
 fore, 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, who calls himself keeper 
 of the palace, Caboche, or other leaders ; and even peasants 
 who come in with market goods must henceforth produce
 
 268 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 papers signed by the syndics of their villages saying they are 
 the inhabitants of his commune, and therefore quiet and 
 peaceable men going about their business of supplying the city 
 with meat or vegetables, as the case may be. These papers must 
 also be shown on going out again. Until a change takes 
 place, then, there is no hope of your making your way out 
 through the gates with your children ; but as soon as the truce 
 is concluded and the Orleanists come in you will be able to 
 pass out without trouble. ' ' 
 
 It was not, indeed, for another month that the truce was 
 settled, although the terms were virtually agreed upon at Pon- 
 tois, where the Dukes of Berri and Burgundy met the Dukes 
 of Orleans and Bourbon and the other Orleanist nobles, and 
 the conditions were considered at a council to which the 
 delegates of the University and the municipality of Paris were 
 admitted. The conduct of the insurgents of Paris was now 
 repudiated by the Duke of Burgundy, and the severest cen- 
 sure passed upon them, in the conditions of the treaty. The 
 greatest alarm was excited in the market quarter, and this was 
 increased when, immediately afterwards, the Dukes of Bar 
 and Bavaria were liberated. On the 12th of August and on 
 the 4th of September the rest of the prisoners still left alive 
 were also set free. The bells of the churches rang a joyful 
 peal. De Jacqueville, John de Troyes, Caboche, and many 
 of the leaders of the butchers at once fled from Paris. 
 
 Most of the knights who had been agents for the insurgents 
 in the mock trials also left Paris, and shortly afterwards the 
 duke himself, finding how strongly the tide had set against 
 him, and fearing that he himself might shortly be seized 
 and thrown into prison, went out from Paris under the 
 pretence of hunting, and fled. During this time Guy had 
 remained with the four men-at-arms. As soon as the power 
 of the butchers diminished and the guards were removed 
 
 I
 
 THE ESCAPE 269 
 
 from the gates, and all who jjleased could enter or leave, 
 Dame Margaret prepared for flight. Along \\ith the Bur- 
 gundian knights and nobles who returned after the truce was 
 proclaimed came Count Charles d'Estournel, and several of 
 those who had fled with him. Guy met the 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 at his former lodging. As soon as he had 
 entered Guy went ui) 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 pull your ears for your insolence if you accost me 
 in that style." 
 
 The valet stared at him open - mouthed, then thinking 
 that this ijeasant might be deputed by the terrible butchers 
 to see his lord, he inquired in a 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 embraced Guy, to the astonishment of the valet. 
 
 "My dear friend," he exclaimed, "I am indeed delighted 
 to see you ! Twice have 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 are all 
 under the deepest obligation to you. But even after our 
 skirmish at the gate we scarcely realized the danger that 
 we had escaped, for we believed that even had the Parisians 
 been insolent enough to demand our arrest for stopi)ing them 
 when engaged in attacking the houses of peaceable citizens, 
 the duke would treat their demand with the scorn that it 
 deserved. However, when ne.xt day we heard that some 
 of the officers of his household had headed them when they
 
 270 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 forced their way into the Duke of Aquitaine's hotel, and 
 carried off the Duke of Bar and others from before his eyes, 
 and that the duke in all things assisted them, we knew that 
 he would 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 he had failed, as our lord, in giving us pro- 
 tection, for he had not done so, seeing that we had taken 
 the matter in our own hands. Had he actually consented 
 to hand us over to the Parisians, we should have issued a 
 declaration laying the matter before all the great vassals of 
 Burgundy and denouncing him as a false lord. There are 
 many who would have been very glad to have taken up the 
 matter, for his truckling to these knaves has greatly dis- 
 pleased all save the men who are mere creatures of his. 
 However, as we had no proof that he was willing to sur- 
 render us to the fury of the mob of Paris, we could do 
 nothing, and the crafty fox called upon my father the next 
 day and expressed his satisfaction that we had all ridden 
 away, though at the same time saying that there was no 
 reason whatever for our having done so, as he should of 
 course have refused to give any satisfaction to the mob of 
 Paris, and he caused several letters to 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 the Parisians were the masters of the city, 
 and that he had no power to restrain them, however mon- 
 strous their doings, he thought that we had all acted very 
 wisely in going. He himself left Paris the next day, and 
 several other nobles, relations or friends to some of us, took 
 the earliest opportunity also of leaving for their estates. 
 Now that the power of the butchers has been broken and 
 that their leaders have fled, I came back again, chiefly to 
 find out what had become of you, and whether you and
 
 THE ESCAPE 271 
 
 your charges have passed through these evil times un- 
 harmed." 
 
 "We have all been in hiding, and save for an adventure 
 or two have passed the time quietly. Now that the gates 
 are open we are going to make our escape, for you see 
 everything points to the probability that the Orleanists will 
 very shortly be supreme here, and after the defeat Sir 
 Eustace gave Sir Clugnet de Brabant they might be glad 
 still to retain our lady as hostage, though methinks they 
 would treat her more honourably than the Duke of Bur- 
 gundy has done. ' ' 
 
 " Possibly they might, but I would not count upon it, 
 for indeed wherever they have taken a town they have 
 treated those who fell into their hands most barba- 
 rously. 'Tis true that they have some excuse for it in 
 the treatment of so many knights and ladies here. Indeed 
 it seems to me that France has been seized with madness, 
 and that Heaven's vengeance will fall upon her for the evil 
 things that are being done. And now, can we aid you in 
 any way ? The duke was extremely civil when I saw him 
 on my arrival here yesterday. He said that I and my 
 friends were wrong in not having trusted in him to protect 
 us from the demands of the butchers. I told him frankly 
 that as he had in other matters been so overborne by them, 
 and had been unable to save noble knights and ladies from 
 being murdered by them under the pretence of a trial that 
 all men knew was a mockery, it was just as well that we 
 had taken the matter into our own hands without adding 
 it to his other burdens ; and that I and my friends felt that 
 we had no reason to regret the step we had taken, and we 
 knew that our feelings were shared by many other nobles 
 and knights in Burgundy. 
 
 " He looked darkly at me, but at the present pass he did
 
 272 AT AOINCOURT 
 
 not care to say anything that would give offence, not only 
 to me, but to my friends, who with their connections are 
 too powerful to be alienated at a time when he may need 
 every lance. I could not, however, well ask from him a free 
 conduct for your people without naming them, but I might 
 get such a pass from his chancellor, and if your former 
 host, Maitre Leroux, be still alive, he might doubtless get 
 you one from the municipality. As an additional protec- 
 tion I myself shall certainly ride with you. It is for that 
 that I have returned to Paris. I shall simply say to the 
 chancellor that I am riding to Arras on my own business, 
 and that though in most places I should be known to Bur- 
 gundians, yet that it would be as well that I should have a 
 pass lest I be met by any rude body of citizens or others 
 who might not know me, and I shall request him to make 
 it out for me personally and for all persons travelling in my 
 train. So that, as far as Flanders at any rate, there should 
 be no difficulty. I only propose that you should also get 
 a document from the city in case of anything befalling us on 
 the way. 
 
 " I see not indeed what can befall us ; but it is always well 
 in such times as these, when such strange things occur, to pro- 
 vide for all emergencies. I may tell you that Louis de I.actre 
 and Reginald Poupart have arrived with me in Paris bent on 
 the same errand, and anxious like myself to testify their grati- 
 tude to you ; so that we shall be a strong body, and could if 
 necessary ride through France without any pass at all, since 
 one or other of 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 that it has been a sore trouble to me as to how 
 we should be able, however we might disguise oui-selves, to 
 travel through the country in these disturbed times, without
 
 THE ESCAPE 273 
 
 papers of any kind, wlien bodies of armed men are moving to 
 and fro in all directions, and travellers, whoever they may be, 
 are questioned at every place on the road where they stop." 
 
 " Do not speak of thanks, Guy; 1 twice owe you my life, 
 and assuredly 'tis little enough to furnish you in return with 
 an escort to Artois. Now, tell me all that }ou 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 had finished, " that this astrologer should have 
 made your acquaintance ; it was his warning that enabled you 
 to save us as well as your lady. I have heard several 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 person whose horoscope he has cast. 
 I had not heard much of such things in England, but I cannot 
 doubt that he has great .skill in them. To my knowledge he 
 has saved several lives thereby." 
 
 " He certainly saved ours, Guy, and should he like to join 
 your party and ride with us he will be heartily welcomed." 
 
 " I will return at once," Guy said, " and give my lady the 
 good news. I will not ask you to go Avith me now, for if the 
 count — for he is really a nobleman though an exile — decides 
 to stay here he would not care to attract the attention of his 
 neighbours by the coming of a noble to his house 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 
 home at that hour." 
 
 " I will be here, and l)e Lactre and Poupart will be here 
 to meet you. I will go now direct to the chancellor and 
 obtain the pass both in their names and mine, then wt- sliall 
 18
 
 274 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 be ready to start whenever your lady is prepared. We have 
 all brought some spare horses, so that you will have no 
 trouble on that score. Your men-at-arnis will, of course, 
 ride with ours. We have brought eight horses, knowing the 
 number of your company ; if your Italian and his daughter go 
 with us Lady Agnes and Charles can ride behind some of us." 
 
 Dame Margaret, Agnes, and Charlie were delighted indeed 
 when they heard from Guy of his meeting with the young 
 Count d'Estournel, and of the latter '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 dangers here. In times so disturbed I have 
 perceived that we should run innumerable risks, and eager as 
 I am to return to my lord I have doubted whether, with 
 Agnes with me, I should be right in adventuring on such a 
 journey. Now there can be no risk in it, saving only that of 
 falling in with any of the bauds of robbers who, as they say, 
 infest the country, and even these would scarce venture t6 
 attack so strong a party. We shall be ready to start to-mor- 
 row, if Count d'Estournel is prepared to go so soon. We 
 will be veiled as we ride out. It is most unlikely that any- 
 one will recognize us, but 'tis as well for his sake that there 
 should be no risk whatever of this being known. The count 
 is out and will not return until six, therefore it will be best 
 that you should go at once and warn the others that we start 
 to-morrow." 
 
 The pleasure of Long Tom and his companions at the news 
 was scarcely less than had been that of Dame Margaret, and 
 they started at once to recover their 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 them 
 fit for service. Then Guy went in to Maitre Lepelletiere and
 
 THE ESCAPE 275 
 
 saw the silversmith, who was also sincerely glad at the news 
 he gave him. 
 
 " I was but yesterday arranging for a house where I could 
 open my shop again until my own was rebuilt," he said, " tor 
 there is an end now ot all fear of disturbances, at any rate for 
 the present, and I was heartily greeted by many old friends, 
 who thought that I was dead. 1 will go down with Lepelle- 
 tiere this afternoon to the offices of the municipality and ask 
 for a pass for madame — what shall I call her? " 
 
 " Call her Picard ; it matters not what surname she takes." 
 
 "Madame Picard, her daugliter and son, and her cousin 
 Jean Bouvray of Paris, to journey to St. Omer. It does not 
 seem to me that the pass is likely to be of any use to you ; at 
 the same time it is as well to be fortified with it. Now that 
 the tyranny of the market-men is over they will be glad to 
 give us the pass without question." 
 
 On the Italian's return that afternoon Dame Margaret her- 
 self told him of the offer the Count d'Estournel had made. 
 He sat silent for a minute or two and then said : "I will talk 
 it over with Katarina; but at present it does not seem to me 
 that I can accept it. I am a restless spirit, and there is a fas- 
 cination in this work; but I will see you i)resently." 
 
 An hour later he came down with Katarina. 
 
 " We have agreed to stay, Lady Margaret," he said 
 gravely, "I cannot bring myself to go. It is true that I 
 might continue my work in London, but as a stranger it 
 would be long before I found clients, wiiile here my reputa- 
 tion is established. Two of the knights I enabled to escape 
 have already returned. One called upon nie last night and 
 was full of gratitude, declaring, and rightly, that he should 
 have been, like so many of his friends, murdered in prison 
 had I not warned him. I have eight requests already for in- 
 terviews from friends of these knights, and as, for a time at any
 
 276 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 rate, their faction is likely to be triumphant here, I shall have 
 my hands full of business. This is a pleasant life. I love the 
 exercise of my art, to watch how the predictions of the stars 
 come true, to fit things together, and to take my share, 
 though an unseen one, in the politics and events of the day. 
 I have even received an intimation that the queen herself is 
 anxious to consult the stars, and it may be that I shall become 
 a great power here. I would fain that my daughter should go 
 under your protection, though I own that I should miss her 
 sorely. However, she refuses to leave me, and against my 
 better judgment my heart has pleaded for her, and I have de- 
 cided that she shall remain. She will, however, take no 
 further part in my business, but will be solely my companion 
 and solace. I trust that with such protection as I shall now 
 receive there is no chance of even the Church meddling with 
 me, but should I see danger approaching 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 a daughter. We owe our lives to your shelter 
 and kindness, and we already love her." 
 
 " The shelter and the kindness have already been far more 
 than repaid by the inestimable service your esquire rendered 
 us," the Italian said. " I have since blamed myself bitterly 
 that I neglected to consult the stars concerning her. I have 
 since done so, and found that a most terrible danger threat- 
 ened her on that day ; and had I known it, I would have 
 kept her 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 any rate for some time, her future is 
 unclouded. She herself will bitterly regret your absence, and 
 has already been weeping sorely at the thought of your leav- 
 ing. Save myself she has never had a friend, poor child, 
 and you and your daughter have become very dear to her. ' '
 
 THE ESCAPE 277 
 
 Dame Margaret had no preparations to make, for in their 
 flight from the silversmith's each had carried a bundle of 
 clothes. Guy- brought Count d'Estournel round in the 
 evening, and the arrangements were then completed. 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 and escort them to his lodging. There the horses 
 would be in readiness, and they would mount and ride off. 
 (juy then went round to the Rue des Fosses and warned the 
 men of the hour at which they were toas.semble at the count's. 
 He found them all hard at work burnishing up their armour. 
 
 " We shall make but a jtoor show, Master Guy, do what we 
 will," Tom said ; " and 1 doubt whether this gear will ever 
 recover its brightness, so deeply has the rust eaten into it. 
 Still, we can pass muster on a journey ; and the 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 not that you will find among the spare ones at 
 Villeroy one as good as your own, and that with practice you 
 will soon be able to shoot as truly with it." 
 
 Tom shook his head doubtfully. " I hope so, but I doubt 
 whether I shall be suited again till I get home, and Master 
 John the bowyer makes one specially suitable for me, and six 
 inches longer than ordinary. Still, I doubt not that, if it be 
 needed, I shall be able to make shift with one of tho.se. at Vil 
 leroy." 
 
 The evening before the departure of Dame Margaret and 
 her children, Maitre Leroux and his wife, with a man bear- 
 ing a large parcel, had called upon Dame Margaret at the
 
 278 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 house of the astrologer, whose address Guy had given the 
 provost that day. 
 
 "We could not let you leave, Lady Margaret," his wife 
 said, " without coming to wish you God speed. Our troubles, 
 like yours, are over for the present, and I trust that the 
 butchers will never become masters of Paris again, whatever 
 may happen." 
 
 " Maitre Lepelletiere," said the silversmith, " is going to 
 organize the whole of his craft, the workmen and appren- 
 tices, into an armed body, and the master of the smiths will 
 do the same. I shall endeavour to prevail upon all the 
 traders of my own guild and others to raise such a body 
 among their servitors; and while we have no wish whatever 
 to interfere in the political affairs of state, we shall at least 
 see that the market people of Paris shall not become our 
 masters again. Master Aylmer, I have brought hither for 
 you a slight token of my regard and gratitude for the manner 
 in which you saved not only our property but our lives. 
 Within this package are two suits of armour and arms. One 
 is a serviceable one suitable to your present condition of an 
 esquire; the other is a knightly suit, which I hope you will 
 wear in remembrance of us as soon as you obtain that honour, 
 which I cannot but feel assured will not be far distant. Had 
 you been obliged to leave Paris in disguise I should have 
 made an endeavour to send them to you in England by way 
 of Flanders ; but as you will issue out in good company, and 
 without examination or question asked, you can wear the one 
 suit and have the other carried for you." 
 
 Guy thanked the silversmith most heartily, for, having lost 
 his armour at the burning of tiie house, he had felt some un- 
 easiness at the thought of the figure that he would cut riding 
 in the train of the three Burgundian knights. But at the 
 same time his own purse had been exhausted in the purchase
 
 THE ESCAPE 279 
 
 of the disguises for himself and the men-at-arms, and that of 
 liis mistress greatly reduced by the expenses of the keep of 
 the men, and he had determined not to draw upon her re- 
 sources for the purchase of armour. His thanks were re- 
 peated when, on the package being opened, the beauty of the 
 knightly armour was seen. It was indeed a suit of which any 
 knight might be proud. It was less ornate in its inlaying and 
 chasing than some of the suits worn by nobles, but it was of 
 the finest steel and best make, with e\ery part and accessory 
 complete, and of the highest workmanship and finish. 
 
 "It is a princely gift, sir," Guy said as he examined it, 
 " and altogether beyond my poor deserts." 
 
 "That is not what I think. Master Aylmer. You have 
 shown all through this business a coolness and courage alto- 
 gether beyond your years, and wliicli would have done 
 honour to an experienced knight. My store of silver-ware 
 that was saved by your exertions, to say nothing of our 
 lives, was worth very many times the value of this armour, 
 and I am sure that your lady will agree with me that this gift 
 of ours has been well and honourably earned." 
 
 " I do indeed, Maitre Leroux," Dame Margaret said 
 warmly; "and assure you that I am as pleased as Guy him- 
 self at the noble gift you have made him. I myself have said 
 but little to him as to the service that he has rendered here, 
 leaving that until we reach our castle in safety, when Sir 
 Eustace, on hearing from me the story of our doings, will 
 better si:)eak in both our names than I can do." 
 
 In tlie morning Dame Margaret and her children set out 
 for the lodging of D'Estournel, escorted by tlie count and 
 Guy, followed by a porter carrying the latter's second suit of 
 armour and the valises of Dame Margaret. Guy himself had 
 charge of a casket which the Count de Montepone had that 
 morning handed to Dame Margaret.
 
 280 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 "These are gems of value," he said. " In the course of 
 my business I more often 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 holds it at 
 my disposal. The gems I have hitherto kept ; but as it is 
 l^ossible that we may, when we leave Paris, have to travel in 
 disguise, I would fain that they were safely bestowed. I pray 
 you, therefore, to take them with you to your castle in Eng- 
 land, 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 ap- 
 pearance," the Italian said, " for it is of the finest steel, and 
 the gems have been taken from their settings. It will, there- 
 fore, I hope, be no great inconvenience to 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 little remembrance of the girl you saved from deadly peril, 
 and who will never forget what she owes to you." 
 
 On reaching the count's lodgings they found the other two 
 knights in readiness. 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 far better ending than our fortunes seemed likely 
 to have at one time, and I thank you all for your faithful 
 service." 
 
 " I am only sorry, my lady, that we have had no oppor- 
 tunity of doing aught since we were cooped up," Tom re- 
 plied ; " nothing would have pleased us better than to have 
 had the chance again of striking a stout blow in your de- 
 fence. ' ' 
 
 '* We may as well mount at once, if it is your pleasure,
 
 A LONG PAUSE 281 
 
 Dame Margaret," Count d'Estournel said, "for the other 
 men-at-arms are waiting for us outside the gates." 
 
 The packages were at once fastened on the two jmck-horses 
 that were to accomi^any them ; all tlien mounted. The three 
 knights with Dame Margaret rode first, then Guy lode with 
 Agnes by his side, and the four men-at-arms came next, 
 Charlie riding before Jules Varoy, who was the lightest of the 
 men-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 fell in behind Dame 
 Margaret's retainers, the other ten took post in rear of the 
 sumpter horses. With such a train as this there was little 
 fear of any trouble with bands of marauders, and as the 
 road lay through a country devoted to Burgundy there was 
 small chance of their encountering an Orleanist force. They 
 travelled by almost the same route by which Dame Margaret 
 had been escorted to Paris. .Xt all tlic towns through which 
 they passed the Burgundian knights and theii following were 
 well entertained, none doubting iliai they were riding on the 
 business of their duke. One or otluT of tlir knights generally 
 rode beside Guy, and except that the heat in the middle of 
 the day was somewhat excessive, the journey was altogether a 
 very pleasant one. From .'Vrras they rode direct to Villeroy. 
 As soon as their coming was observed from the keep the draw-
 
 282 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 bridge was raised, and as they approached Sir Eustace him- 
 self appeared on the wall above it to hear any message the 
 new-comers might have brought him. As they came near, 
 the knights reined back their horses, and Dame Margaret and 
 Agnes rode forward, followed by Guy having Charlie in front 
 of him. As he recognized them Sir Eustace gave a shout of 
 joy, and a moment later the drawbridge began to descend, and 
 as it touched the opposite side Sir Eustace ran across to the 
 outwork, threw open the gate, and fondly embraced his wife 
 and children, who had already dismounted. 
 
 " Ah, my love ! " he exclaimed, " you cannot tell how I 
 have suffered, and how I have blamed myself for permitting 
 you and the children to leave me. I received your first letter, 
 saying that you were comfortably lodged at Paris, but since 
 then no word has reached me. I of course heard of the 
 dreadful doings there, of the ascendency of the butchers, of 
 the massacres in the streets, and the murders of the knights 
 and ladies. A score of times I have resolved to go myself in 
 search of you, but I knew not how to set about it when there, 
 and I should assuredly have been seized by Burgundy and 
 thrown into prison with others hostile to his plans. But who 
 are these with you ? " 
 
 " They are three Burgundian knights, who from love and 
 courtesy, and in requital of a service done them by your 
 brave esquire here, have safely brought us out of Paris and 
 escorted us on our way. They are Count Charles d'Estournel, 
 Sir John Poupart, and Sir Louis de Lactre. " 
 
 Holding his hand she advanced to meet them and intro- 
 duced them to him. 
 
 " Gentlemen," Sir Eustace said, "no words of mine can 
 express the gratitude that I feel to you for the service that 
 you have rendered to my wife and children. Henceforth 
 you may command me to the extent of my life."
 
 A LONG PAUSE 283 
 
 "The service was requited before it was rendered, Sir 
 Eustace," Count Charles said; "it has been service for 
 service. In tlie first place your esquire, with that tall archer 
 of yours, saved my life when attacked by a band of cut- » 
 throats in Paris. This to some small extent I repaid when, 
 with my two good friends here and some others, we charged a 
 mob that was besieging the house in which your dame lodged. 
 Then Master Aylmer laid a fresh obligation on us by warning 
 us that the butchers demanded our lives for interfering in that 
 business, whereby we were enabled to cut our way out 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 arrived in a sufficient force to put down the 
 tyranny of the butchers, we returned to Paris, with the in- 
 tention we have carried out — of finding Dame Margaret in 
 her hiding-place, if happily she should have escaped all the.se 
 perils, and of conducting her to you. And now, having de- 
 livered her into your hands, we will take our leave." 
 
 " I pray you not to do so. Count," the knight said ; "it 
 would mar the pleasure of this day to me,' were you, who are 
 its authors, thus to leave me. I pray you, therefore, to enter 
 and accept my hospitality, if only for a day or two." 
 
 The knights had previously agreed among themselves that 
 they would return that night to Arras ; but they could not re- 
 sist the earnestness of the invitation, and the whole party 
 crossed the drawbridge and entered the castle, amid the 
 tumultuous greeting of the retainers. 
 
 "You have been away but a few months," Sir Eustace 
 said to his wife, as they were crossing the bridge, " though it 
 seems an age to me. You are but little changed by what you 
 have passed through, but Agnes seems to have grown more 
 womanly. Charlie has grown somewhat also, but is scarcely 
 looking so strong."
 
 284 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " It has been from want of air and exercise; but he has 
 picked up a great deal 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 'tis assuredly wholly due to him that we have 
 escaped the dangers that threatened us." 
 
 The knights and men-at-arms dismounted in the court- 
 yard, and Sir Eustace and Dame Margaret devoted themselves 
 at once to making them welcome with all honour. The 
 maids hurried to prepare the guest-chambers, the servitors to 
 get ready a banquet. Guy and his men-at-arms saw to the 
 comfort of the knights' retainers and their horses, and the 
 castle rang with sounds of merriment and laughter to which 
 it had been a stranger for months. After the cup of welcome 
 had been handed round Sir Eustace showed the knights over 
 the castle. 
 
 " We heard the details of the siege. Sir Eustace, from your 
 esquire, and it is of interest to us to inspect the defences that 
 Sir Clugnet de Brabant failed to capture, for, foe though he 
 is to Burgundy, it must be owned that he is a very valiant 
 knight, and has captured many towns and strong places. Yes, 
 it is assuredly a strong castle, and with a sufficient garrison 
 might well have defeated all attempts to storm it by foes who 
 did not possess means of battering the walls, but the force 
 you had was quite insufficient when the enemy were strong 
 enough to attack at many points at the same time, and I am 
 surprised that you should have made good your defence 
 against so large a force as that which assailed you. 
 
 "But it was doubtless in no slight degree due to your 
 English archers. We saw in Paris what even one of these 
 men could do."
 
 A LONG PAUSE 285 
 
 "I am all anxiety to know what took place there," Sir 
 Eustace said, " and 1 shall pray you after supper to give me 
 an account of what occurred." 
 
 " We will tell )ou as far as we know of the matter, Sir 
 Eustace; but in truth we took but little share in it, there was 
 just one charge on our part and the mob were in flight. Any 
 I can tell you that we did it with thorough good-will, for in 
 truth we were all heartily sick of the arrogance of the.se 
 butchers, who lorded over all Paris; even our Lord of Bur- 
 gundy was constrained to put up with their insolence, since 
 their aid was essential to him. But to us, who take no very 
 great heed of politics and leave these matters to the great 
 lords, the thing was well-nigh intolerable ; and 1 can tell you 
 that it was with hearty good-will we seized the opportunity of 
 giving the knaves a lesson." 
 
 As soon as the visitors had arrived, mounted men had 
 ridden off to the tenants, and speedily returned with a store 
 of ducks and geese, poultry, wild-fowl, brawn, and fish; the 
 bancpiet therefore was both abundant and varied. While the 
 guests supped at the upi)er table, the men-at-arms were no less 
 amply provided for at the lower end of the hall, where all the 
 retainers at the castle feasted royally in honour of the return 
 of their lady and her children. The bowmen were delighted 
 at the return of Long Tom, whom few had expected ever to 
 see again, while the return of Robert Bicard and his compan- 
 ions was no less heartily welcomed by their comrades. After 
 the meal was concluded Dame NLugaret went round the tables 
 with her husband, saying a few words here and there to the 
 men, who received her with loud shouts as she passed along. 
 
 Then the party from the upjier table retired to the private 
 apartment of Sir P^ustace, leaving the men to sing and 
 carouse unchecked by their jjresence. When they were com- 
 fortably seated and flagons of wine had been placed on the
 
 286 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 board, the knight requested Count Charles to give him an 
 account of his adventure with the cut-throats and the part he 
 had subsequently played in the events of which he had 
 spoken. D'Estournel gave 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 the house. 
 " Had the passage and stairs been the breach of a city at- 
 tacked by assault it could not have been more thickly strewn 
 with dead bodies," the count said; "and indeed for my 
 part I would rather have struggled up a breach, however 
 strongly defended, than have tried to carry the barricade at 
 the top of the stairs, held as it was. I believe that, even had 
 we not arrived. Master Aylmer could have held his ground 
 until morning, except against fire." 
 
 "I wonder they did not fire the house," Sir Eustace re- 
 marked. 
 
 " Doubtless the leaders would have done so as soon as they 
 saw the task they had before them ; but you see plunder was 
 with the majority the main object of the attack, while that of 
 the leaders was assuredly to get rid of the provost of the silver- 
 smiths, who had powerfully withstood tliem. The cry that 
 was raised of ' Down with the English spies ! ' was but a pre- 
 text. However, as all the plate-cases with the silver. ware 
 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; but doubtless in the 
 end, when they were convinced that they could not carry the 
 barricade, they would have resorted to fire." 
 
 Then he went on to recount how Guy had warned himself 
 and his friends of the danger that threatened, and how diffi- 
 cult it had been to persuade them that only by flight could their 
 safety be secured ; and how at last he and the two knights 
 with him had returned to Paris to escort Dame Margaret.
 
 A LONG PAUSE 287 
 
 "Truly, Count, your narrative is a stirring one," Sir 
 Eustace said; " but I know not as yet how Guy managed to 
 gain the information that the house was going to be attacked 
 and so sent to you for aid, or how he afterwards learned that 
 your names were included with those of the Duke of Bar and 
 others whom the butchers compelled the Duke of Aquitaine 
 to hand over to them." 
 
 " Dame Margaret or your esquire himself can best tell you 
 that," the count said. " It is a strange story indeed." 
 
 "And a long one," Dame Margaret added. "Were I to 
 tell it fully it would last till midnight, but I will tell you how 
 matters befell, and to-morrow will inform you of the details 
 more at length." 
 
 She then related briefly the incidents that had occurred from 
 the day of her interview with the Duke of Burgundy to that 
 of her escape, telling of the various disguises that had been 
 used, the manner in which Guy had overheard the councils 
 of the butchers before they surrounded the hotel of the Duke 
 of Aquitaine and dragged away a large number of knights and 
 ladies to prison, and how the four men-at-arms had re-entered 
 Paris after their escape, and remained there in readiness to 
 aid her if required. 
 
 Guy himself was not present at the narration, as he had, 
 after staying for a short time in the room, gone down into 
 the banqueting -hall to see that the men's wants were well 
 attended to, and to talk witli tlic English men-at-arms and 
 archers. 
 
 " It seems to me," Sir Eustace said when his wife had fin- 
 ished the story, •' that my young esquire has comported him- 
 self with singular prudence as well as bravery." 
 
 "He has been everything to me," Dame Margaret said 
 warmly; "he has been my adviser and my friend. I have 
 learned to confide in him implicitly. It was he who secured
 
 388 AT AGTNCOURT 
 
 for me in the first place the friendship of Count Charles, and 
 then that of his friends. He was instrumental in securing for 
 us the assistance of the Italian who warned and afterwards 
 sheltered us — one of the adventures that I have not yet told, 
 because I did not think that I could do so without saying 
 more than that person would like known ; but Guy rendered 
 him a service that in his opinion far more than repaid him for 
 his 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 of the butchers, how he had himself been 
 chased, and had killed one and wounded another of his assail- 
 ants ; and how at last he escaped from falling into their hands 
 by leaping from the bridge into the Seine. 
 
 " You will understand," she said, " that not only our host 
 but we all should have been .sacrificed had not the messenger 
 been rescued. He would have been compelled by threats, 
 and if these failed by tortures, to reveal who his employer was 
 and where he lived, and in that case a searcli would have been 
 made, we should have been discovered, and our lives as well 
 as that of our host would have paid the penalty." 
 
 "It is impossible to speak too highly of the young 
 esquire," Sir John Poupart said warmly. " For a short time 
 we all saw a good deal of him at the fencing-school, to which 
 D'Estournel introduced him. He made great progress, and 
 wonderfully improved his swordsmanship even during the 
 short time he was there, and the best of us found a match in 
 him. He was quiet and modest, and even apart from the 
 service he had rendered to D'Estournel, we all came to like 
 him greatly. He is a fine character, and I trust that ere long he 
 may have an opportunity of winning his spurs, for the courage 
 he has shown in the defence of his charges would assuredly 
 have gained them for him had it been displayed in battle."
 
 A LONG PAUSE 289 
 
 The knights were persuaded to stay a few days at the castle, 
 and then 'rode away with their retainers witli mutual expres- 
 sions of hope that they would meet again in quieter times. 
 Guy had opened the little packet that Katarina had given 
 him at starting. It contained a ring with a diamond of great 
 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 not with you to tlie wars, but leave it at home 
 under safe guardianship, for should it ever be your bad luck 
 to be made a prisoner, I will warrant it would sell for a suffi- 
 cient sum to i)ay your ransom. That is a noble suit of armour 
 that the silversmith gave you. Altogether, Guy, you have 
 no reason to regret that you accompanied your lady to Paris. 
 You have gained a familiarity with danger which will assuredly 
 stand you in good stead some day, you have learned some 
 tricks of fence, you have gained the friendship of half a score 
 of nobles and knights; you have earned the lasting gratitude 
 of my dame and myself, you have come back with a suit of 
 armour such as a noble might wear in a tournament, and a 
 ring worth I know not how much money. It is a fair open- 
 ing of your life, Guy, and your good father will rejoice when 
 I tell him how well you have borne yourself. It may be that 
 it will not be long before you may have oi)i')ortunities of show- 
 ing your mettle in a wider field. The luiglish have already 
 made several descents on the coast, and have carried off much 
 spoil and many j^risoners, and it may not be long before we 
 liear that Henry is gathering a powerful army and is crossing 
 the seas to maintain his rights, and recover the lands that have 
 during past years been wrested from the crown. 
 
 " I propose shortly to return to England. My dauio has 
 borne up bravely under her trou])les. but both she and 
 Agnes need rest and quiet. It is time. too. that Charlie 
 19
 
 290 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 applied himself to his studies for a time and learnt to read 
 and write well, for methinks that every knight should at 
 least know this much. I shall take John Harpen back with 
 me. Such of the men-at-arms and archers as may wish to 
 return home must wait here until I send you others to take 
 tlieir places, for I projiose to leave you here during my 
 absence, as my castellan. It is a post of honour, Guy, but I 
 feel that the castle will be in good hands ; and there is, 
 moreover, an advantage in thus leaving you, as, should any 
 message be sent by Burgundian or Orleanist, you will be 
 able to reply that, having been placed here by me to hold 
 the castle in my absence, you can surrender it to no one, 
 and can admit no one to garrison it, until you have sent to me 
 and received my orders on the subject. Thus considerable 
 delay may be obtained. 
 
 "Should I receive such a message from you, I shall pass 
 across at once to Calais with such force as I can gather. I 
 trust that no such summons will arrive, for it is clear that 
 the truce now made between the two French factions will be 
 a very short one, and that ere long the trouble will recom- 
 mence, and, as I think, this time Burgundy will be worsted. 
 The Orleanists are now masters of Paris and of the king's 
 person, while assuredly they have the support of the Duke 
 of Aquitaine, who must long to revenge the indignities that 
 were put upon him by Burgundy and the mob of Paris. 
 They should therefore be much the stronger party, and can, 
 moreover, issue what proclamations they choose in the king's 
 name, as Burgundy has hitherto been doing in his own 
 interest. The duke will therefore 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 interfere with 
 us, as I hear that negotiations have just been set on foot 
 again for the marriage of King Henry with Katherine of
 
 A LONG PAUSE 291 
 
 France. The English raids will therefore be stopped, and the 
 French will be loath to risk the lircaking off of the negotia- 
 tions which might be caused l)y an assault without reason 
 upon the castle of one who is an English as well as a French 
 vassal, and who might, therefore, obtain aid from the garrison 
 of Calais, by which both nations might be again embroiled." 
 
 " If you think well, my lord, to leave me here in com- 
 mand I will assuredly do the best in my power to prove 
 myself worthy of your confidence ; but it is a heavy trust for 
 one so young." 
 
 "I have thought that over, Guy, but I have no fear that 
 you will fail in any way. Were the garrison wholly a 
 French one I might hesitate, but half the defenders of the 
 castle are Englishmen ; and in Tom, the captain of the 
 archers, you have one of whose sup])ort at all times you will 
 be confident, while the French garrison will have learned 
 from the three men who went with you that they would 
 as readily follow you as they would a knight of experience. 
 Moreover, good fighters as the English are, they are far 
 more independent and inclined to insubordination than the 
 French, who have never been brought up in the same 
 freedom of thought. Therefore, although I have no doubt 
 that they will respect your authority, I doubt whether, 
 were I to ])ut a Frenchman in command, they would jirove 
 so docile, while with the French there will be no difficulty. 
 I might, of course, appoint John Harpcn. who is ten years 
 your senior, to the command; but John, though a good 
 esquire, is bluff and rough in liis ways, and as obstinate as 
 a mule, and were I to leave him in command he would, I 
 am sure, soon set the garrison by the ears. As an esquire 
 he is wholly trustworthy, but he is altogether unfitted for 
 command, therefore I feel that the choice I have made of 
 you is altogether for the best, and I shall go away confident
 
 392 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 that the castle is in good hands, and that if attacked it will 
 be as staunchly defended as if I myself were here to direct the 
 operations." 
 
 Two days later Sir Eustace with his family started, under 
 the guard of ten English and ten French men-at-arms, for 
 Calais. Before starting he formally appointed Guy as 
 castellan in his absence, and charged the garrison to obey 
 his orders in all things, as if they had been given by him- 
 self. He also called in the principal tenants and delivered 
 a similar charge to them. The English men-at-arms were 
 well pleased to be commanded by one whom they had 
 known from childhood, and whose father they had been 
 accustomed to regard as their master during the absences of 
 Sir Eustace and Dame Margaret. The archers had not, like 
 the men-at-arms, been drawn from the Summerley estate, 
 but the devotion of their leader to Guy, and the tales he 
 had told them of what had taken place in Paris rendered 
 them equally 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, they accepted his orders in this as 
 they would have done on any other point. Sir Eustace left 
 Guy instructions that he might make any further addition 
 to the defences that he thought fit, pointing out to him 
 several that he had himself intended to carry out. 
 
 " I should have set about these at once," he had said, " but 
 it is only now that the vassals have completed the work of 
 rebuilding their houses, and I would not call upon them for 
 any service until that was completed. I have told them 
 now that such works must be taken in hand, and that, as 
 they saw upon the occasion of the last siege, their safety 
 depends upon the power of the castle to defend itself, I 
 shall expect their services to be readily and loyally rendered, 
 especially as they have been remitted for over six months.
 
 A LONG PAUSE 29o 
 
 It would be well also to employ the garrison on the works 
 — in the first place, because they have long been idle, and 
 idleness is bad for them ; and in the second place because 
 the vassals will all work more readily seeing that the garri- 
 son are also employed. While so engaged an extra measure 
 of wine can be served to each man, and a small addition 
 of pay. Here are the j)lans that I have roughly prepared. 
 Beyond the moat I would erect at the centre of each of the 
 three sides a strong work, similar to that across the draw- 
 bridge, and the latter I would also have strengthened. 
 
 " These works, you see, are open on the side of the moat, 
 so that if carried they would offer the assailants no shelter 
 from arrows from the walls, while being triangular in shape 
 they would be flanked by our fire. Each of these three 
 forts should have a light drawbridge running across the 
 moat to the foot of the wall, thence a ladder should lead 
 to an entrance to be pierced through the wall, some fifteen 
 feet above the level of the moat ; by this means the garrison 
 could, if assailed by an overwhelming force, withdraw into 
 the castle. These outi)Osts would render it — so long as they 
 were held — impossible for storming-parties to cross the moat 
 and i)]ace ladders, as they did on the last occasion. The 
 first ta.jk will, of course, be to quarry stones. As soon as 
 sufficient are prepared for one of these outworks you should 
 proceed to erect it, as it would render one side at least unas- 
 sailable and diminish the circuit to be defended. As soon as 
 one is finished, with its drawbridge, ladder, and entrance, 
 proceed with the ne.xt. I would build the one at the rear 
 first. As you see from this plan, the two walls are to be 
 twenty feet high and each ten yards long, so that they could 
 be defended by some twenty men. After they are built I 
 would fiirther strengthen them bv leading ditches from the 
 moat, si.\ feet deei) and ten feet wide, round them. The
 
 294 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 earth from these ditches should be thrown inside the walls, so 
 as to strengthen these and form a platform for the defenders 
 to stand on. If the earth is insufficient for that purpose the 
 moat can be widened somewhat." 
 
 " I will see that your wishes are carried out, Sir Eustace; 
 assuredly these little outworks will add greatly to the strength 
 of the castle. Are the bridges to be made to draw up ? " 
 
 "No; that will hardly be necessary. Let them consist of 
 two beams with planks laid crosswise. They need not be 
 more than four feet wide, and the planks can therefore 
 be easily pulled up as the garrison falls back. I have told 
 the tenants that during the winter, when there is but little for 
 their men to do, they can keep them employed on this work, 
 and that I will pay regular wages to them and for the carts 
 used in bringing in the stones." 
 
 Guy was very glad that there was something specific to be 
 done that would give him occupation and keep the men em- 
 ployed. Sir Eustace had informed the garrison of the work 
 that would be required of them, and of the ration of wine and 
 extra pay that would be given, and all were well satisfied 
 with the prospect. For the English especially, having no 
 friends outside, found the time hang very heavy on their 
 hands, and their experience during the last siege had taught 
 them that the additional fortifications, of the nature of which 
 they were ignorant, however, would add to their safety. 
 
 As soon, therefore, as Sir Eustace had left, Guy com- 
 menced operations. A few men only were kept on guard, 
 and the rest went out daily to prepare the stones under the 
 direction of a master mason, who had been brought from 
 Arras by Sir Eustace. Some fifty of the tenants were also 
 employed on the work, and as the winter closed in this num- 
 ber was doubled. 
 
 The quarry lay at a distance of half a mile from the castle.
 
 A LONG PAUSE 295 
 
 and as fast as the stones were sciuared and roughly dressed 
 they were taken in carts to the spot where they were to be 
 used. Guy had the foundations for the walls dug 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 a distance of five feet from the foot of the walls. With 
 so many hands the work proceeded briskly, and before spring- 
 time the three works w-ere all completed, with their bridges 
 and ladders, passages pierced through the castle wall, and 
 stone steps built inside by w hich those w'ho passed through 
 could either descend into the court yard or mount to the 
 battlements. At the end of September fifteen archers and 
 men-at-arms arrived from England to take the place of 
 those who had desired to return home, and who on their 
 coming marched away to Calais. 
 
 From time to time reports were received of the events hap- 
 pening in Paris. Paris had been strongly occupied by the 
 Orleanists, and a proclamation had at once been issued in 
 the name of the king condemning all that had been done 
 in the city, and denouncing by name all the ringleaders of 
 the late tumults, and such of these as were found in Paris 
 were arrested. Another proclamation was then issued en- 
 joining all parties to keep the peace, to refrain from gather- 
 ing in armed bodies, and to abstain from the use of expres- 
 sions against each other that might lead to a breach of the 
 peace. 
 
 On the 13th of November, the year being 141 3, fresh 
 and more stringent orders were issued by the king against 
 any assemblies of men-in-arms, and at the end of this month 
 the Duke of Burgundy sent to the king a letter of complaint 
 and accusation against his enemies. Those surrounding 
 Charles persuaded him to send no answer whatever to what 
 they considered his insolent letter. Some of the Burgundian
 
 ;^96 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 knights had still remained in Paris, and on the advice of the 
 Dukes of Berri and Orleans and other princes, the queen 
 caused four knights of the suite of the Duke of A.quitaine to 
 be carried away from the Louvre. This so much enraged the 
 duke that he at first intended to sally out and call upon the 
 populace of Paris to aid him to rescue the prisoners. The 
 princes of the blood, however, restrained him from doing 
 this ; but although he pretended to be appeased he sent secret 
 letters to the Duke of Burgundy begging him to come to his 
 assistance. 
 
 This served as an excuse for Burgundy to gather all his 
 adherents and to march towards Paris, and as he collected the 
 force he sent letters to all the principal towns saying that at 
 the invitation of his son-in-law, the Duke of Aquitaine, and 
 in consequence of the breach of the peace committed by 
 his enemies, he was forced to take up arms to rescue his 
 beloved daughter and the duke from the hands of those 
 who constrained them. Upon the other hand, letters were 
 written in the king's name to the various towns on the line 
 by which Burgundy would advance from Artois, begging 
 them not to open their gates to him. 
 
 The Burgundian army advanced and occupied St. Denis, 
 thence the duke sent detachments to the various gates of 
 Paris in hopes that the populace would rise in his favour. 
 However, the citizens remained quiet, and the duke, being 
 unprovided with the engines and machines necessary for a 
 siege, fell back again, placing strong garrisons in Compiegne 
 and Soissons. Then the Orleanists took the offensive, be- 
 sieged and captured town after town, and revenged the murder 
 of their friends in Paris by wholesale massacres and atrocities 
 of the worst description. 
 
 The Burgundians in vain attempted to raise an army of suf- 
 ficient strength to meet that of the king, who himself accom-
 
 A LONG PAUSE 29? 
 
 panied the Orleanist forces in the field. The fact that he was 
 present with them had a powerful influence in preventing 
 many lords who would otherwise have done so from joining 
 Burgundy, for although all knew that the king was but a pup- 
 pet who could be swayed by those who happened to be round 
 him, even the sliadow 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 true expression of his opinion, but the work of ambi- 
 tious and traitorous persons who surrounded him. After oc- 
 cupying Laon, Peronne, and other places, the king's army 
 entered Artois, captured Bapaume, and advanced against 
 Arras, where Sir John of Luxemburg, who commanded a Bur- 
 gundian garrison, prepared for the siege by sending away the 
 greater part of the women and children, and destroying all the 
 buildings and suburbs outside the walls. 
 
 As soon as it was evident that the Orleanist army was 
 marching against Artois, Guy despatched one of the English 
 soldiers to Summerley to inform his lord that if, as it seemed, 
 the Orleanists intended to subdue all the Burgundian towns 
 and fortresses in the province, it was probable that ^'illeroy 
 would be besieged. The mes.senger returned with twenty 
 more archers, and brought a letter from Sir Eustace to Guy 
 « saying that Dame Margaret had been ill ever since her return 
 from France, and that she was at present in so dangerous a 
 state that he couUl not leave her. 
 
 " I trust," he said, " that as the negotiations for the mar- 
 riage of the king with 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 important enterprises, 
 and if you are attacked it will |)robably be only by strong 
 plundering detachments ; these you need not fear. Should 
 you be besieged strongly, hold out as long as you can. I shall
 
 298 
 
 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 be sure to receive news of it from Calais, and will go at once 
 to the king and pray for his protection, and beg him to write 
 to the King of France declaring that, to his knowledge, I have 
 ever been as loyal a vassal of France as of England. Should 
 you find that the j^ressure upon you is too great, and that the 
 castle is like to be taken, I authorize you to make surrender 
 on condition that all within the castle are permitted to march 
 away free and unmolested whithersoever they will." 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIl 
 
 KATARINA 
 
 AS soon as the king's army apj^roached Arras, Guy repeated 
 all the precautions that had before been taken, but as 
 this time there had been long warning, these were carried 
 out more effectually. A considerable number of the cattle and 
 sheep of the tenants were driven to Calais and there sold, the 
 rest, with the horses, were taken into the castle. The crops 
 were hastily got in, for it was near July, and these were 
 thrashed and the grain brought in, with the household furni- 
 ture and all belongings. A great store of arrows had been 
 long before prepared, and Guy felt confident that he could 
 hold out for a long time. The women and children took up 
 their abode in the castle, and the former were all set to work 
 to make a great number of sacks. A hundred cart-loads of 
 earth were brought in, and this was stored in a corner of the 
 court-yard. The earth was to be employed in filling the sacks, 
 which were to be lowered from the walls so as to form a pro- 
 tection against heavy missiles, should an attempt be made to 
 effect a breach.
 
 UUY WELCOMES THE LOLNT OK Mo.M Kl'O.NK AND Hlb DALUUTEK 
 
 TO VILI.EROV.
 
 KATARINA 299 
 
 A few days after the king's army sat down before Arras, the 
 look-out informed Guy that a horseman, together with a lady 
 and two attendants, were riding towards the castle. Wonder- 
 ing who these visitors could be, Guy crossed the drawbridge 
 to the outwork, where a small party were now stationed. As 
 they rode up, he saw, to his surprise and pleasure, that they 
 were the Count of Montepone and his daughter. He ran out 
 to meet them. 
 
 " I am delighted to see you, Count, and you also Mistress 
 Katarina. I regret that Sir Eustace and Dame Margaret are 
 not here to receive you properly." 
 
 " We were aware that she was absent," the count said as 
 he dismounted, while Guy assisted Katarina from her saddle. 
 " I received a letter three months since ; it came by way of 
 Flanders from Sir Eustace, expressing his thanks for what 
 slight services I had rendered to his wife. He told me that 
 they had crossed over to England, and tliat you were his cas- 
 tellan here. Rut I tliought that ere this he might have re- 
 turned." 
 
 " I heard from him but a few days ago," Guy said. " He 
 is detained in England by the illness of Dame Margaret, or 
 he would have hastened hither on hearing that the French 
 army was moving north. I need scarcely ask how you are. 
 Mistress Katarina, for you have changed much, and if I may 
 say it without offence, for the better." 
 
 The girl flushed a little and laughed, and her father said : 
 " It is nigh three months since we left Paris ; the country air 
 has done her good. Since we left she has till now been in dis- 
 guise again, and has ridden as my page, for 1 could not leave 
 her behind, nor could I in an army, with so many wild and 
 reckless spirits, take her in the dress of a girl." 
 
 By this time they had crossed the drawbridge, the servants 
 leading their horses after them.
 
 300 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " My stay must be a short one," the count said as they en- 
 tered the banqueting-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 in my power to make your visit a pleasant 
 one." 
 
 The Italian shook his head. " No, I must ride back to- 
 night. I have come here for a double purpose. In the first 
 place I must send Katarina to England ; she is almost a 
 woman now, and can no longer wander about with me in 
 times like these. In the second place, I have come to tell 
 you that I think you need have no fear of an attack upon the 
 castle. That news you gave me, which enabled me to save 
 those three Orleanist nobles, has, added to what I had before 
 done in that way, helped me vastly. One of them is a great 
 favourite with Aquitaine, and the latter took me under his 
 special protection ; and he and many other great lords, and I 
 may tell you even the queen herself, consult me frequently. 
 Shortly after you left I moved to a larger house, and as there 
 was no longer any need for me to assume the character of a 
 vendor of medicines I abandoned that altogether, and took 
 handsome apartments, with my negro from the booth to open 
 the door, and two other lackeys. 
 
 "My knowledge of the stars has enabled me with some 
 success to predict the events that have taken place, and 
 Aquitaine and the queen have both implicit confidence in me 
 and undertake nothing without my advice. The Duke of 
 Orleans, too, has frequently consulted me. I have used my 
 influence to protect this castle. I have told them that success 
 will attend all their efforts, which it was easy enough to fore- 
 see, as Burgundy has no army in the field that can oppose 
 them. But I said that I had described a certain point of 
 danger. It was some time before I revealed what this was,
 
 KATARINA 301 
 
 and then said that it appeared tome that the evil in someway 
 started from the west of Arras. I would go no further than 
 this for many days, and then said that it arose from a castle 
 held by one who was not altogether French, and that were an 
 attack made upon it evil would arise. T saw that it would 
 lead to a disturbance, I said, in the negotiations for the mar- 
 riage, 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 de- 
 scription applied to Villeroy, and he and the queen have 
 issued strict orders that no plundering party is to come in this 
 direction, and that on no account is the castle to be inter- 
 fered with, and I shall take care that their intentions in 
 this matter are not changed. I had the royal orders to 
 accompany the army. This I should have done in any case, 
 but of course I profe.ssed a certain reluctance, by saying that 
 I had many clients in Paris. However, I received various 
 rich presents, and was therefore prevailed 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 to stand a siege. As to yotu- 
 daughter, I will, if you wish it, appoint two of the tenants' 
 daughters as her attendants, and send an elderly woman as 
 her companion, with an escort under Robert Picard, — one of 
 those who were with me in Paris, — and four other men-at- 
 arms to accompany her to Summerley and hand her over to 
 the charge of Dame Margaret, Avho will, I trust, be in better 
 health than when Sir Eustace wrote to me. It will be a great 
 relief to our lord and lady to know that their ])resence is not 
 urgently required here. The escort can start to-morrow at 
 daybreak if you wish that they should do so." 
 
 The count hesitated, and Guy went on : "I will appoint
 
 302 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 the woman and the two 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 twenty miles already, and she could hardly go on 
 to-day, while if she starts at daybreak they may reach Calais 
 to-morrow. ' ' 
 
 " I will give Picard a letter to the governor, asking him in 
 my lord's name to give honourable entertainment to the 
 young lady, who is under Dame Margaret's protection, and 
 to forward her upon her journey to join them by the first 
 vessel sailing to Southampton, or if there be none sailing 
 thither, to send her at once by ship to Dover, whence they 
 can travel by land. One of the four men-at-arms shall be 
 an Englishman, and he can act as her spokesman by the 
 way. ' ' 
 
 " That will do most excellently," the count said, "and I 
 thank you heartily. As soon as I have finished my meal I 
 must ride for the camp again. I started early this morning 
 in order not to be observed ; in the first place because I did 
 not wish my daughter to be seen in her female dress, and in 
 the second because I would not that any should notice my 
 coming in this direction, and indeed we rode for the first 
 mile backwards along 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 in- 
 deed it is clear to me that the Duke of Burgundy must by 
 this time see that if the war goes on he will lose all Artois 
 and perhaps Flanders, and that therefore he must make peace, 
 and perhaps keep it until the royal army has marched away 
 and dispersed ; after that we may be sure that the crafty duke 
 will not long remain quiet. I have a trusty emissary in Bur-
 
 KATARINA 303 
 
 gundy's household, and as soon as the duke comes to the con- 
 clusion that he must beg for peace I shall have intelligence of 
 it, and shall give early news to the queen and to Aquitaine, 
 who would hail it with gladness ; for, seeing that the latter's 
 wife is Burgundy's daughter, he does not wish to [jress him 
 hard, and would gladly see peace concluded." 
 
 An hour later the count rode off with his two followers, 
 after taking an affectionate leave of his daughter, and telling 
 her that it would not be long before he joined her — if only 
 for a time — in England. Before he went Guy had chosen 
 the woman who. with her two daughters, was to accompany 
 Katarina, 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 not tired we might take a ride. 
 We have some hawks here, and now that tlie liarvest has 
 been gathered we shall doubtless find sport witli 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 brought up, and tliey started and remained out 
 until supper-time, bringing home with them some seven or 
 eight i)artridges that had been killed by the hawks. Guy 
 suggested that perhaps she would prefer to have the meal 
 served in 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, won- 
 dered to himself at the change that some nine or ten months 
 had made in her. 
 
 " I suppose she feels strange and lonely," he said to him- 
 self. " She was merry enough when we were out hawking ; 
 but directly we got back again she seemed quite unlike her-
 
 304 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 self. I suppose it is be cause I always used to treat her as if 
 she were a boy, and now that she has grown up into a woman 
 she 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 besiegers before these could gather in 
 sufficient numbers to drive them in again, and all assaults 
 were repulsed with loss. The Castle of Belle Moote, near 
 Arras, also repulsed all the efforts of the king's army to take 
 it. Foraging parties of Orleanists committed terrible devas- 
 tations in the country round, but gained no advantage in their 
 rttacks on any fortified i)lace. 
 
 On the 29th of August the Duke of Brabant arrived with 
 some deputies from Flanders to negotiate a peace between 
 Burgundy and the king. They were well received, and an 
 armistice was at once arranged. The French troops were 
 suffering severely from disease, and the failure of all their at- 
 tempts to capture Arras made them ready to agree willingly 
 upon a peace. This was accordingly concluded on the 4th of 
 September, and the next day the royal army marched away. 
 
 Three weeks after Katarina had gone to England, Sir 
 Eustace himself, to Guy's great joy, arrived at the castle, 
 bringing with him his esquire and eight men-at-arms, as well 
 as the three serving-women and their escort. As soon as his 
 pennon was seen Guy leapt on a horse that was standing sad- 
 dled in the court-yard, and rode to meet them. As he came 
 up he checked his horse 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."
 
 KATARTN.A 305 
 
 Guy bent low to his lather. 
 
 "I am right glad to see you," the latter said, "and to 
 hear such good accounts of you. Dame Margaret and Mis- 
 tress Agnes were never tired of singing 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 own castellan for the present. And in truth things 
 are so ([uict in England that Summerley could well go on 
 without a garrison, so Sir Eustace suggested that T should 
 accompany him hither, where, however, just at present things 
 have also a peaceful aspect. The young countess arrived 
 safely, Guy, and was heartily welcomed, the more so since, as 
 your letter told me, it is to her father that we owe it that w-e 
 did not have the king'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 in the court -yard, and they hailed the 
 return of their lord with hearty cheers, while the retainers of 
 Summerley were no less pleased at seeing Sir John Aylmer. 
 "And now. Guy," said Sir Eustace, " I will tell you why I 
 have come hither. It is partly to see after the estate, to hear 
 the complaints of my vassals and to do what I can for them, 
 and in the ne.xt place 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 knights and nobles, 
 amounting in the whole to 600 horse. They go to treat for 
 the marriage of the princess of France with the English king. 
 I had an audience with the king at Winchester as soon as we 
 heard that the royal army was marching towards Artois. and 
 he gave assurance that he would instruct the governor of 
 20
 
 306 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Calais to furnish what assistance he could should the castle be 
 attacked, and that he himself would at once on hearing of it 
 send a remonstrance to the King of France, urging that I, 
 as a vasssl of his as well as of France, had avoided taking 
 any part in the troubles, and had ever borne myself as a loyal 
 vassal of his Majesty. 
 
 " He was at Winchester when the young countess arrived, 
 and I rode over to him to tell him that I had news that it was 
 not probable that Villeroy would be attacked. It was then 
 that his Majesty informed me that the Earl of Dorset with a 
 large body of nobles would ere long cross the Channel for the 
 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 to the former defence of the castle, and 
 how Dame Margaret had fared when, as he had heard, she 
 was obliged to go as a hostage to Paris. I told him all that 
 had befallen her, at which he seemed greatly interested, and 
 bade me present you to him at the first opportunity. 
 
 " ' He must be a lad after my own heart,' he said, ' and 
 he shall have an opportunity of winning his spurs as soon 
 as may be, which perchance is not so 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 this marriage which has been so long talked of 
 may not take place, and that the negotiations have been 
 continued solely for the purpose of keeping him quiet while 
 France was busied with her own troubles. Moreover, I know 
 that the king has been already enlisting men, that he is impa- 
 tient at having been put off so often with soft words, and that 
 this embassy is intended to bring matters to a head ; therefore
 
 KATARINA 307 
 
 if, as I gathered from some of my friends at his court, he is 
 eager for fighting, it may be diat liis ambassadors will demand 
 conditions which he is sure beforehand the King of France 
 will not grant. At any rate I shall ride with Dorset to Paris; 
 whatever the sentiments of the Burgundians or Orleanists may 
 be towards me will matter nothing, riding as I shall do in the 
 train of the earl. I am going to take you with me, as well as 
 John Harpen, for I must do as well as others, and have had to 
 lay out a goodly sum in garments fit for the occasion, for the 
 king is bent uj^on his embassy making a brave show. Your 
 father will be castellan here in my absence. I shall also take 
 with me Long I'om and four of his archers, and five French 
 men-at-arms. I have brought some Lincoln-green cloth to 
 make fresh suits for the archers, and also material for those for 
 the men-at-arms." 
 
 Both Sir Eustace and Sir John Aylmer expressed great 
 satisfaction at the manner in which the new outworks had 
 been erected. 
 
 "Assuredly it is a strong castle now. Sir Eustace," Sir 
 John said, " and would stand a long siege even by a great 
 army." 
 
 "What is all that earth for in the corner, Guy?" Sir 
 Eustace asked as they re - entered the castle after having 
 made a survey of the new works. 
 
 " I had that brought in, my lord, to fill sacks, of which I 
 had three hundred made, so that if guns and battering 
 machines were brought against us, we might cover the wall 
 at the place they aimed at with sacks hanging closely to- 
 gether, and so break the force of the stones or the cannon 
 balls." 
 
 " Excellently well arranged, Guy. You thought. Sir 
 John, that I was somewhat rash to leave the defence solely 
 to the charge of this son of yours, but you see the lad was
 
 308 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 ready at all points, and I will warrant me that the castle 
 would have held out under him as long a time as if you 
 and I both had been in command of it." 
 
 It was not until January, the year being 1414, that the 
 Earl of Dorset and a great company arrived at Calais. As 
 they passed not far from the castle they were joined by 
 Sir Eustace and his retinue. The king's wishes had been 
 carried out, and the knights and nobles were so grandly 
 attired and their retinues so handsomely appointed that 
 when they rode into Paris the people were astonished at 
 the splendour of the spectacle. A few days after they 
 reached the capital the king gave a great festival in honour 
 of the visitors, and there was a grand tournament at which 
 the king and all the princes of the blood tilted. The 
 English ambassadors were splendidly entertained, but their 
 proposals were considered inadmissible by the French court, 
 for Henry demanded with Katherine the duchy of Nor- 
 mandy, the county of Pontieu, and the duchy of Aquitaine. 
 
 No direct refusal was given, but the king said that he 
 would shortly send over an embassy to discuss the condi- 
 tions. Many handsome pre.sents were made to all the 
 knights and noblemen, and the embassy returned to Eng- 
 land. Sir Eustace left them near Villeroy with his party, 
 and stayed two days at the castle. Sir John Aylmer said 
 that he would prefer that Guy should return home with 
 Sir Eustace and that he himself should remain as castellan, 
 for he thought that there was little doubt that war would 
 soon be declared ; he said that he himself was too old to take 
 the field on active service, and preferred greatly that Guy 
 should ride with Sir Eustace. Long Tom made a petition 
 to his lord that he too should go to England for a time. 
 
 " If there was any immediate chance of fighting here, my 
 lord," he said, "I would most willingly remain, but seeing
 
 KATARINA 309 
 
 that at present all is quiet, I would fain return, were it but 
 for a month ; for 1 have a maid waiting for me, and have, 
 methinks, kept her long enough, and would gladly go home 
 and fetch her over here. ' ' 
 
 The request was at once granted, and Sir Eustace, his 
 two esquires, and the archer rode to Calais, and crossed with 
 the company of the Earl of Dorset. 
 
 For some months Guy remained quietly at Summerley. 
 Agnes, though nearly sixteen, was still but a young girl, 
 while Katarina had grown still more womanly during the 
 last six months. The former always treated him as a brother, 
 but the latter was changeable and caj)ricious. Occasion- 
 ally she would laugh and chat when the three were alone, 
 as she had done of old in Paris, but more often she would 
 tease and laugh at him, while sometimes she would be shy 
 and silent. 
 
 "I cannot make out the young countess, my lady," he 
 said to Dame Margaret when Katarina had been teasing 
 him even more than usual. '"She was never like this in 
 Paris, and 1 know not that I have done aught to offend 
 her that she should so often pick up my words, and berate 
 me for a meaning they never had." 
 
 "You see, things have changed since then," Dame 
 Margaret said with a smile; "'tis two years since you 
 were in Paris, and Katarina, although but little older than 
 Agnes, is already a young woman. You were then still 
 under seventeen, now you are nineteen, and in growth and 
 statm'e well-nigh a man. You can hardly expect her to be 
 the same with you as when she was running about Paris in 
 boy's attire, for then you regarded her rather as a comrade 
 than as a girl. I think, perhaps, it is that she a little re- 
 sents the fact that you knew her in that guise, and therefore 
 feels all the less at her ease with you. Do not trouble about
 
 310 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 it, the thing will right itself in time ; and besides, you will 
 shortly be going off to the war." 
 
 In fact, preparations were being already made for it. A 
 French embassy of nobles and knights, with three hundred 
 and fifty horsemen, had come over, and, after passing through 
 London, had gone to Winchester, and there met the king 
 and his great lords. The Archbishop of Bourges, who was 
 their spokesman, at once set forth that the king could not 
 hand over so large a portion of his kingdom, but that he 
 would give with his daughter large estates in France, to- 
 gether with a great sum in ready money. This offer was re- 
 fused, and preparations for war went on in both countries. 
 France was, indeed, but in poor condition to defend itself, 
 for the Duke of Aquitaine had seriously angered both parties. 
 He had made a pretext to get the great lords to ride out 
 from Paris, he being with them ; but he had secretly re- 
 turned, and had ordered the gates to be closed, had called 
 the citizens 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 a distance, and surrounding himself with young 
 nobles as reckless and dissipated as himself, led a life of 
 disorder, squandering money on his pleasures, and heavily 
 taxing the city for his wants. The Duke of Burgundy, in- 
 dignant at the treatment of his daughter, sent an ambassador 
 to demand that she should be taken back, and that all the 
 persons, five hundred in number, who had been exempted 
 from the terms of the treaty, should be allowed to return to 
 Paris. Both requests were refused, and the consequence was 
 that the Duke of Burgundy, with his partisans, returned to his 
 own country in deep anger ; he would take no part in the war 
 against the English, although he permitted his vassals to do so. 
 
 In July the English levies gathered at Southampton. The
 
 KAIARINA 311 
 
 king was to have embarked immediately, and a great fleet 
 had been collected tor the purpose ; but, as he was on the 
 point of sailing, Henry obtained news of a plot against 
 his life on the part of Sir Thomas Grey, Lord Scroop, and 
 Richard, Earl of Cambridge, the king's cousin. As Scroop 
 was in constant attendance upon the king and slept in his 
 room, the cons[Hrators had little doubt that their purpose 
 could be carried out, their intention being to proclaim the 
 Earl of March king, and to summon assistance from Scot- 
 land. The three conspirators were tried by a jury and were 
 all found guilty. Grey was beheaded, but his companions 
 claimed to be tried again by their peers. No time was lost 
 in carrying out the trial ; all the lords assembled at South- 
 ampton were called together, and, after hearing the evidence, 
 at once found the two nobles guilty, and they were imme- 
 diately beheaded. 
 
 Orders were then given for the embarkation. Sir Eustace 
 had brought with him thirty archers and as many men-at- 
 arms, and, as they were waiting on the strand for the boats 
 that were to take them out to the ships to which they had l)een 
 appointed, the king, wdio was personally superintending the 
 operations, 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 at Calais I should have been joined by another fifty 
 stout Englishmen from Villeroy, and should we in our 
 marches pass near it I will draw them to me. 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 trusty gentleman, when, during the troubles, he was in 
 Paris with my wife. Step forward, Guy I " 
 
 The latter did so, saluted the king, and stood erect in niili- 
 tarv attitude.
 
 312 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 "You have begun well." the king said graciously; "and 
 I hereby request your lord that in the day of battle he will 
 permit you to fight near me, and if you bear yourself as well 
 when fighting for your king as you did when looking after 
 your lady mistress, you shall have your share of honours as 
 well as of blows. ' ' 
 
 The king then rode on, and Sir Eustace and Guy took 
 their places in a boat where the men had already em- 
 barked. 
 
 "This is something like, Master Guy," said Long Tom, 
 who was in command of the archers. "It was well indeed 
 that I asked to come home to England when I did, else had I 
 been now mewed up at Villeroy while my lord was fighting 
 the French in the open field. Crecy was the last time an 
 English king commanded an army in battle against France ; 
 think you tha^ we shall do as well this time ? " 
 
 "I trust so, Tom; methinks we ought assuredly not to 
 do worse. It is true that the French have been having more 
 fighting of late than we have, but the nobles are less united 
 now than they were then, and are likely to be just as head- 
 strong and incautious as they were at Crecy. I doubt not 
 that we shall be greatly outnumbered, but numbers go for lit- 
 tle unless they are well 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 their blood is up and they 
 see us facing them. We may be sure, at any rate, that we 
 shall be well led, for the king has had much experience 
 against the Scotch and Welsh, and has shown himself a good 
 leader as well as a brave fighter. I hope, Tom, that you 
 iiave by this time come to be well accustomed to your new- 
 bow." 
 
 " That have I. I have shot fourscore arrows a day with 
 it from the time I reached home, not even omitting my wed-
 
 KATARINA 313 
 
 ding day, and 1 ihink lliat now I make as good shooting with 
 it as r did with my old one. 'Tis a pity we are not going to 
 Calais; if we had been joined by thirty archers there we 
 should have made a bra\c show, and more than tiiat, they 
 would have done good service, for they are picked men. A 
 t'ew here may be as good, but not many. You sec wlien we 
 last sailed with our lord the times were peaceful, and we were 
 able to gather the best shots for fifty miles round, but now 
 that the king and so many of the nobles are all calling for 
 archers we could not be so i)articular, and have had to take 
 what we could get ; still, 1 would enlist none who were not 
 fair marksmen." 
 
 This conversation took ])iace as they were dropping down 
 Southampton waters. Their destination was known to be 
 Harfleur, which, as it was strongly fortified and garrisoned, 
 was like to offer a sturdy resistance. The fleet was a great 
 one, consisting of from twelve to fourteen hundred sail, which 
 the king had collected from all the ports of England and 
 Ireland, or hired from Holland and Friesland. The army 
 consisted of six thousand five hundred horsemen and twenty- 
 four thousand footmen of all kinds. 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 and their 
 horses occupied three days, the French, to the surprise of all, 
 permitting the operation to be carried on without let or hin- 
 drance, although the ground was favourable for their attacks. 
 As soon as the landing was effected the army took up its posi- 
 tion so as to prevent any supplies from entering the town. 
 They had with them an abundance of machines for battering 
 the walls, and these were speedily planted, and they began 
 their work. 
 
 The garrison had been reinforced by four hundred knights and 
 picked men-at-arms, and tbught with great determination and
 
 314 AT AOIXCOURT 
 
 valour, making several sorties from the two gates of the town, 
 There were, however, strong bodies of troops always stationed 
 near to guard the engines from such attacks, and the Frencli 
 sorties were not only repulsed, but their knights had much 
 difficulty in winning their way back to the town. The enemy 
 were unable to use their cannon to much effect, for a large 
 supply of gunpowder sent by the French king was, on the day 
 after the English landed, captured on its way into the town. 
 The besiegers lost, however, a good many men from thq cross- 
 bowmen who manned the walls, although the English archers 
 endeavoured to keep down their shooting by a storm of ar- 
 rows. The most formidable enemy, however, that the Eng- 
 lish had to contend with was dysentery, brought on by the 
 damp and unhealthy nature of the ground upon which they 
 were encamped. No less than two thousand men died, and 
 a vastly larger number were so reduced by the malady that 
 they were useless for fighting. The siege, however, was car- 
 ried on uninterruptedly. The miners who had been brought 
 over drove two galleries under the walls, and the gates were 
 so shattered by stones and cannon-balls that they scarce hung 
 together. 
 
 The garrison surrendered after having by the permission 
 of the English king sent a messenger to the King of France, 
 who was at Vernon, to say that unless they were succoured 
 within three days they must surrender, as the town was al- 
 ready at the mercy of the English, and received for answer 
 that no army was as yet gathered that could relieve them. 
 
 In addition to the ravages of dysentery the English army 
 had suffered much from want of food. Targe bodies of 
 French troops were gathered at Rouen and 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 was gathered, together with enough provisions to
 
 AGINCOURT 315 
 
 afford a bare subsistence to the army. A considerable 
 amount of booty was also obtained when Harfleur fell. 
 The greater portion of the inhabitants of the town were 
 forced to leave it, the breaches in the walls \\ere repaired 
 and new gates erected. A portion of the treasure obtained 
 w-as divided by the king among the troops. The i)risoners 
 and the main portion of the booty — which, as Harfleur was 
 the 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 of war. The sick and ailing were 
 then embarked on shii)s, with a considerable fighting force 
 under the Earl of Warwick. They were ordered to touch 
 at Calais, where the fighting-men were to be landed and the 
 sick carried home, and Henry then prepared to march to 
 Calais by land. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 A(;INX(JURT 
 
 THE English king waited some time for an answer to a 
 challenge he had sent to the Duke of Afpiitaine to de- 
 cide their quarrel by single combat ; but Aquitaine cared 
 more for pleasure than for fighting, and sent no answer to 
 the cartel. It was open to Henry to have proceeded by sea 
 to Calais, and it was the advice of his counselloi-s that he 
 should do so; but the king declared that the l''rench .should 
 never say that he w;is afraid to meet them, and that as the 
 country was his by right he would march wherever he 
 pleased across it ; and so, after leaving a thousand archers 
 and five hundred men-at-arms under the command of the
 
 316 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Duke of Exeter, he set out on the 6th of October on his 
 adventurous journey. 
 
 Accounts differ as to the number that started with him, 
 some French historians put it as high as 17,000, but it is 
 certain that it could not have exceeded nine thousand men, 
 of whom two thousand were men-at-arms and the rest archers. 
 Now, while the siege of Harfleur had been going on, the 
 arrangements for the embarkation of the troops and stores 
 carried out, and the town put in a state of defence, troops 
 had been marching from all points 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, the latter 
 under the command of the constable. 
 
 The English force marched by the sea-shore until it ar- 
 rived at the river Somme. No great resistance was en- 
 countered, but large bodies of the enemy's horse hovered 
 near and cut off all stragglers, and rendered it difficult to 
 obtain food, so that sickness again broke out among the 
 troops. On reaching the Somme Henry followed its left 
 bank up, intending to cross at the ford of La Blanche-Tache, 
 across which Edward the Third had carried his army before 
 fighting at Crecy. 
 
 The French, as on the previous occasion, held the ford ; 
 but they this time had erected defences on each of the banks, 
 and had strong posts driven into the bed of the river. Still 
 ascending along the river bank the English found every bridge 
 broken and every ford fortified, while a great body 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 in vain to force a passage. Seven days were spent 
 in these attempts ; the troops, suffering terrible hardships, 
 were disheartened at their failure to cross the river, and at 
 finding themselves getting farther and farther from the sea.
 
 AGINCOURT 317 
 
 On the morning of the 19th, however, a ford was discovered 
 which had not been staked. The English vanguard at once 
 made a dash across it, repulsed its defenders on the other 
 bank, and the whole army with its baggage, which was of 
 scanty dimensions, swarmed across the river. 
 
 Sir Eustace, with his little force, now reduced to half its 
 number, w-as, 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 the river, while the 
 archers, slinging their bows behind them, drew their axes and 
 followed. For a short time there was a desperate conflict, 
 but as reinforcements hurried across, the fight became more 
 even and the French s[)eedily gave way. When the king had 
 crossed he thanked Sir Eustace for his prompt action. 
 
 " Had you waited to send back for orders," he said, " the 
 French w^ould have come up in such numbers that the ford 
 would not have been won without heavy loss, whereas by 
 dashing across the moment it was discovered, you took the 
 defenders by surprise and enabled us to get over without the 
 loss of a single man." 
 
 The constable, disconcerted at finding that all his plans for 
 keeping the English on the left bank of the river were foiled, 
 fell back to St. Pol in Artois. Henry followed, but without 
 haste. His small force was greatly reduced by sickness, while 
 by this time the whole of the royal army had marched round 
 and joined that of the constable. On the day after the pas- 
 -sage had been effected three heralds arrived in the English 
 camp to acquaint the king with the resolution of the con- 
 stable'and of the Dukes of Orleans 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 his way or to 
 change the order of his march ; he intended to go on straight 
 by the road to Calais, and if the French attempted to stop
 
 318 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 him it would be at their peril ; he accordingly continued to 
 advance at the same rate as before. 
 
 The constable fell back from St. Pol and took up his post 
 between the villages of Ruissanville and Agincourt, where, 
 having received all the reinforcements he expected, he deter- 
 mined to give battle. On the 24th the English crossed the 
 Ternois at Blangi, and soon afterwards came in sight of the 
 enemy's columns. These fell back as he advanced, and to- 
 wards evening he halted at the village of Maisoncelles, within 
 half a mile of the enemy's position. Fortunately provisions 
 had been obtained during the day's march ; these were 
 cooked and served out, and the English lay down to sleep. 
 The king sent for Sir Eustace. 
 
 "You know this ground well, I suppose, Sir Eu.stace," he 
 said, " for your Castle of Villeroy is not many miles distant ? " 
 
 " 'Tis but six miles away," the knight replied. " It is a 
 good ground to fight on, for facing it are fields, and on either 
 flank of these are large woods, 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 as strong as they are I should feel less confident 
 that we should defeat them ; their numbers will hinder them, 
 and the deep wet ground wall hamper their movements. As 
 for ourselves, I would not have a man more with me if 1 
 could ; the fewer we are the greater the glory if we conquer, 
 while if we are defeated the less' the loss to England. Does 
 your young esquire also know; the ground. Sir Eustace ? " 
 
 "Yes, sire; he has, I knoV, often ridden here when hawk- 
 ing." 
 
 " Then let him go with four of my officers, who are about 
 to reconnoitre the ground and see where we had best fight." 
 
 Guy was accordingly called up and started with tlie officers. 
 He first took them up to the wood on the right of the French
 
 AGINCOURT 319 
 
 division, then they moved across 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 all was quiet. The 
 men after a hearty meal had lain down to sleep, heeding little 
 the wet ground and falling rain, exhausted by their long 
 marching, and in good spirits, — desperate though the odds 
 seemed against them, — that they were next day to meet their 
 foes. In the French camp all was noise and confusion. Each 
 body of troops had come on the ground under its own com- 
 mander, and shouts, orders, and inquiries sounded from all 
 quarters. Many of the Frenchmen never dismounted all the 
 night, thinking it better to remain on horseback than to lie 
 down on wet ground. Great fires were lighted and the sol- 
 diers gathered round these, warming them.selves and drinking, 
 and calculating the ransoms to be gained by the capture of the 
 king and the great nobles of England. Knights and men-at- 
 arms rode about in search of their divisions, their horses slip- 
 ping and floundering in the deep clay. 
 
 Passing along the line of the French army Guy and the offi- 
 cers proceeded to the wood on the left, and satisfied them- 
 selves that neither there nor on the other flank had any large 
 body of men been posted. They then returned and made their 
 report to the king. Guy wrapped himself in his cloak and lay 
 down and slept until the moon rose at three o'clock, when the 
 whole army awoke and prepared for the day's work. The 
 English king ordered the trumpeters and other musicians who 
 had been brought with the army to play merry tunes, and these 
 during the three hours of darkness cheered the spirits of the 
 men and helped them to resist the depressing influence of the 
 cold night air following upon their sleep on the wet ground. 
 The French, on the other hand, had no manner of musical in- 
 struments with their army, and all were fatigued and depressed 
 by their long vigil.
 
 320 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 The horses had suffered as much as the men from damp, 
 sleeplessness, and want of forage. There was, however, no 
 want of confidence in the French army — all regarded victory 
 as absolutely certain. As the English had lost by sickness 
 since they left Harfleur fully a thousand men out of the 
 9,000, and as against these were arrayed at least a hundred 
 thousand — some French historians estimate them at 150,000 
 — comprising most of the chivalry of France, the latter might 
 well regard victory as certain. There were, however, some 
 who were not so confident ; among these was the old Duke 
 of Berri, who had fought at Poitiers sixty years before, and 
 remembered how confident the French were on that occasion, 
 and how disastrous was the defeat. His counsel that the 
 English should be allowed to march on unmolested to Calais, 
 had been scouted by the French leaders, but he had so far 
 prevailed that the intention that Charles should place himself 
 at the head of the army was abandoned. 
 
 "It would be better," the duke had urged, " to lose the 
 battle than to lose the king and the battle together." 
 
 As soon as day broke the English were mustered and formed 
 up, and three masses were celebrated at different points in 
 order that all might hear. When this was done the force was 
 formed up into three central divisions and two wings, but the 
 divisions were placed so close together that they practically 
 formed but one. The whole of the archers were placed in ad- 
 vance of the men-at-arms. Every archer, in addition to his 
 arms, carried a long stake sharpened at both ends, that which 
 was to project above the ground being armed with a sharp tip 
 of iron. When the archers had taken up their positions these 
 stakes were driven obliquely into the ground, each being firmly 
 thrust in with the strength of two or three men. As the arch- 
 ers stood many lines deep, placed in open order and so that 
 each could shoot between the heads of the men in front of
 
 AGINCOURT 331 
 
 him, there were sufficient stakes in front of the line to form 
 a thick and ahiiost impassable chevaux-de-frise. The baggage 
 and horses were sent to the rear, near the village of Maison- 
 celles, under a guard of archers and men-at-arms. When all 
 the arrangements were made, the king rode along the line from 
 rank to rank, saying a few words of encouragement to each 
 group of men. He recounted to them the victories that had 
 been won against odds as great as those they had to encounter, 
 and told them that he had made up his own mind to conquer or 
 die, for that England should never have to pay ransom for him. 
 
 The archers he fired especially by reminding them that 
 when the Orleanists had taken Soissons a few months before 
 they had hung up like dogs three hundred English archers be- 
 longing to the garrison. He told them that they could ex])ect 
 no mercy, for that, as the French in other sieges had committed 
 horrible atrocities upon their own countrymen and country- 
 women, they would assuredly grant no mercy to the English ; 
 while the latter on their march had burned no town nor vil- 
 lage, and had injured neither man nor woman, so that God 
 would assuredly fight for them against their wicked foes. The 
 king's manner as much as his words aroused the enthusiasm of 
 the soldiers ; his expression was calm, confident, and cheerful, 
 he at least evidently felt no doubt of the issue. 
 
 The Duke of Berri had most strongly urged on the council 
 that the French should not begin the attack. They had done 
 so at Crecy and Poitiers with disastrous effect, and he urged 
 them to await the assault of the English. The latter, however, 
 had no intention of attacking, for Henry had calculated upon 
 the confusion that would surely arise when the immense 
 French army, crowded up Ijetween the two woods, endeav- 
 oured to advance. The men were therefore ordered to sit 
 down on the ground, and food and some wine were served 
 out to them.
 
 322 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 The constable was equally determined not to move; the 
 French therefore also sat down, and for some hours the two 
 armies watched each other. The constable had, however, 
 some difficulty in maintaining his resolution. The Duke of 
 Orleans and numbers of the hot-headed young nobles clam- 
 oured to be allowed to charge the English. He himself 
 would gladly have waited until joined by large reinforcements 
 under the Duke of Brittany and the Marshal de Loigny, who 
 were both expected to arrive in the course of the day. As 
 an excuse for the delay, rather than from any wish that his 
 overtures should be accepted, he sent heralds to the English 
 camp to offer Henry a free passage if he would restore Har- 
 fleur, with all the prisoners that he had made there and on his 
 march, and resign his claims to the throne of France. Henry 
 replied that he maintained the conditions he had laid down 
 by 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 shortly be largely reinforced, and that 
 were he to delay his march, even for a day or two, his army 
 would be starved. 
 
 Perceiving at last that the constable was determined not to 
 begin the battle, he sent off two detachments from the rear of 
 his army, so that their movements should be concealed from 
 the sight of the French. One of these, composed of archers, 
 was to take post in tlie wood on the left hand of the French, 
 the other was to move on through the wood, to come down 
 in their rear, and to set on fire some barns and houses there, 
 and so create a panic. He waited until noon, by which time 
 he thought that both detachments would have reached the 
 posts assigned to them, and then gave the orders for the ad- 
 vance. The archers were delighted when their" commander. 
 Sir Thomas Erpingham, repeated the order. None of them 
 had put on his armour, and many had thrown off their jerkins
 
 AGiNcouRT :]•>:] 
 
 so as to have a freer use of their arms eitlier for bow or axe. 
 Each man phicked up his stake, and the whole inuxed tor- 
 ward in orderly array until witliin bow-shot of the enemy. 
 Then the archers again stuck their stakes into the ground, 
 and, taking up their position as before, raised a mighty shout 
 as they let fly a volley of arrows into the enemy. 
 
 The shout was echoed from the wood on the French left, 
 and the archers there at once plied their bows, and from both 
 flank and front showers of arrows fell among the French. As 
 originally formed up, the latter's van should have been 
 covered by archers and cross-bowmen, but, from the anxiety 
 of the knights and nobles to be first to attack, the footmen 
 had been pushed back to the rear, a position which they were 
 doubtless not sorry to occupy, rememljering how at Crecy the 
 cross - bowmen had been trampled down and slain by the 
 French knights, desirous of getting through them to attack 
 the English. Therefore, there stood none between the 
 archers and the French array of knights, and the latter suf- 
 fered heavilv from the rain of arrows. Sir Clucnet de Bra- 
 bant was the first to take the offensive, and with twelve hun- 
 dred men-at-arms charged down ui)on the archers with loud 
 shouts. The horses, however, were stiff and weary from 
 standing so long in order; the deep and slippery ground, 
 and the weight of their heavily-armed riders caused them to 
 stagger and stumble, and the storm of arrows that smote them 
 as soon as they got into motion added to the disorder. 
 
 So accurate was the aim of the archers, that most of the 
 arrows struck the knights on their helmets and vizors. Many 
 fell shot through the brain, and so terrible was the rain of 
 arrows that all had to bend down their heads so 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 and turning aside added to the confiision. And
 
 384 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 when at length Sir Chignet and the leaders reached the line 
 of stakes in front of the archers, only ab®ut a hundred and 
 fifty of the twelve hundred men were behind them. 
 
 The horses drew uj) on reaching the hedge of stakes. 
 Their riders could give them no guidance, for without deign- 
 ing to move from their order the archers continued to keep up 
 their storm of arrows, which at such close quarters pierced all 
 but the very finest armour, while it was certain death to the 
 knights to raise their heads to get a glance at the situation. 
 The horses, maddened with the pain of the arrows, soon set- 
 tled the matter. Some turned and rushed off madly, carrying 
 confusion into the ranks of the first division, others galloped 
 off to the right or left, and of the twelve hundred men who 
 charged, three only broke through the line of stakes, and 
 these were instantly killed by the bill-hooks and axes of the 
 archers. 
 
 The second line of battle was now in disorder, broken by 
 the fugitive men and horses of Sir Clugnet's party, smitten 
 with the arrows to which they had been exposed as that party 
 melted away, and by those of the English archers in the wood 
 on their flank. The confusion heightened every moment as 
 wounded knights tried to withdraw from the fight, and others 
 from behind struggled to take their places in front. Soon the 
 disorder became terrible. The archers plucked up their stakes 
 and ran forward ; the French line recoiled at their approach 
 in order to get into fairer order; and the archers, 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 they had retired they had come into newly-ploughed 
 ground, which had been so soaked by the heavy rain that the 
 horses sank in the deep nuid to their knees, iiiany almost to 
 their bellies. Into the midst of this helpless crowd of armed
 
 AGINCOURT 33§ 
 
 men the English arcliers bin-st. Embarrassod by their strug- 
 gling horses, scarcely able to wield their amis in the press, see- 
 ing but scantily, and that only in front through the narrow 
 slits of their vizors, the chivalry of France died almost unre- 
 sistingly. 
 
 The Constable of France and many of the highest nobles 
 and most distinguished knights fell, and but few of the first 
 line made their escape ; the.se, passing through the second di- 
 vision, in order to draw up behind, threw this also into some 
 confusion. The Duke de Brabant, who had just 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 up their ranks. The archers would have 
 attacked them, but the king caused the signal for them to halt 
 to be sounded, and riding up formed them in order again. 
 The French were unable to take advantage of the moment to 
 try and recover 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 of their own and their 
 riders' armour sunk them deeply. 
 
 " Now, my lords," the king said, turning to those around 
 him, "our brave archers have done their share; it is our 
 turn;" and then, as arranged, all dismounted and marched 
 forward against the enemy. 
 
 In accordance with his orders, Sir Eustace de V'illeroy and 
 Guy were posted close to the king, while John Harpen led the 
 men-at-arms from Summerley. For u time the battle raged 
 fiercely. Jn the centre fought tJK- king with his nobles and 
 knights ; while the archers, who had most of them thrown off 
 their shoes and were able to move lightly over the treacherous 
 ground, threw themselves upon the enemy's flanks, and did 
 dreadful execution there. In the centre, however, the prog-
 
 B2Q AT AGINCOURT 
 
 ress of the English was slower. The French knights made 
 the most desperate efforts to attack the king himself, and 
 pressed forward to reach the royal banner. His brother, the 
 Duke of Clarence, was wounded, and would have been killed 
 had not the king himself, with a few of his knights, taken 
 post around him, and kept off the attacks of his foes until he 
 recovered his feet. Almost immediately afterwards a band of 
 eighteen knights, under the banner of the I>ord of Croye, 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 head with a mace that the king was beaten to 
 his knee, but his knights closed in round him, and every one 
 of his assailants was killed. 
 
 The Duke of Alen<;on next charged down with a strong 
 following ; he cut his way to the royal standard, and struck 
 the Duke of York dead with a blow of his battle-axe. Henry 
 sprung forward, but Alenc^on's weapon again fell, and striking 
 him on the head clipped off a portion of the crown which 
 Henry wore round his helmet. But before the French knight 
 could repeat the stroke Guy Aylmer sprung forward and 
 struck so heavy a blow full on the duke's vizor that he fell 
 from his horse dead. His fall completed the confusion and 
 dismay among the French, and the second division of their 
 army, which had hitherto fought gallantly, now gave way. 
 Many were taken prisoners. The third division, although 
 alone vastly superior in numbers to 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 
 the English rear. Two or three French knights, with a body 
 of several hundred armed peasants, had suddenly fallen upon 
 the English baggage and horses which had been left at Maison- 
 celles. Many of the guard had gone off to join in the battle, 
 so that the attack was successful, a portion of the baggage,
 
 AGINCOURT 337 
 
 including the king's own wardrobe, and a great number of 
 horses being captured. 
 
 Ignorant of the strength of the attacking party, Henry 
 believed that it was the reinforcements under the Duke of 
 Brittany that had come up. At the same moment the third 
 division of the French, whose leaders were also similarly 
 deceived, halted and faced round. Believing that he was 
 about to be attacked in front and rear by greatly superior 
 forces, Henry gave the order that all prisoners should be 
 killed, and the order was to a great extent executed before 
 the real nature of the attack was discovered and the order 
 countermanded. The third division of the French now con- 
 tinued its retreat, and the battle was over. There remained 
 but to examine the field and see who had fallen. 
 
 The king gave at once the name of Agincourt to the 
 battle, as this village possessed a castle, and was therefore 
 the most important of those near which the fight had taken 
 place. Properly the name should have been Azincourt, as 
 this was the French spelling of the village. The loss of the 
 French was terrible, and their chivalry had suffered even 
 more than at Poitiers. Several of the relations of the French 
 king were killed. The Duke of Brabant, the Count de Nevers, 
 the Duke of Bar and his two brothers, the constable, and 
 the Duke of Alengon all perished. No less than a hundred 
 and twenty great lords were killed, and eight thousand 
 nobles, knights, and esquires lost their lives, with some 
 thousands of lower degree, while the Duke of Orleans, the 
 Duke of Bourbon, and many others were taken prisoners. 
 
 The accounts of the English loss differ considerably, the 
 highest placing it at sixteen hundred, the lowest at one- 
 fourth of that number. The plunder taken by them in the 
 shape of costly armour, arms, rich garments, and the trap- 
 pings of horses, was great ; but of food there was but little,
 
 338 AT AGlNCOrRT 
 
 and many of the victors lay down supperless around the 
 village of Maisoncelles. 
 
 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 unfortunate massacre of so many prisoners, fell 
 into great disgrace among the French for their conduct, and 
 were imprisoned for some years by the Duke of Burgundy. 
 
 That evening the English king knighted many esquires 
 and aspirants of noble families, among them Guy Aylmer, 
 who was indeed the first to receive the honour. 
 
 "No one fought more bravely than you did, young 
 knight," he said, as Guy rose to his feet after receiving the 
 accolade ; " I will see that you have lands to support your 
 new dignity. Twice you were at my side when I was in 
 the greatest danger, and none have won their spurs more 
 fairly." 
 
 John Harpen would also have been among those knighted, 
 but he declined the honour, saying that he was not come of 
 gentle blood, and wished for nothing better than to remain 
 his lord's esquire .so long as he had strength to follow him in 
 the field. 
 
 The next morning the army marched to Calais. The 
 king turned aside with Sir Eustace, and with a strong party 
 rode to Villeroy. Guy had gone on with the men-at-arms at 
 daybreak, and a banquet had been prepared, and twenty cart- 
 loads of grain and a hundred bullocks sent off to meet the 
 army on its march. 
 
 " 'Tis a fine castle. Sir Eustace," the king said as he rode 
 in, " but truly it is perilously situated. If after this I can 
 make good terms with France I 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 its 
 sale, and I will see that you are equally well bestowed in
 
 AfilNCOUFiT 329 
 
 England, for in truth, after fighting for us at Agincourt, you 
 are like to have but little peace here." 
 
 "■ I would gladly do so, my lord king," Sir Eustace replied. 
 "During the last three years it has been a loss rather than 
 a gain to me. I have had to keep a large garrison here ; the 
 estate has been wasted, and the houses and barns burned. 
 Had it not been that there was for most of the time a truce 
 between England and France I should have fared worse. 
 And now 1 may well 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 have enough to do for a wliiie to mourn their 
 losses. I will not leave behind any of your brave fellows 
 who have fought so hard iiere, but when I arrive at Calais 
 will order two hundred men of the garrison to come over 
 to reinforce you until you can make arrangements to get rid 
 of the castle, if it is not to remain within my territory." 
 
 Sir Eustace introduced Sir John .'Vylmer as the father of 
 the newly-made knight. 
 
 " You have a gallant son. Sir John," the king said, " and 
 one who is like to make his way to high distinction. I 
 doubt not that before we have done with 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 could not resist an army with cannon and machines." 
 
 " I have long seen that, your majesty, and have felt that I 
 should have to choose between Fingland and F" ranee, for that, 
 when war broke out again, I could not remain a vassal of both 
 countries. 
 
 " It shall be my duty to show you that you have not 
 chosen wrongly. Sir Eustace. I cannot promise to maintain 
 you here, for you might be attacked when I have no army
 
 330 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 with which I could succour you. As soon as I return home 
 and learn which of those who have fallen have left no heirs, 
 and whose lands therefore have come into my gift, I will then 
 make choice of a new 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. On arriving there the king 
 held a council, and it was finally determined to return to 
 England. The force under his command was now but the 
 skeleton of an army. Fresh men and money were required 
 to continue the war, and he accordingly set sail, carrying 
 with him his long train of royal and noble prisoners. The 
 news of the victory created the greatest enthusiasm in Eng- 
 land. At Dover the people rushed into the sea and carried 
 the king to shore on their shoulders. At Canterbury and the 
 other towns through which he passed he received an enthu- 
 siastic welcome, while his entry into London was a triumph. 
 Every house was decorated, the conduits ran with wine in- 
 stead of water, and the people were wild with joy and en- 
 thusiasm. Great subsidies were granted him by Parliament, 
 and the people in their joy would have submitted to any 
 taxation. However, throughout his reign Henry always 
 showed the greatest moderation ; he kept well within con- 
 stitutional usages, and his pleasant, affable manner secured 
 for him throughout his reign the love and devotion of his 
 subjects. 
 
 On his arrival at Calais Guy discovered that among the 
 prisoners was his friend Count Charles d'Estournel. 
 
 " I am grieved indeed to see you in this plight," he ex- 
 claimed as he met him. 
 
 " 'Tis unfortunate truly, Aylmer, but it might have been 
 worse ; better a prisoner than among the dead at Agincourt," 
 the light-hearted young count said; " but truly it has been
 
 AGINCOURT 331 
 
 an awful business. Who could have dreamt of it ? I 
 thought myself that the council were wrong when they 
 refused all the offers of the towns to send bodies of footmen 
 to fight beside us ; had they been there, they might have 
 faced those terrible archers of yours, for they at least would 
 have been free to fight when we were all but helpless in that 
 quagmire. I see that you have knightly spurs on, and I con- 
 gratulate you." 
 
 "Now, Count, what can I do to ensure your release at 
 once ? Whose prisoner are you ? ' ' 
 
 " I surrendered to one John Parsons, an esquire, and I 
 shall, of course, as soon 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 that of Sir Eustace, before Harfleur, and 
 we saw much of each other, and often rode together on the 
 march. If I gave him my guarantee for your ransom, I 
 doubt 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, "which will, I know, be given readily, after the 
 service you rendered to his dame, and it may be that you 
 will have it in your power to do him a service in return." 
 He then told the count of the intention of Sir Eustace to sell 
 the estate, or rather to arrange for its transfer. 
 
 "It is held directly from the crown," he said, "but just 
 at present the crown is powerless. Artois is everywhere 
 Burgundian, and it would certainly be greatly to the advan- 
 tage of Burgundy that it should be held by one of his fol- 
 lowers, while it would be to the safety of France that it 
 should be held by a Frenchman, rather than by one who is 
 also a vassal of England."
 
 332 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " I should think that that could be managed," the count 
 said thoughtfully. " 1 will speak to my father. I am, as 
 you know, his second son, but through my mother, who is 
 a German, 1 have an estate on the other side of the Rhine. 
 This I would gladly exchange — that is to say, would part 
 with to some German baron — if I could obtain the fief of 
 Villeroy. I have no doubt that Burgundy would not only 
 consent, but would help, for, as you know by the manner 
 in which your lady was made a hostage, he looked with 
 great jealousy on this frontier fortress, which not only gives 
 a way for the English into Artois, but which would, in the 
 hands ot an Orleanist, greatly aid an invasion of the prov- 
 ince from Pontoise and the west. And, although the court 
 would just at present object to give the fief to a Burgundian, 
 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 should be paid ; and, be- 
 fore sailing, Guy had the satisfaction of seeing his friend 
 mount and ride for St. Omar with a pass through the Eng- 
 lish territory from the governor. 
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 PENSHURST 
 
 AFTER accompanying the king to London Sir Eustace and 
 Guy rode to Summerley, where Long Tom and his com- 
 panions had already arrived, having marched thither direct 
 from Dover. There were great rejoicings at the castle. Not
 
 "KAIAKINA s\VI II A HKll' ( I K 1 >K\ , A M i W IM i i| i- Willi A 
 
 MKRRV LAUGH."
 
 PENSHURST 333 
 
 only the tenants, bnt people from a long way round came 
 in to join in welcoming home two of the heroes of Agin- 
 court. The archer had already brought news of Guy having 
 been knighted, and he was warmly congratulated by Dame 
 Margaret and by Agnes, who received him with her usual 
 sisterly affection. Katarina, also, congratulated him, but 
 it was with 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." 
 
 " I am not sure. Countess Katarina — since we are to be 
 ceremonious to each other — that I do quite know, for since 
 I returned from France last time, 1 have seldom understood 
 you ; one moment you seem to me just as you used to be, 
 at another you hold me at a distance, as if I were well-nigh 
 a stranger." 
 
 Katarina shrugged her shoulders. " What would you have, 
 Guy ? One can't be always 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, 1 shall not 
 presume to tease you 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 thaji ever. 
 
 That evening he received the news that during the absence 
 of Sir Eustace and himself Sir William Bailey, a young 
 knight who.se estates lay near, had asked for the hand of 
 Agnes, and that, although Dame Margaret had been unable 
 to give an answer (hiring her lord's absence, Agnes would 
 willingly submit herself to her father's orders to wed Sir 
 William.
 
 334 AT AGIN COURT 
 
 Guy remained for some months quietly at Summerley. 
 The Emperor Sigismund had paid a visit to England, and 
 then to Paris, to endeavour to reconcile the two countries. 
 His mediation failed. Henry offered, as a final settle- 
 ment, to accept the execution, on the part of France, of 
 the treaty of Trepigny. Nothing, however, came of it, for 
 there was no government in France capable of making a 
 binding treaty. In spite of the disgrace and the slaughter of 
 the nobles at Agincourt there was no abatement of the in- 
 ternal dissensions, and the civil war between Burgundy and 
 Armagnac was still raging, the only change in affairs being 
 that the vicious and incapable Duke of Aquitaine had died, 
 and the queen had once again gone over to the Burgundian 
 faction. Count Charles d'Estournel had carried into effect 
 the mission with which he had charged himself. Burgundy 
 had eagerly embraced the opportunity of attaching to his side 
 the castle and estates of Villeroy, and he and the Count 
 d'Estournel between them raised a sum of money which was 
 paid to Sir Eustace for the relinquishment to Burgundy of the 
 fief, which was then bestowed upon Count Charles. 
 
 The sum in no way represented what would now be con- 
 sidered the value of the estate, but in those days, when fiefs 
 reverted to the crown or other feudal superior upon the 
 death of an owner without heirs, or were confiscated upon 
 but slight pretence, the money value was far under the real 
 value of the estate. Sir Eustace was well satisfied, however, 
 with the sum paid him. Had his son Henry lived he had in- 
 tended that the anomalous position of the lord of Villeroy, 
 being also a vassal of England, should have been got rid of 
 by one of his sons becoming its owner, 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 the possibility of this arrangement, and Charlie would now
 
 PENSHURST 335 
 
 become, at his father's death, Lord of Summerley and of such 
 other English lands as could be 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 over the marriage of Agnes with Sir William 
 Bailey. The king had not forgotten his promise to Sir 
 Eustace, and had raised him to the title of Baron Eustace 
 of Summerley, and had presented him with a royal manor 
 near Winchester. Guy was summoned to court to take part 
 in the festivities that were held during the visit of Sigismund, 
 and the king said to him pleasantly one day : 
 
 " I have not forgotten you, Sir Guy; but I have had many 
 to reward, and you know importunate suitors, and those who 
 have powerful connections to keep their claims ever in front, 
 obtain an advantage over those who are content to hold them- 
 selves in the back -ground." 
 
 " I am in all ways contented, your majesty. I have lived 
 all my life in the household at Summerley, and am so much 
 one of my lord's family that I have no desire to quit it. 
 Moreover, my father has just returned from Villeroy with 
 the garrison of the castle, and it is a great pleasure to me 
 to have his society again." 
 
 " I thought that some day you would have married Dame 
 Margaret's fair daughter, after acting as their protector in 
 the troubles in Paris, but I hear that she is betrothed to Sir 
 WiUiam Bailey." 
 
 " Such an idea never entered my mind, your majesty. She 
 was but a child in those days, not so much in years as in 
 thought, and brought up together as we 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 after the marriage of Agnes, Harfleur was be- 
 sieged by the French by land and water, and the Earl of
 
 336 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 Dorset, its governor, sent to England for aid. The king 
 sent hasty orders to his vassals of Kent, Surrey, and Hamp- 
 shire, to march with their retainers to Rye, where a fleet was 
 to gather for their conveyance. A body of archers and men- 
 at-arms were also sent thither by the king, and the Duke of 
 Bedford, his brother, appointed to the command of the ex- 
 pedition. Sir Eustace was suffering somewhat from the effects 
 of a fever, the seeds of which he had contracted in France, 
 and he accordingly 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 they started on their march to the seaport. " I don't 
 mind fighting, that comes in the way of business, but to see 
 men rotting away like sheep with disease is not to my fancy." 
 
 " We shall have no fighting on land, Tom," Guy replied, 
 " at least I expect not. When the French see that the garri- 
 son is reinforced they will probably give up the siege, though 
 we may have a fight at sea with the French ships that are 
 blockading the town and preventing provisions from reaching 
 the garrison. Doubtless we shall take a good store of food 
 with us, and the French will know well enough that as we had 
 such hard work in capturing the town, they can have no chance 
 whatever of taking it by assault when defended by us." 
 
 Guy and his party had a small ship to themselves, with 
 which he was well content, as, being but a newly-made knight, 
 he would, had he been in a large ship, have been under the 
 orders of any others who chanced to be with him ; while he 
 was now free to act as he chose. The voyage was favourable, 
 but when the fleet arrived off" the mouth of the Seine they 
 found that the work before them was far more serious than 
 they had expected. In addition to their own fleet, which was 
 itself considerably stronger than the English, the besiegers had 
 hired the aid of some great Genoese vessels, and a number of
 
 PENSHURST 337 
 
 galleys, caravels, and many high -decked ships from Spain. 
 They occupied a strong position off the town, and could be 
 supported by some of the siege batteries. The English fleet 
 lay to at the mouth of the Seine, and at night the captains of 
 the troops on board the various ships were rowed to Bedford's 
 ship, which displayed a light at the mast-head, so that the 
 fleet could all lie in company round her. Here after much 
 discussion a plan for the battle next day was agreed upon. 
 The enterprise would have been a very hazardous one, but, 
 happily, at daybreak the French ships were seen coming out 
 to give battle. Confident in their superior numbers, and anx- 
 ious to revenge their defeat at Agincourt, the French com- 
 manders were eager to reap the whole glory of victory with- 
 out the assistance of their allies, whose ships remained anch- 
 ored in the river. 
 
 Bedford at once made the signal to attack them, and a des- 
 perate fight ensued. Great as was the slaughter in those days 
 in l)attles on land, it was far greater in sea-fights. Except to 
 knights and nobles, from whom ransom could be obtained, 
 quarter was never given to prisoners either by land or sea, 
 consequently as soon as soldiers in a land battle saw that fort- 
 une was going against them they fled. But on sea there was 
 no escape; every man knew that it was either death or vic- 
 tory, and therefore fought with determination and obstinacy 
 to the end. The two first French ships that arrived were 
 s|)eedily captured, but wlicn the rest came up a desperate bat- 
 tle took i)lace. Guy was on the point of ordering his ship to 
 be laid alongside a French craft little larger than his own, 
 when his eye fell upon a great ship carrying the flag of a 
 French admiral, and at once diverting the course of his vessel, 
 he ran alongside her. The archers were on the bow and stern 
 castles of his ship, and as they came within a short distance of 
 the Frenchman, they sent their arrows thick and fast into the 
 
 22
 
 338 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 crowded mass on her deck. Two grapnels, to each of which 
 were attached twenty 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 from boarding by holding 
 the vessels apart by thrusting out light spars and using their 
 spears. 
 
 The French had a few cross-bowmen on board, but Guy, 
 running up on to the castle at the bow, where Long Tom him- 
 self was posted, bade him direct the fire of his men solely 
 against them, and in a very short time the discharge of mis- 
 siles from the French ship ceased. In vain the French at- 
 tempted to bring the ships alongside each other by throwing 
 grapnels ; the ropes of these were cut directly they fell, and 
 although many of the English spears were hacked in two, 
 others were at once thrust out, and the spars, 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 there 
 was no great difference in point of sailing. The English sail- 
 ors were vigilant, and when the Frenchman brailed up his great 
 sail, so as to fall behind, they at once followed his example. 
 At the end of a quarter of an hour the effect of the arrows of 
 the thirty archers was so great that there was much confusion 
 on board the enemy, and Guy thought that, comparatively 
 small as his force was, an attack might be made. So the spars 
 were suddenly drawn in and the chains hauled upon. The 
 archers caught up their axes and joined the men-at-arms, and 
 as the vessels came together they all leapt with a great shout 
 upon the enemy's deck. 
 
 The French knights, whose armour had protected them to 
 some extent from the slaughter that the arrows had effected 
 among the soldiers, fought bravely and rallied their men to 
 resistance; but with shouts of " Agincourt ! " the men-at- 
 arms and archers, led by Guy, — who now for the first time
 
 PENSHURST 339 
 
 fought in his knightly armour, — were irresistible. They had 
 boarded 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 and gradually won their way along it. 
 After ten minutes' hard fighting the French admiral and 
 knights were pent up on the fore castle, and defended the lad- 
 der by which it was approached so desperately that Guy or- 
 dered Tom, with a dozen of the archers, to betake themselves 
 to the English fore castle and to shoot from there, and in a 
 short time the French leaders lowered their swords and sur- 
 rendered. The French flag at the stern had been hauled down 
 and that of England hoisted as .soon as they boarded, and the 
 latter was now run up to the mast-head amid the loud hurrahs 
 of the English. 
 
 The moment the French surrendered, Guy called to his 
 men to cease from slaying and to disarm the prisoners, who 
 were still much more numerous than themselves. The com- 
 mon men he told to take to their boats and row away, while 
 the admiral and knights were conducted to the cabin, and a 
 guard placed over them. As soon as this was done Guy looked 
 round ; the battle was still raging and many of the French 
 ships had been captured, but others were defending themselves 
 desperately. Twelve of Guy's men had been killed, and several 
 of the others more or less severely wounded, and seeing that 
 his countrymen did not need his assistance, he ordered the 
 decks to be cleared and the dead bodies thrown overboard. 
 In a cpiarter of an hour, the last French ship had been taken. 
 There was now breathing time for half an hour, during which 
 the Duke of Bedford, whose shiji lay not far from Guy's prize, 
 had himself rowed on board. 
 
 "All have done well to-day. Sir Guy Aylmer, but as- 
 suredly the feat you have performed surpasses any of the 
 others, seeing that you have captured this great ship with one
 
 340 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 of the smallest in our fleet. Their crew must have 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 the cabin." 
 
 " I will see him later," the duke said ; " we are now going 
 to attack the Genoese 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 leave ten in charge of this prize. I have 
 suffered the French soldiers, after disarming them and the 
 sailors, to leave in their boats, and ten men will therefore be 
 sufficient to hold her. If your grace can spare me thirty men- 
 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, and twenty to fill the jilaces of those of your 
 men who have fallen. I can spare ten from my own ship 
 and will borrow twenty from such of the others as can best 
 spare them . ' ' 
 
 In a few minutes the thirty men came on board, with a sub- 
 officer to take charge of the prize. Guy returned with his 
 own men and twenty new-comers to his vessel, and sailed in 
 with the fleet to attack the great ships of the Cienoese and 
 Spaniards at their moorings. As they approached they were 
 received with a heavy cannonade from the enemy's ships and 
 shore batteries, but witliout replying they sailed on and 
 ranged themselves alongside the enemy, their numbers per- 
 mitting them to lay a vessel on each side of most of the great 
 caravels. Their task was by no means an easy one, for the 
 sides of these ships were fifteen feet above those of the low 
 English vessels, and they were all crowded with men. Never- 
 theless, the English succeeded in boarding, forcing their way 
 in through port-holes and windows, clambering up the bows
 
 PENSHURST 341 
 
 by the carved work, or running out on their yards and swing- 
 ing themselves by ropes on to the enemy's deck, while the 
 cannon plied them with shot close to the water-line. 
 
 Most of the ships were taken by boarding, some were sunk 
 with all on board, a few only escaped by cutting their cables 
 and running up the Seine into shallow water. The loss of 
 life on the part of the French and their allies in this brilliant 
 British victory was enormous. With the exception of those 
 on board the few ships which escaped, and the men sent off 
 in the boats by Guy, the whole of the crews of the French, 
 Genoese, and Spaniards, save only the nobles and knights 
 put to ransom, were killed, drowned, or taken prisoners, and 
 during the three weeks that the English fleet remained off 
 Harfleur, the sailors were horrified by the immense number 
 of dead bodies that were carried up and down by the tide. 
 Harfleur was revictualled and put into a state of defence, and 
 the Duke of Bedford then sailed with his fleet to England, hav- 
 ing achieved the greatest naval victory that England had ever 
 won save when Edward the Third, with the Black Prince, 
 completely defeated a great Spanish fleet off the coast of Sus- 
 sex, with a squadron composed of ships vastly inferior both in 
 size and number to those of the Sj^iniards, which contained 
 fully ten times the number of fighting men carried by the 
 English vessels. 
 
 This great naval victory excited unbounded enthusiasm in 
 England. The king gave a great banojuet to the Duke of 
 Bedford and his principal officers, and by the duke's orders 
 Ciuy attended. Before they sat down to the table the duke 
 presented his officers individually to the king. Guy. as the 
 youngest knight, was the last to be introduced. 
 
 "The duke has already spoken to me of the right valiant 
 deeds that you accomplished. Sir Guy Aylmer," the king said 
 as he bowed before him, " and that with but a small craft
 
 342 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 and only sixty men-at-arms and archers you captured the ship 
 of the French admiral, which lie estimates must have carried 
 at least three hundred men. We hereby raise you to the rank 
 of knight-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 and Piverley 
 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 approval of your bravery at Harfleur, the two manors 
 are the debt we owe you for your service at Agincourt. We 
 have ordered our chancellor to make out the deeds, and to- 
 morrow you will receive them from him and take the oaths." 
 
 Guy knelt and kissed the hand that the king held out to 
 him, and acknowledged the royal gift in fitting words. On 
 the following day, after taking the oaths for his new pos- 
 sessions, he mounted, and the next day rode into Summerley. 
 Here to his surprise he found the Count of Montepone, who 
 had arrived, by way of Calais and Dover, a few days pre- 
 viously. He was suffering from a severe wound, and when 
 Guy entered rose feebly from a chair by the fire, for it was 
 now October and the weather was cold. His daughter was 
 sitting beside him, and Lady Margaret was also in the room. 
 Lord Eustace and Sir John Aylmer had met Guy as he dis- 
 mounted below. 
 
 " So you have gone through another adventure and come 
 out safely," the count said after Guy had greeted him. 
 " Truly you have changed greatly since you left Paris, well- 
 nigh three years ago. It was well that Maitre Leroux had 
 the armour made big for you, for I see that it is now none too 
 large. I too, you see, have been at war ; but it was one in 
 which there was small honour, though, as you see, with some 
 risk, for it was a private duel forced upon me by one of the
 
 PENSHURST 343 
 
 Armagnac knights. Up to that time my predictions had 
 wrought me much profit and no harm. I had told Aquitaine 
 and other lords who consulted me that disaster would happen 
 when the French army met the English. That much I read 
 in the stars. And though, when Henry marched north from 
 Harfleur with so small a following, it seemed to me that 
 victory could scarce attend him against the host of France, I 
 went over my calculations many times and could not find that 
 I had made an error. It was owing greatly to my predic- 
 tions that the duke readily gave way when the great lords 
 persuaded him not to risk his life in the battle. 
 
 " Others whom I had warned went to their death, in some 
 cases because they disbelieved me, in others because they 
 preferred death to the dishonour of drawing back. One of 
 the latter, on the eve of the battle, confided to a hot-headed 
 knight in his following that I had foretold his death ; and in- 
 stead of quarrelling with the stars, the fool seemed to think 
 that I had controlled them, and was responsible for his lord's 
 death. So when in Paris some months since, he publicly in- 
 sulted me, and being an Italian noble as well as an astrologer, 
 I fought him the next day. I killed him, but not before I re- 
 ceived a wound that laid me up for months, and from which 
 I have not yet fairly recovered. While lying in Paris I de- 
 cided upon taking a step that I had for some time been medi- 
 tating. I could, when Katarina left Paris with your lady, 
 have well gone with her, with ample means to live in comfort 
 and to furnish her with a fortune not unfitted to her rank as 
 my daughter. 
 
 " During the past three years the reputation I gained by my 
 success in saving the lives of several persons of rank, increased 
 so rapidly that money has flowed into my coffers beyond all 
 belief. There was scarcely a noble of the king's party who 
 had not consulted me. and since Agincourt the Duke of Aqui-
 
 344 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 taine and many others took no step whatever without coming 
 to me. But I am weary of the everlasting troubles of which 
 I can see no end, and assuredly the aspect of the stars affords 
 no ground for hope that they will terminate for years ; there- 
 fore, I have determined to leave France, and to practise my 
 art henceforth solely for my own pleasure. I shall open ne- 
 gotiations with friends in Mantua, to see whether, now that 
 twelve years have elapsed since I had to fly, matters cannot 
 be arranged with my enemies ; much can often be done when 
 there are plenty of funds wherewith to smooth away difficul- 
 ties. Still, that is in the future. My first 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, 
 which it has begun to do since I came here. I doubted on 
 my journey, which has been wholly performed in a litter, 
 whether I should arrive here alive." 
 
 "And now, father," Katarina said, " let us hear what Sir 
 Guy has been doing since he left ; we have been all full of 
 impatience since the news came four days ago that the Duke 
 of Bedford had destroyed a great fleet of French, Spanish, 
 and Genoese ships. ' ' 
 
 " Guy has had his share of fighting, at any rate," Lord 
 Eustace said, as he entered the room while the girl was speak- 
 ing, " for fifteen of our men have fallen ; and, as Long Tom 
 tells me, they had hot work of it, and gained much credit by 
 capturing single-handed a great French ship." 
 
 "Yes, we were fortunate," Guy said, " in falling across the 
 ship of the French admiral, Count de Valles. Our men all 
 fought stoutly, and the archers having cleared the way for us 
 and slain many of their crew, we captured 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 this fighting. De Valles's ship must have been a great
 
 PENSHURST 345 
 
 one, and if j'Oii took it with but your own sixty men it must 
 have been a brilhant action." 
 
 Guy then gave a full account of the fight, and of the sub- 
 sequent capture of one of the Spanish carracks with the aid of 
 another English ship. 
 
 "If the Duke of Bedford himself came on board," Lord 
 Eustace said, -'and sent 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 on board. Did 
 he speak to the king of it ? " 
 
 "He did, and much more strongly, it seems tome, than 
 the affair warranted, for at the banquet the day before yester- 
 day his majesty was graciously pleased to appoint me a 
 knight-banneret, and to bestow upon me the estates of Pens- 
 hurst, adding thereto the royal manors of Stoneham and 
 Piverley." 
 
 " A right royal gift ! " Lord Eustace said, while exclama- 
 tions of pleasure broke from the others. 
 
 " I congratulate you on your new honour, which you have 
 right worthily earned. Sir John, you may well be ])roud of 
 this son of yours." 
 
 "I am so, indeed," Sir John Aylmer said heartily. "I 
 had hu]jcd well of the lad, but had not deemed that he would 
 mount so rapidly. Sir Richard Fulk had a fine estate, and 
 joined now to the two manors it will be as large as those of 
 Summerley, even with its late additions." 
 
 "I am very glad," Dame Margaret said, "that the king 
 has apportioned you an estate so near us, for it is scarce fifteen 
 miles to l^enshurst, and it will be but a morning ride for you 
 to come hither." 
 
 " Methinks, wife," Lord Eustace said with a smile, "we 
 were somewhat hasty in tliat matter of Sir William Bailey, 
 for had we but waited Agnes might have done better."
 
 346 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " She chose for herself," Dame Margaret replied with an 
 answering smile. ' ' I say not that in my heart I had not 
 hoped at one time that she and Guy might have come to- 
 gether, for I had learnt to love him almost as if he had been 
 my own, and would most gladly have given Agnes to him had 
 it been your wish as well as theirs ; but I have seen for some 
 time past that it was not to be, for they were like brother and 
 sister to each other, and neither had any thought of a still 
 closer relation. Had it not been so I should never have fa- 
 voured Sir William Bailey's suit, though indeed he is a worthy 
 young man, and Agnes is happy with him. You have not 
 been to your castle yet, Guy?" she asked, suddenly chang- 
 ing the subject. 
 
 " No, indeed. Lady Margaret, I rode straight here from 
 London, deeming this, as methinks that I shall always deem 
 it, my home." 
 
 ' ' We must make up a party to ride over and see it to-mor- 
 row," Lord Eustace said. " 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 for the count, if 
 he thinks he could bear the journey. 
 
 " Methinks that I had best stay quietly here," the Italian 
 said. " I have had enough of litters for a time, and the shak- 
 ing might make my wound angry again." 
 
 " Nonsense, child! " he broke off as Katarina whispered 
 that she would stay with him ; "I need no nursing now ; you 
 shall ride with the rest." 
 
 Accordingly the next day the party started early. Charlie 
 was in high spirits ; he had grown into a sturdy boy, and was 
 delighted at the good fortune that had befallen Guy, whom 
 he had regarded with boundless admiration since the days in 
 Paris. Katarina was in one of her silent moods, and rode 
 close to Lady Margaret. Long Tom, who was greatly rejoiced
 
 PENSHURST 347 
 
 on hearing of the honours and estates that had been bestowed 
 on Guy, rode with two of his comrades in the rear of the 
 party. Penshurst was a strong castle, though scarcely equal in 
 size to Summerley ; it was, however, a more comfortable habi- 
 tation, having been altered by the late owner's father, who 
 had travelled in Italy, with a view rather to the accommoda- 
 tion of its inmates than its defence, and had been furnished 
 with many articles of luxury rare in England. 
 
 " A comfortable abode truly, Guy ! " his father said. " It 
 was well enough two hundred years since, when the country 
 was unsettled, for us to pen ourselves up within walls, but 
 there is little need of it now in England, although in France, 
 where factions are constantly fighting against each other, it is 
 well that every man should hold himself secure from attack. 
 Rut now that cannon are getting to so great a point of perfec- 
 tion, walls are only useful to repel sudden attacks, and soon 
 crumble when cannon can be brought against them. Methinks 
 the time will come when walls will be given up altogther, es- 
 pecially in England, where the royal power is .so strong that 
 nobles can no longer war with each other." 
 
 " However, Guy," Lord Eustace said, "'tis as well at pres- 
 ent to have walls, and strong ones ; and though I say not that 
 this place is as strong as Villeroy, it is yet strong enough to 
 stand a siege." 
 
 Guy spent an hour with the steward, who had been in charge 
 of the castle since the death of Sir Richard Fulk, and who had 
 the day before heard from a royal messenger that Sir Guy had 
 been appointed lord of the estates. The new owner learned 
 from him much about the extent of the feu, the number of 
 tenants, the strength that he would be called upon to furnish 
 in case of war, and the terms on \\ hich the vassals held their 
 tenure. 
 
 " Your force will bo well-nigh doubled," the steward said
 
 348 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 in conclusion, " since you tell me that the manors of Stone- 
 ham and Piverley have also fallen to you." 
 
 " 'Tis a fair country," Guy said as the talk ended, " and 
 one could wish for no better. " I shall return to Summerley 
 to-day, but next Monday I will come over here and take pos- 
 session, and you can bid the tenants, and those also of the two 
 manors, to come hither and meet me at two o'clock." 
 
 " Well, daughter," the Count of Montepone said to Kata- 
 rina as she was sitting by his couch in the evening, " so you 
 think that Penshurst is a comfortable abode ? " 
 
 " Yes, father, the rooms are brighter and lighter than these 
 and the walls are 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 sensible to 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 understand that such a marriage would be to your 
 liking?" 
 
 " Yes, father," she said frankly, " but I know not that it 
 would be to Sir Guy's." 
 
 " That is for me to find out," he said. " I asked Lady 
 Margaret a few days ago what she thought of the young 
 knight's inclinations, and she told me that she thought indeed 
 he had a great liking for you, but that in truth you 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,
 
 PENSHURST 349 
 
 when I knew not for certain that he thought aught of me, and 
 moreover, I could not guess what your intentions for me might 
 be." 
 
 " I should not have sent you where you would often be in 
 his company, Katarina, unless 1 had thought the matter over 
 deeply. It was easy to foresee that after the service he had 
 rendered you you would think well of him, and that, thrown 
 together as you would be, it was like enough that you should 
 come to love each other. I had cast your horoscope and his 
 and found that you would both be married about the same 
 time, though I could not say that it would be to each other. 
 1 saw enough of him during that time in Paris to see that he 
 was not only brave, but prudent and discreet. I saw, too, 
 from his affection to liis mistress, that he would be loyal and 
 honest in all he undertook, that it was likely that he would 
 rise to honour, 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 and you upon womanhood. I 
 marked his manner with his lady's daugliter and saw that she 
 would be no rival to you. Had it been otherwise I should 
 have yielded to your prayers, and have kept you with me in 
 France. Matters have turned out according to my expecta- 
 tion. I can give you a dowry that any English noble would 
 think an ample one with his bride ; and though Guy is now 
 himself well endowed he will doubtless not object to such an 
 addition as may enable him, if need be, to place in the field a 
 following as large as that which many of the great nobles are 
 bound to furnish to their sovereign. I will speak to him on 
 the subject to-morrow, Katarina." 
 
 Accordingly, the next morning at breakfast the count told 
 Guy that there was a matter on which he wished to consult him, 
 and the young knight renjained behind when the other mem- 
 bers of the family left the room to carry out their avocations.
 
 350 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 " Hast thought of a mistress for your new castle, Sir 
 Guy ? ' ' the count began abruptly. 
 
 Guy started at the sudden question, and did not reply at once. 
 
 " I have thought of one, Count," he said ; " but although, 
 so far, all that you told me long ago in Paris has come true, 
 and fortune has favoured me wonderfully, in this respect 
 she has not been kind, for the lady cares not for 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 a somewhat ill-mannered one. She mocks 
 me when I try to talk to her, shuns being left alone with me, 
 and in all ways shows that she has no inclination towards me, 
 but very much the contrary." 
 
 "Have you asked her straightforwardly?" the count in- 
 quired with a smile. 
 
 " No, I should only be laughed at for my pains, and it 
 would take more courage than is required to capture a great 
 French ship for me to put the matter to her." 
 
 " I fancy. Sir Guy, that you are not greatly versed in 
 female ways. A woman defends herself like a beleaguered 
 fortress. She makes sorties and attacks, she endeavours to 
 hide her weakness by her bravados, and when she replies 
 most disdainfully to a summons to capitulate, is perhaps on 
 the eve ol surrender. To come to the point, then, are you 
 speaking of my daughter ? ' ' 
 
 " 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 she is, she should not give a 
 thought to me who, at the best, can only claim to be a stout 
 man-at-arms ; as for my present promotion, I know that it 
 goes for nothing in her eyes."
 
 PENSHURST 351 
 
 " It may be as you say, Sir Guy ; but tell me, as a soldier, 
 before you gave up the siege of a fortress and retired would 
 you not summon it to surrender ? ' ' 
 
 " I should do so," Guy replied with a smile. 
 
 " Then it had better be so in this case. Sir Guy. You 
 say that you would willingly marry my daughter. I would 
 as willingly give her to you. The difficulty then lies with 
 the maiden herself, and it is but fair to you both that you 
 should yourself manfully ask her decision in the matter." 
 
 He went out of the room, and returned in a minute lead- 
 ing Katarina. " Sir Guy has a question to ask you, daugh- 
 ter," he said; "I pray you to answer him frankly." He 
 then led her to a seat, placed her there and left the room. 
 
 Guy felt a greater inclination to escape by another door 
 than he had ever felt 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 1 know well enough before- 
 hand what the answer will be. I desire above all things to 
 have you for a wife, and would give you a true and loyal 
 affection were you willing that it should be so, but T feel only 
 too well that you do not think of me as I do of you. Still, 
 as it is your father's wish that I should take your answer 
 from your lips, and as, above all things, I would leave it 
 in your hands without any constraint from him, I ask you 
 whether you love me as one should love another before 
 plighting her faith to him ? " 
 
 " Why do you say that you know what my answer will be, 
 Guy ? Would you have had me show that I was ready to 
 drop like a ripe peach into your mouth before 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 a boy than a girl ? Have you not smce
 
 352 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 borne with my humours ? I will answer your question 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 better or happier lot than to be your wife. 
 Had you asked me six months ago I should have said the 
 same, save that I could not have given you my hand until I 
 had my father's consent." 
 
 During the next month Guy spent most of his time at 
 Penshurst getting everything in readiness for its mistress. 
 Lord Eustace advanced him the monies that he was to re- 
 ceive for the ransoms of Count de Valles and the five knights, 
 and the week before the wedding he went up with the Count 
 of Montepone to London, and under his advice bought many 
 rich hangings and pieces of rare furniture to beautify the 
 private apartments. The count laid out a still larger sum of 
 money on Eastern carpets and other luxuries, as well as on 
 dresses and other matters for his daughter. On jewels he 
 spent nothing, having already, he said, " a sufficient store for 
 the wife of a royal duke." 
 
 On his return Guy called upon the king at his palace at 
 Winchester, and Henry declared that he himself would ride 
 to Summerley to be present at the wedding. 
 
 " You stood by me," he said, " in the day of battle, it is 
 but right that I should stand by you on your wedding-day. 
 Her father will, of course, give her away, and it is right that 
 he should do so, seeing that she is no ward of mine; but I 
 will be your best man. I will bring with me but a small 
 train, 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 not stay to tread a measure witli 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. Lord Eustace, in some sur-
 
 PENSHURST 353 
 
 prise, rode out to meet them, and was informed that the 
 king had ordered them to pitch a camp near the castle for 
 himself and his knights, and that he intended to tarry there 
 for the night. As soon as the waggons were unloaded the 
 attendants and men-at-arms set to work, and in a short time 
 the royal tent and six smaller ones were erected and fitted 
 with their furniture. Other tents were put up a short dis- 
 tance away for the grooms and attendants. This greatly re- 
 lieved Lady Margaret, for she had wondered where^ she could 
 bestow the king and his knights if, at the last moment, he 
 determined to sleep there. 
 
 For the ne.xt three days the castle was alive with prepara- 
 tions. Oxen and swine were slaughtered, vast quantities of 
 game, geese, and poultry were brought in, two stags from the 
 royal preserves at Winchester were sent over by the king, and 
 the rivers for miles round were netted for fish. At ten o'clock 
 Guy rode in with fifty mounted men, the tenants of Pens- 
 hurst, Stoneham, and Piverley, and these and all the tenants 
 of Summerley rode out under Lord Eustace and (iuy to meet 
 the king. They had gone but a mile when he and his train 
 rode up. He had with him the lOarl of Dorset and five of the 
 nobles who had fought at Agincourt and were all personally 
 acquainted with (iuy. The church at Summerley was a large 
 one, but it was crowded as it had never been before. The 
 king and his nobles stood on one side of the altar, while Lord 
 Eustace, his wife, Agnes, and Charlie were on the other. 
 Guy's tenants occupied the front seats, while the rest of the 
 church was filled by the tenants of Simimerley, their wives 
 and daughters, and the retainers of the castle, among them 
 Long Tom, with his pretty wife beside him. When every- 
 thing was in order the Count of Montepone entered tlie 
 church with his daughter, followed by the six prettiest 
 maidens on the Summerley estate. 
 23
 
 354 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 "In truth, Sir Guy," the king whispered as the bride and 
 her father came up the aisle, ' ' your taste is as good in love 
 as your arms are strong in war, for my eyes never fell on a 
 fairer maid." 
 
 After the ceremony there was a great banquet in the hall, 
 while all the tenants, with their wives and families, sat down 
 to long tables spread in the court-yard. After the meal was 
 over and the tables removed, the king and the party in the 
 banqueting-hall went out on the steps and were received with 
 tremendous cheering. Guy first returned thanks for himself 
 and his bride for the welcome that they had given him, and 
 then, to the delight of the people, the king stepped forward. 
 
 "Good people," he .said, "among whom there are, I 
 know, some who fought stoutly with us at Agincourt, you do 
 well to shout loudly at the marriage of this brave young 
 knight, who was brought up among you, and who has won by 
 his valour great credit, and our royal favour. Methinks that 
 he has won, also, a prize in his eyes even greater than the 
 honours that we have bestowed upon him, and I doubt not 
 that, should occasion occur, he will win yet higher honours 
 in our service." 
 
 A great shout of " God bless the king ! " went up from 
 the assembly. Then the party returned to the hall, while 
 casks of wine were broached in the court-yard. As Lord 
 Eustace had sent for a party of musicians from Winchester, 
 first some stately dances were performed in the hall, as many 
 as could find room being allowed to come into it to witness 
 them. The king danced the first measure with Katarina, the 
 Earl of Dorset led out Lady Margaret, and Guy danced with 
 Lady Agnes, while the other nobles found partners among the 
 ladies who had come in from the neighbourhood. After a 
 few dances the party adjourned to the court-yard, where games 
 of various kinds, dancing and feasting were kept up until a
 
 PENSHURST 355 
 
 late hour, when the king and his companions retired to their 
 tents. At an early hour next morning the king and his 
 retinue rode back to Winchester. 
 
 Until he signed the marriage contract before going to the 
 church, Guy was altogether ignorant of the dowry that Kata- 
 rina was to bring, and was astonished at the very large sum 
 of money, besides the long list of jewels, entered in it. 
 
 " She will have as much more at my death," the count said 
 ([uietly; "there is no one else who has the slightest claim 
 upon me." 
 
 Consequently, in the course of the wars with France, Guy 
 was able to put a contingent of men-at-arms and archers, far 
 beyond the force his feudal obligations required, in the field. 
 Long Tom was, at his own request, allowed by his lord to 
 exchange his small holding for a larger one at Penshurst, and 
 always led Guy's archers in the wars. 
 
 Sir John Aylmer remained at Summerley, refusing Guy's 
 pressing invitation to take up his abode at Penshurst. " No, 
 lad," he said ; "Lord Eustace and I have been friends and 
 companions for many years, and Lady Margaret has been 
 very dear to me from her childhood. Both would miss me 
 sorely did I leave them, the more so as Agnes is now away. 
 Moreover, it is best that you and your fair wife should be 
 together also for a time. 'Tis best in all respects. You are 
 but two hours' easy riding from Summerley, and I shall often 
 be over to see you." 
 
 Four years after his marriage the king promoted Guy to 
 the rank of Baron of Penshurst, and about the same time the 
 Count of Montepone, who had been for some months in Italy, 
 finding that his enemies at Mantua were still so strong that 
 he was unable to obtain a reversal of the decree of banishment 
 that had been passe dagainst him, returned to Penshurst. 
 
 " I have had more than enough of wandering, and would
 
 356 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 fain settle down here, Guy, if you will give me a chamber for 
 myself, and one for my instruments. I shall need them but 
 little henceforth, but they have become a part of myself, and, 
 though no longer for gain, I love to watch the stars, and to 
 ponder on their lessons ; and when you ride to the wars I 
 shall 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 in beautifying the castle, spending money freely in 
 adding to the private apartments, and decorating and furnish- 
 ing them in the Italian style, until they became the wonder 
 and admiration of all who visited them. In time he took 
 upon himself much of the education of Katarina's children, 
 and throughout a long life Guy never ceased to bless the day 
 when he and Dame Margaret were in danger of their lives at 
 the hands of the White Hoods of Paris. 
 
 THE END.
 
 " Wherever English is spoken one imagines that Mr. Henty's 
 name is known. One cannot enter a sclioolroom or look at a 
 boy's bookshelf without seeing half-a-dozen of his familiar 
 volumes. Mr. Henty is no doubt the most successful writer 
 for boys, and the one to whose new volumes they look forward 
 every Christmas with most p\&isu.rQ."— Review of Reviews. 
 
 ^ 
 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS' 
 CATALOGUE OF BOOKS 
 FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ^ 
 
 INCLUDING NEW WORKS BY G. A. HENTY, 
 G. M. FENN, S. BARING - GOULD, KIRK 
 MUNROE, F. FRANKFORT MOORE, GORDON 
 STABLES, ROBERT LEIGHTON, HARRY 
 COLLINGWOOD, ROSA MULHOLLAND, ALICE 
 CORKRAN, ETC. 
 
 «^ 
 
 153 TO 157 Fifth Avenue, New York
 
 BOOKS FOR TOUSG PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 NEW STORIES FOR THE SEASON OF 1896 
 
 AT AGINCOURT 
 
 A Tale of the White Hoods of Paris. With 12 full-page 
 Illustrations by Walter Paget. Crown 8vo, olivine 
 edges, $1.50. 
 
 The story begins in a grim feudal castle in Normandie, on the old 
 frontier between France and Englaud, where the lad Guy Aylmer had 
 gone to join his father's old friend Sir Eustace de Villeroy. The times 
 were troublous and soon the French king compelled Lady Margaret de 
 Villeroy with her children to go to Paris as hostages for Sir Eustace's 
 loyalty. Guy Aylmer went wi h her as her page and body-guard. Paris 
 was turbulent and the populace riotous. Soon the guild of the butchers, 
 adopting white hoods as their uniform, seized the city, and besieged 
 the house where our hero and his charges lived. After desperate fighting, 
 the white hoods were beaten and our hero and his charges escaped from ttie 
 city, and from France. He came back to share in the great battle of 
 Agincourt, and when peace followed returned with honor to England. 
 
 ON THE IRRAWADDY 
 
 A Story of the First Burmese War. With 8 full-page Illus- 
 trations by W. H. OvEKEND. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, 
 !$1.50. 
 
 The hero having an vmcle, a trader on the Indian and Burmese 
 rivers, goes out to join him. Soon after war is declared by Bur- 
 mah against England and he is drawn into it. His familiarity with the 
 Burmese cu>toms and language make him of such use that he is put 
 upon Sir Archibald Campbell's staff He has many experiences and 
 narrow escapes in battles and in scouting. With half-a-dozen men he 
 rescues his cousin who had been taken prisoner, and in the flight they are 
 besieged in an old ruined temple. His escape and ultimate successful 
 return to England shovv what a clear head with pluck can do. 
 
 WITH COCHRANE THE DAUNTLESS 
 
 A Tale of the Exploits of Lord Cochrane in South American 
 Waters. With 12 full-page Illustrations by W. H. 
 Maegetson. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 The hero of this story, an orphaned lad, accompanies Cochrane as 
 midshipman, and serves in the war between Chili and Peru. He has 
 many excting adventures in battles by sea and land, is taken prisoner 
 and condemned to death by the Inquisition, but escapes by a long and 
 thrilling fli<jht across South America and down the Amazon, piloted by 
 two faithful Indians. His pluck and coolness prove him a fit companion 
 to Cochrane the Dauntless, and his final success is well deserved.
 
 BOOKS FOR YOUXG PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 "Boys like stirring arlventures, and Mr. Henty is a master of this method 
 of composilioa."— JV'eio York Times. 
 
 A KNIGHT OF THE WHITE CROSS 
 
 A Tale of the Siege of Eliodes. With 12 full-page Illustra- 
 tions by Ralph Peacock, and a Plan. Crown 8vo, olivine 
 edges, ^1.50. 
 
 Gervaise Tresham, the hero of this story, joins the Order of the 
 Knights of St. John, and leaving England he proceeds to the stronghold 
 of iliiodes. Subsequently, Gervaise is made a Knight of the White 
 Cross for valor, while soon after he is appointed commander of a war- 
 galley, and in his first voyage destroys a fleet of Moorisli corsairs. Dur- 
 ing one of his cruises the young knight is attacked on shore, captured 
 after a desperate struggle, and sold into slavery in Tripoli. He succeeds 
 in escaping, however, and returns to Rhodes in time to take part in the 
 splendid defence of tliat fortress. Altogether a tine chivalrous tale of 
 varied interest and full of noble daring. 
 
 THE TIGER OF MYSORE 
 
 A Story of the War with Tippoo Sail). With 12 full-page 
 Illustrations by W. H. Maisgetson, and a Map. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 
 Dick Holland, whose father is supposed to be a captive of Tippoo Saib, 
 goes to India to help him to escape. He joins the army under Lord 
 Cornwallis, and takes part in the campaign against Tippoo. Afterwards, 
 he assumes a disguise, enters Seringapatam, the cap tal of Mysore, res- 
 cues 'J'ip[)Oo's harem from a tiger, and is appointed to high olKce by the 
 tyrant. In this capacity Dick visits the hill fortresses, still in search of 
 his father, and at last he discovers him in the great stronghold of .^avan- 
 droog. The hazardous rescue through the enemy's country is at length 
 accomplished, and the young fellow's dangerous mission is done. 
 
 THROUGH RUSSIAN SNOWS 
 
 A Story of Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow. With 8 full- 
 page Illustrations by W. H. Omskend, and 3 Maps. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, ^rl.50. 
 
 The hero, Julian Wyatt, after several adventures with smugglers, by 
 whom lie i« handed over a prisoner to the French, regains his freedom 
 and joins Napoleon's army in the Russian campaign, and reaches ]\I»i8cow 
 with the victorious Kraperor. Then, when the terrible retreat begins, 
 Julian finds himself in the rear guard of the French army, fighting des- 
 perately, league by league, against famine, snow-storms, wolves, and 
 Russians Ultimately he escapes out of the general di.saster, after rescu- 
 ing the daughter of a Russian Count; makes his way to St. Petersburg, 
 and then returns to England. A story with an excellent plot, exciting 
 adventures, and splendid historical interests.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOUXG PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 ' Here we have Mr. George Henty— the Boys' Own Author."— Punch. 
 
 WULF THE SAXON 
 
 A Story of the Norman Conquest. By G. A. Henty. With 
 12 full-page Illustrations by Ealph Peacock. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 
 The hero is a young thane who wins the favor of Earl Harold and be- 
 comes one of his retinue. When Harold becomes King of England Wulf 
 assists in the Welsh wars, and takes part against the Norsemen at the 
 Battle of .Stamford Bridge When William of Normandy invades Eng- 
 land, Wulf is with the English host at Hastings, and stands by his king 
 to the last in the mighty struggle. Altogether this is a noble tale. 
 Wulf himself is a rare example of Saxon vigor, and the spacious back- 
 ground of stormf ul history lends itself admirably to heroic romance. 
 
 BERIC THE BRITON 
 
 A Stoiy of the Boman Invasion. By G. A. Henty. With 
 12 full-page Illustrations by W. Pakkinson. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, §1.50. 
 
 This story deals with the invasion of Britain by the Roman legionaries. 
 Beric, who is a boy-chief of a British tribe, takes a prominpnt part in 
 the insurrection under Boadicea : and after the defeat of that heroic 
 queen (in AD. 62) he continues the struggle in the fen-country. Ulti- 
 mately Bene is defeated and carried captive to Rome where he is trained 
 in the exercise of arms in a school of gladiators. Such is the skill which 
 he there acquires that he succeeds in saving a Christian maid by slaying 
 a lion in the arena, and is rewarded by being made librarian in the palace, 
 and the personal protector of Nero. Finally he escapes from this irksome 
 sfrvice, organizes a band of outlaws in Calabria, defies the power of 
 Rome, and at length returns to Britain, where he becomes a wise ruler 
 of his own people. 
 
 WHEN LONDON BURNED 
 
 A Stoiy of the Plague and the Fire. By G. A. Henty. With 
 12 full-page Illustrations by J. Finnemobe. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 The hero of this story was the son of a nobleman who Lad lost his estates 
 during the troublous times of the Commonwealth. Instead of hanging 
 idly about the court seeking favors Cyril Shenstone determined to main- 
 tain himself by honest work. During the Creat Plague and the Great Fire, 
 which visited London with such terrible results. Sir Cyril wax prominent 
 among those who brought help to the panic-stricken inhabitants. This 
 tale has rich variety oiF interest, both national and personal, and in the 
 hero you have an English lad of the noblest type — wise, humane, and 
 unselfish.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOVXG PEOPLE' 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 "Surely Mr. Henty should understand boys' tastes better tban any man 
 U\ing."—T?te Times. 
 
 ST. BARTHOLOMEWS EVE 
 
 A Tale of the Huguenot Wars. By G. A. Henty. With 12 
 full-page Illustrations by H. J. Draper, and a Maj). 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 
 The hero, Philip Fletcher, is a right true English lad, but he has a 
 French connection on his mother's side. This kinship induces him to 
 cross the Channel in order to take a share in that splendid struggle for 
 freedom known a-i the Huguenot wars. Naturally he sides with the 
 Protestants, distinguishes himself in various battles, and receives rapid 
 promotion for the Zealand daring with which he carries out several secret 
 missions. It is an enthralling narrative throughout. 
 
 REDSKIN AND COW-BOY 
 
 A Tale of the Western Plains. By G. A. Henty. With 12 
 full-page Illustrations by Alfred Pearse. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 The central interest of this story is found in the many adventures of an 
 English lad who seeks employment as a cow-boy on a cattle ranch. His 
 experiences during a "round-up" present in picturesque form the toil- 
 some, exciting, adventurous life of a cow-hoy; while the perils of a 
 frontier settlement are vividly set forth in an Indian raid, accompanied 
 by pillage, capture, and recapture. The story is packed full of breezy 
 adventure. 
 
 WITH LEE IN VIRGINIA 
 
 A Story of the American Civil War. By G. A. Henty. With 
 10 full-imge Illusti'ations by Gordon Browne, and G Maps. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, "^1.50. 
 
 The ftory of a voung Virginian plantpr. who, after bravely proving his 
 sympathy with the s aves of brutal masters, serves with no less rourage 
 and enthui^iasm under Lee and .lackson tiirongh the most excitmg events 
 of the struggle. Hi^ has many liairljrcadth escapes, is several times 
 woimded, and twice taken prisoner; but his courape and readiness and, 
 in two cases the devotion of a black servant and of a runaway slave 
 whom he had assisted bring him safely through all difficulties. 
 
 THROUGH THE SIKH WAR 
 
 A Tale of the Conquest of the Punjaub. By G. A. Henty. 
 With 12 full-page Illustrations by Hal Hurst, and a 
 Map. Crown Svo, olivine edges, .S1.50. 
 
 Percy droves, a spirited English lad, joins his uncle in the Punjaub, 
 whero the natives are in a state of revolt. When the authorities at Lahore 
 proclaim war Percy joins the British force as a volunteer, and takes a 
 distinguished share in the famous battles of the Punjaub.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOUXG PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 " Ask for Henty, and see that you get him:'— Punch. 
 
 THE DASH FOR KHARTOUM 
 
 A Tale of the Nile Expedition, By G. A. Henty. With 10 
 full-page Illustratious by John Schonberg and J. Nash. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, ;B1.50. 
 
 In the record of recent British history there is no more captivating page 
 for boys than the story of the Nile campaign, and the attempt to rt-scue 
 General Gordon. For, in the difficulties which the expeditioa encount- 
 ered, in the perils which it overpassed, and in its final t>agic disappoint- 
 ments, are found all the excitements of romance, as well as the fascination 
 which belongs to real events. 
 
 BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE 
 
 A Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden, By G. A. Henty. With 
 12 full-page illustrations by Gordon Browne. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 
 The adventures of the son of a Scotch officer in French service. The 
 boy, brought up by a Glasgow bailie, is arrested for aiding a Jacobite 
 agent, escapes, is wrecked oa the French coast, reaches Paris, and serves 
 with the French army at Dettmgen. He kills his father's foe in a duel, 
 and escaping to the coast, shares the adventures of Prince Charlie, but 
 finally setDles happily in Scotland. 
 
 UNDER DRAKPS FLAG 
 
 A Tale of the Spanish Main. By G. A. Henty. With 12 
 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 A story of the days when England and Spain struggled for the suprem- 
 acy of the sea. Tae heroes sad as lads witli Drake in the PaLitic . xpe- 
 dition. and in his great voyage of circumnavigation. The historical 
 portion of the story is absolutely to be relied upon, but this will perhaps 
 be less attractive than the great vari^-ty of exciting adventure through 
 which the young heroes pass in the course of their voyages. 
 
 WITH WOLFE IN CANADA 
 
 Or, The Winning of a Continent. By G. A. Henty. With 12 
 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 Mr. Henty here gives an account of the struggle between Bri'ain and 
 Prince for supremacy in the No-th American continent. The fall of 
 Quebec decided that' the Ancrlo-Saxon race should predominatp in the 
 New World; and that Enjlish and American commerce, the English 
 language, and English literature, should spread right round the globe.
 
 books; for rouxG people 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 ' Mr. Henty Is one of the best of story-tellers for young people."— Spectator. 
 
 BY PIKE AND DYKE 
 
 A Tale of the Pdse of the Dutch Kepublic. By G. A. Hentt. 
 With 10 full-page Illustrations by Maynakd Brown, aud 
 4 Maps. Crowu 8vo, olivine edges, S1.50. 
 
 In this .'Story Mr. Henty traces the adventures and brave deeds of an 
 English boy in the household of the ablest man of his age -William the 
 Silsnt. Edward Martin, the son of an Eni^lish sea-captain, enters the 
 service of the Princj as a volunteer, and is employed by him in many 
 dangerous and responsible missi ns, in the discharge of wrhich he passes 
 through the great sieges of the time. 
 
 BY ENGLAND'S AID 
 
 Or, The Freeing of the Netherlands (1585-1G04). By G. A. 
 Henty. With 10 fnll-pag(> Illustrations by Alfked Pearse, 
 and 4 Maps. Crown Svo, olivine edges, §1.50. 
 
 The story of two English lads who go to Holland as pages in the service 
 of one of "'"the lighting Veres " After many adventures by sea and land, 
 one of the lads finds himself on board a Spanish ship at the time of the 
 defeat of the Armada, and escapes only to fall into the hands of the Cor- 
 sairs. He is successful in getting back to Spain, and regains his native 
 country after the capture of Cadiz. 
 
 IN THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES 
 
 A Story of Adventure in Colorado. By G. A. Henty. With 
 8 "full-page Illustrations by G. C. Hindley. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, §1.50. 
 
 From first to hist this is a story of splendid hazard. The hero, Tom 
 Wade, goes to seek his uncle m Colorado, who is a hunter and gold- 
 digger, and he is discovered, after raa-iy dangers, out on the plains wit,h 
 some comrades, doing in quest of a gold mine the little band is spied 
 by Indians, chased across the Bad Lands, and overwhelmed by a snow- 
 storm in the mountains. 
 
 BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST 
 
 Or, With Cortcz in Mexico. By G. A. Henty. With 10 full- 
 page Illustrations by W. 8. Stacey, aud 2 Maps. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, §1.50. 
 
 With the Conquest of Mexico as the ground-work of his story, 
 Mr. Henty has interwoven the adventures of an English youth. 
 He is beset by many periU among the natives, but by a ruse he obtains 
 the protectii>n of the Spaniards, and .ifter the fall of Mexico he succeeds 
 in regaining his native shore, with a fortune and a charming Aztec bride.
 
 BOOKS FOR TOUSG PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 " No living writer of books for boys writes to better purpose than Mr. G. A. 
 "Realy."— Philadelphia Press. 
 
 TRUE TO THE OLD FLAG 
 
 A Tale of the American War of Indej^endence. By G. A. 
 Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by Gordon 
 Browne. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, f 1.50. 
 
 A graphic and vigorous story of the American Revolution, which paints 
 the scenes with great power, and does full justice to the pluck and de- 
 termination of the soldiers during the unfortunate struggle. 
 
 THE LION OF ST. MARK 
 
 A Tale of Venice in the Fourteenth Century. By G. A. Henty. 
 With 10 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $51.50. 
 
 A story of Venice at a period when her strength and splendor were put 
 to the severest tests. The hero displays a fine sense and manliness which 
 carry him Fafely through an atmosphere of intrigue, crime, and blood- 
 shed. He contriljutes largely to the victories of the Venetians at Porto 
 d'Anzo and Chioggia. and finally wins the hand of the daughter of one 
 of the chief men of Venice. 
 
 THE LION OF THE NORTH 
 
 A Tale of Gustavus Adolphus and the Wars of Eeligion. By 
 G. A. Henty. With 12 full page Illustrations by John 
 ScHONBERG. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 In this story Mr. Henty gives the history of the first part of the Thirty 
 Years' War. The issue had its importance, which has extended to the 
 present day, as it estab ished religious freedom in Germany. The army 
 of the chivalrous King of Sweden was largely composed of Scotchmen, 
 and among these was the hero of the story. 
 
 IN GREEK WATERS 
 
 A Story of the Grecian War of Independence (1821-1827). 
 By G. A. Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by W. S. 
 Stagey, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50, 
 
 Deals with the revolt of the Oreeks in 1821 against Turkish oppression. 
 Mr. Beveridge and his son Horace fit out a privateer, load it with 
 military stores, and set sail for Greece. They rescue the Christians, 
 relieve the captive Greeks, and fight the Turkish war vessels.
 
 BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 " Mr. Henty's books never fall to interest boy readers."— J:cademy. 
 
 WITH CLIVE IN INDIA 
 
 Or, The Beginnings of an Empire. By G. A. Hentt. With 
 12 full-page Illustrations by Gokdon Browne, and a Map. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, SL^JO. 
 
 The period botween the landing of Clive in India and the close of his 
 career was eventful in the extreme. At its commencement the English 
 were traders existing on sufferance of the native princes; at its close they 
 were masters of Bengal and of the greater part of Southern India. The 
 author lias given a full account of the events of that stirring time, while 
 he combines with his narrative a thrilling tale of daring and adventure. 
 
 THE YOUNG CARTHAGINIAN 
 
 A Story of the Times of Hannibal. By G. A. Henty. With 
 I'i full-page Illustrations by C. J. St.vniland, E.I. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 
 There is no better field for romance-writers in the whole of history than 
 the momentous struggle between the liomans an<l Carthaginians for the 
 empire of the world. Mr. Henty has liad the full advantage of mu( h un- 
 exhausted picturesque and iinprt'ssivo material, and has thus been enabled 
 to form a striking historic background to as exciting a story of adventure 
 as the keenest appetite could wish. 
 
 FOR THE TEMPLE 
 
 A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem. By G. A. Henty. With 10 
 full-page Illustrations by S. J. Solomon, and a colored 
 Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 
 Mr Ilenty here weaves into the record of Josephus an admirable and 
 attractive story. The troubles in tlio district of Tiberias, the march of the 
 legions, the sieges of .lotap.ata, of (5amala, and of Jerusalem, form the 
 impressive setting to the ti^ure of the lad who b'-conies the leader of a 
 guerrilla band of patriots, tights l)ravely for the Temple, and after abrief 
 term of .slavery at Alexandria, returns to his (lalilean home. 
 
 THROUGH THE FRAY 
 
 A Story of the Luddifo Riots. By G. A. Hentt. With 12 
 full-page Illustrations by H. M. Paget. Crown Svo, 
 olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 
 The story is laid in Yorkshire at the commencement of the present cen- 
 tury, when the high ])rice of food induced by the war and the introduction 
 of machinery drove the working-chasses to dt speratinn, an<l caused them 
 to hand thptusclves in that wide-spread organization known as the Tiuddite 
 Societv. There is an abundance of adventure in the tale, but its chief 
 interest lii's in the chnnc'er of the he o, and the manner in which he 
 is put on trial for his life, but at last comes victorious "through the fray."
 
 10 BOOKS FOR YOUSG PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 "The brightest of all the livlug writers whose ofBce It is to enchant the 
 boys."— Christian Leader. 
 
 CAPTAIN BAYLEY'S HEIR 
 
 A Tale of the Gold Fields of California. By G. A. Henty. 
 With 12 full-page Illustrations by H. M. Paget. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, S1.50. 
 
 A frank, manly lad and his cousin are rivals in the heirship of a consider- 
 able property. Tiie former falls into a trap laid by the latter, and while 
 under a false accusation of theft foolishly leaves England for America. 
 He worKS h.& pas-age before ttie mast, joins a small band of hunters, 
 c osses a tract of country infested with Indians to the Cahfornian gold 
 diggings, and is succei-stul both as digger and trader. 
 
 IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE 
 
 A Story of Wallace and Bruce. By G. A. Henty. With 12 
 full -page Illustrations by Goudon Browne. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, $51.50. 
 
 Relates the stirring tale of the Scottish War of Independence. The 
 hern of the tale foufjlit under both Wallace and Bruce, and while the 
 strictest historical accuracy has been maintained with respect to public 
 events, the work is full of " hairbreadth 'scapes" and wild adventure. 
 
 A JACOBITE EXILE 
 
 Being the Adventures of a Young Englishman in the Service 
 of Charles XII. of Sweden. By G. A. Henty. With 8 
 full-page Illustrations by Padl Hardy, and a Map. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 Sir Marmaduke Car«tairs, a Jncobite, is the victim of a conspiracy, and 
 he is denounced as a plotter against the life of King William. He flies to 
 Swe"'en, accompanied by his son Charlie. This youth joins the foreign 
 legion under Charles XII., and takes a distinguished part in several 
 famous campaigns against the Russians and Poles. 
 
 CONDEMNED AS A NIHILIST 
 
 A Story of Esca]ie from Sil)eria. By G. A. Henty. With 8 
 full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 The hero of this storv is an English boy resident in St. Petersburg. 
 Throush two student friends he becomes innocently involved in various 
 political plots, resnlfeing in his seizure bv the Russian police and his exile 
 to Siberia. He ultimately escapes, and, after many exciting adventures, 
 he reaches Norway, and thence home, after a perilous journey which lasts 
 nearly two years.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOVXG PEOPLE H 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 " Mr. Elenty la one of our most succussful writers of historical tales." 
 
 —.Scot.snian. 
 
 IN THE REIGN OF TERROR 
 
 The Adventure.s of a Westminster Boy. Bv G. A. Henty. 
 "With 8 full-iiage Illustrations by J. Schonbekg. Ciowu 
 8vo, olivine edge.s, ^1.50. 
 
 Harry Sandwith, a Westminster boy, becomes a resident at the chateau 
 of a French marquis, and atter various adventures accompanies the 
 family to Paris at the crisis of the Revolution. Imprisonment and death 
 reduce their number, and the hero tinds lumself beset by perils with the 
 three young daughters of the house in his charge. After liair-brcadth 
 escapes they reach Nantes. There the girls are condemned to death in 
 the coffinships, but are saved by the unfailing courage of their boy- 
 protector. 
 
 ST. GEORGE FOR ENGLAND 
 
 A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full- 
 page Illustrations by Gokdon Bkowne, Crown 8vo, $1.50. 
 
 No portion of English history is more crowded with great events than 
 that of the reign of Edward 111. Cressy and Poitiers ; the destruction of 
 the Spanish fleet ; the plague of the Black Death; the Jacquorie rising; 
 these aietreatedby theautiiorin "St. George for England." The hero of 
 the story, although of good family, begins life as a London apf.rentice, 
 but after countless adventures and perils becomes by valor and good 
 conduct the squire, and at last the trusted friend of the Black Prince. 
 
 A CHAPTER OF ADVENTURES 
 
 Or, Through the Bombardment of Alexandria. By G. A. 
 Henty. With 6 full-])age Illustrations by W. H. Over- 
 end. Crown 8vo, ^1.25. 
 
 A coast fishing lad, by an act of heroism, secures the interest of a ship- 
 owner, who ji'accs him as an apj)r(ntice on board one of hi" fhipa. In 
 company with two of his fellow-ari)renticeB he is left behind, at Alex- 
 andria, in the hands of the revolted Egyptian troops, and is present 
 through the bombardment and the scenes of riot and blood-shed which 
 accompanied it. 
 
 HELD FAST FOR ENGLAND 
 
 A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar. IJy G. A. Henty. With 
 8 full-page Illustrations by Gokdon Buowne. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, §1.50. 
 
 This story deals with one of the most memorable sieges in history — 
 the siege of OlhraUar in 1779-8:^ by the united forces of Franre and 
 Spain. With land forces, fleets, and" floating batteriep. the combined re- 
 sources of two ercat nations, this grim f<>rtr<'ss was vainly besieged and 
 bombarded. The hero of the tale, an Eiigli'h lad resident in Gibraltar, 
 takes a brave and worthy part in the long defence, and it is through his 
 varied experiences that we learn with what bravery, resource, and te- 
 nacity the Rock was held for England.
 
 12 660KS FOR rOUJ^G PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 " Among writers of stories of adventures for boys Mr. Henty stands in the 
 very first laxi^."— Academy. 
 
 FOR NAME AND FAME 
 
 Or, Tlii'ongli Afghan Passes. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full- 
 page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, .fl.GO. 
 
 An interesting story of the last war in Afghanistan. The hero, after 
 being wreoked and going through many stirring adventures among the 
 Malays, finds Ids way to Calcutta and enlists in a regiment proceeding to 
 join the army at the Afghan passes. He accompanies the force under 
 General Roberts to the Peiwar Kotal, is wounded, taken prisoner, carried 
 to Cabul, whence he is transferred to Candahar, and takes part in the 
 final defeat of the army of Ayoub Khan. 
 
 ORANGE AND GREEN 
 
 A Tale of the Boyne and Limerick. By G. A. Hentt. With 
 8 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 The record of two typical families — the Davenants, who, having come 
 over with Strongbow, had allied themselves in feeling to the original in- 
 habitants ; and the Whitefoots, who had been placed by Cromwell over 
 certain domains of the Davenants. In the children the spirit of conten- 
 tion has given place to friendship, and though they take opposite sides 
 in the struggle between James and William, their good-will and mutual 
 service are never interrupted, and in the end the Davenants come hap- 
 pily to their own again. 
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER 
 
 A Story of the New Zealand War. By G. A. Henty. With 
 8 full-page Illustrations by Alfred Pearse. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, .f 1.50. 
 
 The Renshaws emigrate to New Zealand during the period of the war 
 with the natives. Wilfrid, a strong, self-reliant, courageous lad, is the 
 mainstay of the household. He has for his friend Mr. Atherton, a botan- 
 ist and naturalist of herculean st ength and unfailing nerve and humor. 
 In the adventures among the Maoris, there are many breathless moments 
 in which the odds seem hopelessly against the party, but they succeed in 
 estahlishing themselves happily in one of the pleasant New Zealand 
 valleys. 
 
 A FINAL RECKONING 
 
 A Tale of Bush Life in Australia. By G. A. Henty. With 
 8 full-page Illustrations by W. B. "Wollen. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 The hero, a young English lad. after rather a stormy boyhood, emi- 
 grates to Australia and gets employment as an oificer in the mounted 
 police. A few years of active work on the frontier, where he has many a 
 brush with l)oth natives and bush-rangers, gain him promotion to a cap- 
 taincy, and he eventually settles down to the peaceful life of a squatter.
 
 BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 13 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 " Mr. Henty'B books are welcome visitors lu the home circle."— Da«j/ News. 
 
 THE BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE 
 
 Or, With PeterboroTigb iu Spain. By G. A. Henty. With 
 8 full-page Illustrations by H. M. Paget. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 
 There are few great leaders whose lives and actions have so completely 
 fallen into oblivion as those of the Earl of Peterborough. This is largely 
 due to the fact that they were overshadowed by the glory and successes 
 of Marlborough. His career as General extended over little more than 
 a year, and yet, in that time, he showed a genius for warfare which has 
 never been surpassed. 
 
 THE DRAGON AND THE RAVEN 
 
 Or, The Davs of King Alfred. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full- 
 page Illustrations by C. J. Staniland, R.I. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 In this story the author gives an account of the fierce struggle 
 between Saxon and Dane for supremacy in England, and presents a vivid 
 picture of the misery and ruin to which the country was reduced by the 
 ravages of the sea-wolves. The hero, a young Saxon thane, takes jiart in 
 all the battles fought by King Alfred. He is driven from his home, takes 
 to the sea, and resists the Danes on their own element, and being pursued 
 by them up the Seine, is present at the long and desperate siege of Paris. 
 
 FACING DEATH 
 
 Or, The Hero of the Vauglian Pit, A Tale of the Coal Mines. 
 By G. A. Henty. With 8 full-page Illustrations by 
 Gordon Bkoa^-ne. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, .^1.50. 
 
 "Facing Death " is a story with a purpose. It is intended to show that 
 a lad who makes up his mind firmly and resolutely that he will ri.se in 
 life, and who is prepared to face toil and ridicide and hardship to carry 
 out his determination, is sure to succeed. The hero of the story is a 
 typical British hoy, dogged, earnest, generous, and thous,'h "shamefaced" 
 to a degree, is ready to face death in the discliarge of duty. 
 
 BY SHEER PLUCK 
 
 A Tale of the Ashanti War. ]3y G. A. Henty. With S full- 
 page Illustrations by Gokdun Bkowne. Crown 8vo, 
 oli\dne edges, Sl-50. 
 
 The author h.is woven, in a tale of thrilling interest, all the details of 
 the Ashanti campaign, of which he was himself a witness. His hero, 
 after many exciting a^l ventures in the interior, is detained a prisoner by 
 the king jiist before the outbreak of the war, but escapes, and accum- 
 panies the English expedition on their march to Coomassie.
 
 14 BOOKS FOR TOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 " Mr. Henty mlglit with entire propriety be called the boys' Sir Walter 
 Scott."— Philadelphia Pt^ess. 
 
 THE CAT OF BUBASTES 
 
 A Story of Ancient Egypt. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full- 
 page Illustrations. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 A story which will give young readers an unsurpassed insight icto the 
 customs of the Eg} ptian people. Amuba, a prince of the Rebu nation, is 
 carried with his charioteer Jethro into slavery. They become inmates of 
 the house of Ameres, the Egyptian high-priest, and are happy in his 
 service until the priest's son accidentally kills the sacred cat of Bubastes. 
 In an outburst of popular fury Ameres is killed, and it rests with Jethro 
 and Amuba to secure the escape of the high-priest's son and daughter. 
 
 ONE OF THE 28th 
 
 A Tale of Waterloo. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full-page Il- 
 lustrations by W. H. OvEKEND, and 2 Maps. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, !$1.50. 
 
 The hero of this story, Ralph Conway, has many varied and exciting 
 adventures. He enters the army, and after some rough service in Ire- 
 land takes part in the Waterloo campaign, from which he returns with 
 the loss of an arm, but with a substantial fortune. 
 
 STURDY AND STRONG 
 
 Or, How George Andrews made his Way. By G. A. Henty. 
 With 4 full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo, f 1.00. 
 
 The history of a hero of everyday life, whose love of truth, clothing 
 of modesty, and innate pluck, carry him, naturally, from poverty to af- 
 fluence. George Andrews i* an example of character with lothing to 
 cavil at, and stands as a good instance of chivalry in domestic life. 
 
 TALES OF DARING AND DANGER 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With 2 full-page Illustrations. Crown 
 8vo, 75 cents. 
 
 Containing five stories, varied in scene and character, but all of ad- 
 venturous interest and telling of youthful heroism under dangerous and 
 trying circumstances on land and on sea. 
 
 YARNS ON THE BEACH 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With 2 full-page Illustrations. Crown 
 8vo, 75 cents. 
 
 This book should find special favor among boys. The yarns are spun 
 by old sailors, and are admirably calculated to foster a manly spirit.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOUXG PEOPLE 15 
 
 BY KIRK MUNROE 
 
 THE "WHITE CONQUERORS" SEHIES 
 
 THROUGH SWAMP AND GLADE 
 
 A Tale of the Seminole War. By Kirk Munroe. AVitli 8 full- 
 page Illustrations by Victor Pekaed. Crown 8vo, §1.25. 
 
 In this new story Mr. Munroe opens to view an exceedingly interesting 
 period of American history — the period of the Seminole War in Florida. 
 Coacoochee, the hero of the story, is a young Indian of noble birth, the 
 .son of Philip the chieftain of the tSeniinoIe.'i. He is a boy at the time of 
 the beginning of the Seminole troubles and grows up to lead his tribe in 
 the long struggle which resulted in the Indians being driven from the 
 north of Florida down to the distant southern wilderness. It is a 
 dramatic story, set in scenes of rich tropical luxuriance, and peopled 
 with the strangely contrasted characters of the place and period — the 
 Spaniards, the English, the American soldiers, and the slave dealers, the 
 negroes, the Indians, and the half-breeds. It is fidl of strange adventure, 
 of stirring incident and rapid action, and it is a true and faithful picture 
 of a period of history little known to young readers. Tlie pictures will be 
 highly appreciated by the reader, for they are well drawn, are full of life, 
 and admirably illustrate the te.\t. 
 
 AT WAR WITH PONTIAC 
 
 Or, The Totem of tlie Bear. A Tale of Redcoat and Redsldn. 
 By Kirk Munroe. With 8 full-page Illii.stratiou.s by 
 J. FiNNEiioRE. 12mo, §1.25. 
 
 A story of old days in .\merica when Detroit was a frontier town and 
 the shores of Lake Erie were held by hostile Indians untler Pontiac. 
 The hero, Donald Hester, goes in search of his sister Edith, who has 
 been captured by the Indians. Strange and terrible are his experiences; 
 for he is wounded, takm prisoner, condemned to be burned, and con- 
 trives to escape. In tlie eml there is peace between i'ontiac and the 
 English, and all things terminate happily for the hero. One dares not 
 skip a page of this enthralling story. 
 
 THE WHITE CONQUERORS 
 
 A Tale of Toltec and Aztec. By Kirk Muxroe. With 8 full- 
 page Illustratious by W. S. St.vcey. 12mo, §1.25. 
 
 This story deals with the Conquest of Mexico by Cortes and his 
 Spaniards, tlie " White Con<iuiTors," who, after many dec is of valor, 
 push'd thtir way into the gicat Aztec kiiigdnm and established their 
 power in the wondrous city where Montezuma reigned in barbaric 
 splendor. «(
 
 16 BOOKS FOR TOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 BY ROBERT LEIGHTON 
 
 " Mr. Leighton's place is in the front rank of writers of boys' books." 
 
 —Standard. 
 
 OLAF THE GLORIOUS 
 
 By Egbert Leighton. With 8 full -page Illustrations by 
 Ealph Peacock. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, ^1.50, 
 
 This story of Olaf the Glorious, King of Norway, opens with the 
 incident of his being found by his uncle living as a bond-slave in Esthonia, 
 and it follows him through his romantic youth in the court of King Val- 
 demar of Russia. Then come iiis adventures as a Viking and his raids 
 upon the coasts of Scotland and England, his victorious battle against the 
 English at Maldon in Essex, his being bought off b\ Ethelred the Unready, 
 and his conversion to Christianity. He then returns to Pagan Norway, 
 is accepted as king, and converts his people to the Christian faith. 
 
 WRECK OF '''THE GOLDEN FLEECE^' 
 
 The Story of a North Sea Fisher-boy. By Robeet Leighton. 
 With 8 full-page Illustrations by Frank Bkangwyn. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 A description of life on the wild North Sea — the hero being a parson's 
 son who is apprenticed on board a Lowestoft fishing lugger. The lad 
 has to suffer many buffets from his shipmates, while the storms and dan- 
 gers which he braved on board the North Star are set forth with 
 minute knowledge and intense power. The wreck of the Golden Fleece 
 forms the climax to a thrilling series of desperate mischances. 
 
 THE THIRSTY SWORD 
 
 A Story of the Norse Invasion of Scotland (1262-63). By 
 Robert Leighton. With 8 full -page Illustrations by 
 Alfred Pearse, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, 
 $1.50. 
 
 This story tells how Roderic MacAlpin, the sea-rover, came to the Isle 
 of Bute ; how he sle v his brother Earl Hamish in Rothesay Cas'le ; how 
 Alpin, the earl's eldest son, challenged his uncle to ordeal by battle, and 
 was likewise slain; how young Kenric now became kii gof Bute, and vowed 
 venge mce against the sUyer of his brother and father ; and finally, it tells 
 how this vow was kept, when Kenric and the murderous sea rover met at 
 midnight on Garroch Head, and ended their feud in one last great fight. 
 
 THE PILOTS OF POMONA 
 
 A Story of the Orkney Islands. By Robert Leighto-nt. With 
 8 full-page Illustrations by John Leighton, and a Map. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 Halcro Ericson, the hero, tells his story with great simplicity and 
 directness, and happens upon many exciting adventures and hardy ex- 
 periences, through which he carries himself with quiet courage. The 
 story gives a vivid presentation of the fisher-folk in these far northern 
 islands.
 
 BOOKS FOR YOUXG PEOPLE 17 
 
 BY HARRY COLLINGWOOD 
 
 THE LOG OF A PRIVATEERSMAN 
 
 By Harry Colltngwood. With 12 full-page Illustrations 
 by W. Rainey, R.I. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, -SI. 50. 
 
 In the war l)etvvoen Napoleon and the British, many privateers were 
 sent out from i'^iighmd to seize and destroy the French merchant vessels. 
 On one of those, fitted out by his ricli uncle, George liowen went as 
 second mate. Long distance duels at sea, tights at close quarters, fierce 
 boarding attacks, capture and recapture, flight and pursuit, storm and 
 wreck, tire at sea and days without food or water in a small boat on the 
 ocean, are some of the many thrilling exp riences our hero passed 
 through. By timely information to Nelson he defeats Admiral 
 Villeneuve's plans and so gains a command in the Royal Navy, ending 
 his privateer life with honor and wealth. 
 
 THE LOG OF ''THE FLYING FISH^' 
 
 A Story of Aerial and Submarine Peril and Adventure. By 
 Harry Coli>in(jwo()i>. With 12 full-page Illustrations 
 by Gordon Browne. Crown 8vo, ^1.00. 
 
 In this story the aim of the author has been, not only to interest and 
 amuse, but also to stimulate a taste for scientific study. 
 
 THE MISSING MERCHANTMAN 
 
 By Harry Collingwooi>. With 6 full-page Pictures by W. 
 H. OvEREND. Crown 8vo, .51.00. 
 
 A fine Australian clipper is seized by the crew ; the passengers are 
 landed on one deserted island, the captain and a junior officer on another ; 
 and tiie young hero of the story is kept <m board to navigate the ship, 
 which the mutineers refit as a pirate ves.sel. After many advent'ires 
 Ned succeeded in carrying off the ship, and in picking up the captain 
 and the passengers. 
 
 THE CONGO ROVERS 
 
 A Tale of the Slave Squadron. By Harry Collingwood. 
 With 8 full-page Illustrations by J. Schonuerg. Crown 
 8vo, .1?1.00. 
 
 The scene of this talc is laid on the west coast of Africa. The hero 
 of the stoiy, a midsliipni&n on board of one of the ships of the slave 
 squadron, is enabled to render much valuable service to his superior offi- 
 cers in unmasking a most daring and almost successful ruse on the part 
 of the slavers. 
 
 THE ROVER'S SECRET 
 
 A Tale of the Pirate Cay.s and La.iroon.s of ('iiba. By Harry 
 CoLLiNGWooD. With () full piigc lllustratious i)y W. C. 
 Symons. Crown 8vo, 81.00. 
 
 The hero of " The Rover's Secret," a young officer of the British navy, 
 narrates his peculiar experiences in cliildhood and his s\ib8equent perils 
 and achievements.
 
 18 BOOKS FOR TOUXG PEOPLE 
 
 THE PIRATE ISLAND 
 
 A Story of tlie Soiitli Pacific. By IIakry Collingwood. 
 Illustrated by 8 full-page Pictures by G. J. Staniland 
 and J. K, Wells. Crown 8vo, ^1.50. 
 
 This story details the adventures of a lad who was found in his infancy 
 on hoard a wreck, and is adopted by a fisherman. By a deed of true 
 gallantry his whole destiny is changed, and, going to sea, he forms one of 
 a party who, after bein;^ burned out of their ship in the South Pa,cific, 
 and experiencing great hardship and sulleriug in their boats, are picked 
 up by a pirate brig and taken to the "Pirate Island." After many 
 thrilling adventures, they ultimately succeed in affecting their escape. 
 
 BY S. BARING-GOULD 
 
 GRETTIR THE OUTLAW 
 
 A Story of Iceland. By S. Baring-Gould. With 10 full- 
 page Illustrations by M. Zend Diemer, and a Colored 
 Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, .f 1.50. 
 
 A narrative of adventure of the most romantic kind, and at the same 
 time an interesting and minutely accurate account of the old Icelandic 
 families. No bo\ vvill be able to withstand the magic of such scenes as 
 the tight of Grettir with twelve bearserks, and the wrestle with Karr the 
 Old in the chamber of the dead. 
 
 "Is the bovs' book of its year. It is told in simple, straightforward 
 English, as all stories should be, and it has. a freshness, a freedom, a 
 sense of sun and wind and the open air which make it irresistible." 
 
 — National Observer, 
 
 BY F. FRANKFORT MOORE 
 
 HIGHWAYS AND HIGH SEAS 
 
 Cyril Harley's Adventures on Both. By F. Frankfort 
 Moore. With 8 full-page Illustrations by Alfred Pearse. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, !^1.50. 
 
 The story belongs to a period when highways meant post-chaises, coaches, 
 and highwaymen, and when high seas meant privateers and smugglers. 
 
 UNDER HATCHES 
 
 Or, Ned Woodthorpe's Adventures. By F. Fr.\nkfort Moore. 
 With 8 full-page Illustrations by A. Forestier. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, SI. 50. 
 
 In rescuing another lad from drowning, Ned Woodthorpe is taken on 
 board a convict ship. After a series of exciting events the convicts and 
 crew obtain the master)'. Ultimately the ship is recaptured and Ned 
 and his friends escape from their troubles.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOUXG PEOPLE 19 
 
 BY DR. GORDON STABLES 
 
 FOR LIFE AND LIBERTY 
 
 A Story of Battle by Land an<l Sea. By Goinxix Stables. 
 With 8 fuU-page"^ Illustrations by Sidney Paget. 12mo, 
 $1.50. 
 
 The story of an English boy who runs from home and joins the sontli- 
 ern army in the latt; Civil War. He is accompanied by his chum, who 
 enters the navy, and their vaiiovis adventures m the great conflict are set 
 forth witn greiit vigor aud arc unfailing in interest. 
 
 TO GREENLAND AND THE POLE 
 
 A Story of Adventure in the Arctic Kegions. By Gordon 
 Stabdes, M.D., CM. With 8 full-page Illustrations by 
 G. C. HiNDLEY, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, 
 $1.50. 
 
 The unfailing fascination of Arctic venturing is presented in this story 
 with new vividness. Tlie aiitiior is himself an old Arctic vyager, and 
 he deals with skUobni'ic/ in the notth of Scotland, dtcr-huuting in Nor- 
 way, .sealing in the Arctic .Seas, bear-stalking on the ice-tio s, the hard- 
 ships of a journey across Gre nland, an i a successful voyage to the back 
 of tije N-rth l*ole. This is, indeed, a real sea-yarn by a real sailor, and 
 the tone is as bright and wliolesome as the adventures are numerous. 
 
 WESTWARD WITH COLUMBUS 
 
 By Gordon Stables, M.D., CM. With 8 full-page Illustra- 
 tions by Alfred Pearse. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, SI. 50. 
 
 The hero of this story is Columbus him.self. His career is traced from 
 boyhood onward tlirough the many hazardous enterprises in which Ic 
 was at various times engaged. The narrative deals chiefly, however, 
 with tlie great naval venture which Columbus conducted across the At- 
 lantic, and which resulted in the discovery of the Americ;in continent. 
 There were m;iny dangers which threatened to wreck this momentous en- 
 terprise, but these weie all oveicome by this indomitable man. 
 
 TWIXT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE 
 
 A Tale of Self-reliance. By Gordon Stable.s, C.^M. With 8 
 full-page Illustrations by W. Parkinson. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, §1.50. 
 
 A story, the attractiveness o*^ which lies less in the narration of startling 
 adventures than in the in^ ideuts of home life wliic^h till up the interval 
 between the school life .ind college life of Freii Hallam. The heio is 
 presented by his father with an outlying cottage and garden on the farm, 
 and the gift is turned to pleasant account as a place of residence for a 
 whole menagerie of pets dear to the heart of most healthy-minded boys.
 
 20 BOOKS FOR TOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN 
 
 " Mr. Penn is in the front rant of writers for ho-^s."— Liverpool Mercury. 
 
 DICK O' THE FENS 
 
 A Eomanee of the Great East Swamp. By George Manville 
 Fenn. With 12 full- page Ilhistrations by Frank Dadd. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 Dick o' the Fens and Tom o'Grimsey are the sons of a squire and a 
 farmer living on the edge of one of the vast fen wastes, and their adven- 
 tures are oi unusual interest. Shooting and tisbing experiences are intro- 
 duced in a manner v^hi^jh should stimulate the fiicuky of observation, and 
 give a healthy love for country life ; while the record of the fen-men's 
 stealthy resistance to the great draining scheme is full ol the keenest in- 
 terest. The ambushes and shots in the mist and dark, the incendiary fires, 
 and the bursting o the sea-wall, are described with Mr. Fenn's wonted 
 skill in the management of mystery. 
 
 "We have not of late come across an historical fiction which deserves 
 to be so heartily and unreservedly praised as regards plot, incidents, and 
 spirit as 'Dick o' the Fens.' It is its authoi's masterpiece as yet." 
 
 — Spectator. 
 
 BROWNSMITH'S BOY 
 
 By George Manville Fenn. With 6 page Illustrations. 
 Crown 8vo, $51.00. 
 
 The career of '"Brownsmith's Boy" embraces the home adventures of 
 an orphan, who, having formed the acquaintance of an eccentric old gar- 
 dener, accepts his ■■ffer of a hom and finds that there is plenty of romance 
 in a garden, and much excitem-nt even in a journev now and then to 
 town. In a halt-savage lad he finds a fr end who shows his love and fidelity 
 principally by pretending to be an enemy. In "Brownsmith's Boy" there 
 is abundance of excitement and trouble within four walls. 
 
 " 'Brownsmith's Boy' excels all the numerous juvenile books that the 
 present season has yet produced." — 7'he Academy. 
 
 "Mr. Fenn's Ijooks are among the best, if not altogether the best, of 
 the stories for boys. Mr. Fenn is at his best in this story." 
 
 — Pictorial World. 
 
 YUSSUF THE GUIDE 
 
 Being the Strange Story of Travels in Asia Minor. By George 
 Manville Fenn. With 8 full-page Illustrations by John 
 Schonberg. Crown 8vo, $1.00. 
 
 Deals with the stirrin? incid nts in the career of a lad who has been 
 almost given over by the doctors, but who rapidly recoveis health and 
 strength in a journey through Asia Minor. The adventures are many, 
 and culminate in the travelers being snowed up for the winter in the 
 mountains, from which they escape while their captors are waiting for 
 the ransom that does not come. 
 
 '' Scenes that will have great novelty and attraction, and the experien- 
 ces with the brigands will be especially delightful to boys." — Scotsman.
 
 BOOKS FOR roUXG PEOPLE 21 
 
 BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN 
 
 " Our boys know Mr. Fenn well, his stories having won for him a foremost 
 place in their estimation.''— /'aiJ Mall Gazette, 
 
 THE GOLDEN MAGNET 
 
 A Tale of the Land of the Incas. By George Manville Fenn. 
 "With 12 full-page Pictures by Gordon Bkoavne. Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, ^1.50. 
 
 The tale of a romantic lad, who leaves home to seek his fortune in 
 South America by endeavoring to discover some of that treasure which 
 legends declare was ages ago hidden by the Peruvian rulers and priest, 
 to preserve it from the Spanish invaders. He is accompanied by a faith- 
 ful comfianion, who does true service, and shows the dogged courage of 
 tlie British lad during the strange and exciting adventures which befall 
 them. 
 
 " There could be no more welcome present for a boy. The book will 
 be read with breathless interest." — Jouriial oj Educatio7i. 
 
 IN THE KING^S NAME 
 
 Or, The Cruise of tlie KeUrel. By Geokge Manville Fenn. 
 Illustrated by 12 full-page Pictures by Gordon Browne. 
 Crowu 8vo, oliviue edges, $1.50. 
 
 "In the King's Name" is a spirited story of the Jacobite times, concern- 
 ing the adventures of Hilary L-igh, a young naval officer in the pre- 
 ventive service olf tlie coast of Susse.K, on board the K-^tril. Leigh is 
 taken jn-isoner by the adherents of the Pretenck'r, amongst whom is an 
 early friend and jiatron who desires to sjiare the lad's lite, but will not 
 release him. The narrative is full of exciting and often humorous 
 incident. 
 
 "Told with the freshness and verve which characterize all Mr. Fenn's 
 writings and put him in the front rank of writers for boys. " — Hia/uianl. 
 
 MENHARDOC 
 
 A Stoiy of Cornish Nets and Mines. By George MANViiiLE 
 Fenn. With G full-page Illustrations by C. J. Staniland, 
 RI. Crown 8vo, Sl.o'o. 
 
 The scene of this story is laid among the granite piles and tors of Corn- 
 wall. Adventures are pretty plentiful, l)ut the story has for its strong 
 base the devulopment of ciiaracter of the ihree boys. The sketches of 
 Cornish life- and local coloring are based upon experience in thi- bay, 
 whose fishing village is called liere Menhardoc. This is a thorongldy 
 Engliali story of phases of life but little touched upon in boy's litciature 
 up to the present time. 
 
 " Mr. Fenn has written many books in his time ; he has not often 
 written one winch for genuine merit as a story for young people exceeds 
 this. " — Hcotuman.
 
 22 BOOKS FOR TOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN 
 
 " No one can find his way to the hearts of lads more readily than Mr. Fenn." 
 
 —NotimglMm Guardian. ' 
 
 BUNYIP LAND 
 
 The Story of a AVild Journey in New Guinea. By George 
 MaxNVIlle Fenn. With 6 full-page Illustrations by Gokdon 
 Browne. Crown 8vo, |;1.50. 
 
 " Bunyip Land " is the story of an eminent botanist, who ventures into 
 the interior of New Guinea in his search for new plants. Years pass 
 away, and he does not return ; and though supposed to be dead his 
 young wife and son refuse to believe it ; and as soon as he is old enough 
 young Joe goes in .search of his father, accompanied by Jimmy, a native 
 black, rheir adventures are many and exciting, but after numerous 
 perils they discover the lost one, a prisoner among the blacks and bring 
 mm home in triumph. 
 
 " Mr. Fenn deserves the thanks of evervbody for ' Bunyip Land ' and 
 we venture to promise that a quiet week may be reckoned on whilst the 
 youngsters have such fascinating literature provided for them." 
 
 — /Spectator. 
 
 PATIENCE WINS 
 
 Or, War in the Works. By George Man\t[lle Fenn. With 
 6 full-iaage Illustrations. Crown 8vo, gl.UO. 
 
 A graphic narrative of factory life in the Black Country. The hero and 
 his three uncles set up " a works," but find that the workmen are deter- 
 mined to have no new-fangled machinery. After a series of narrow 
 escapes and stirring encounters, the workmen by degrees find that no 
 malice is borne against them, and eventually a great business is built up 
 and its foundation laid on the good-will of the men. ' 
 
 " An excellent storv, the interest being sustained from first to last. 
 This is, both in its intention and the way the story is told, one of the 
 best books of its kind which has come before us this year. " 
 
 — /Saturday Review, 
 
 NAT THE NATURALIST 
 
 A Boy's Adventures in the Eastern Seas. By George 
 Manville Fenn. Illustrated by 8 full-jiage Pictures by 
 Gordon Browne, Crown 8vo, olivine edges, SI. 00. 
 
 Nat and his uncle Dick go on a voyage to the remoter islands of the 
 Eastern seas, and their adventures there are told in a truthful and vastly 
 interesting fashion. The descriptions of Mr. Ebony, their black com- 
 rade, and of the scenes of savage life, are full of genuine humor. 
 
 " Mr. Fenn has here hit upon a capital idea. This is among the best 
 of the boys' books of the season."— Tw^/e-v. 
 
 " We can conceive of no more attractive present for a young natural- 
 ist. " — Land and Water.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOVXG PEOPLE 23 
 
 BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN 
 
 * Mr. Manville Fenn may be recarded as the successor In boyhood's affec- 
 tions of Captaiu Mayne RGi(i.''—Acaaeiny. 
 
 QUICKSILVER 
 
 Or, A Boy with no Skid to his Wheel. By George Manville 
 Fenn. With 10 full-page Illusti-atious by Fkank Dadd. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 Dr. Grayson has a theory that any boy, if rightly trained, can be made 
 into a gentleman and a great man ; and in order to confute a friendly 
 objector decides to select from the workhouse a boy to experiment witli. 
 He chooses a boy with a bad reputation but witli excellent instincts, and 
 adopts liim, the storj' narrating the adventures of the mercurial lad wiio 
 thus finds himself suddenly lifted several degrees in the social scale. 
 The idea is novel and handled with Mr. Fenn's accustomed cleverness. 
 
 "Mr. Fenn possesses the true secret of producing real anfl serviceable 
 boys' books. Every word ho writes is informed with full knowledge and, 
 even more important, tiuick sympathy with all the phases of youthful 
 life. In 'Quicksilver' he displays these qualities in a high degree." 
 
 — Dundee Advertiser. 
 
 DEVON BOYS 
 
 A Tale of the North Shore. By George Manville Fenn. 
 With 12 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 
 Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 The adventures of Sep Duncan and his school friends take place in the 
 early part of the Georgian era, during the wars between England and 
 France. The scene is laid on the picturesque rocky coast of North 
 Devon. Fishermen, smugglers, naval officers, and a stern old country 
 surgeon play their parts in the story, which is one of honest adventure, 
 with the mastering of difficulties in a wholesome manly way, mingled 
 with sufficient excitement to satisfy the most exciting reader. 
 
 " We do not know that Mr. Fenn has ever reached a higher level. 
 ' Devon Boys' must be put in the very front rank of Christmas books." 
 
 — Spfitator. 
 
 " An admirable story, as remarkable for the individuality of its young 
 heroes as for the excellent descriptions of coast scenery and life iu North 
 Devon. It is one of the best books we have seen this season. " 
 
 — Athenaum. 
 
 MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKEN 
 
 Her Voyage to the Unknown Isle. By George ISIanvilleFenn. 
 With 8 full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo, SI. 00. 
 
 A stirring story of adventure in the Eastern seas, where a lad shares 
 the perils of his father, the captain of the merchant ship The P- trel. 
 
 ".lulos Venie himself never constructe<l a more marvelous tale. It 
 contains the strongly marked features that are always conspicuous in Mr. 
 Fenn's stories — a racy humor, tiie manly vigor of his sentiment, and 
 ■wholesome moral lessons." — CkrUtiait L<ad<r.
 
 24 BOOKS FOR TOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 THINGS WILL TAKE A TURN 
 
 By Beatrice Hakraden, author of ' ' Sliips that Pass in the 
 Night." Illustrated. 12mo, $1.00. 
 
 The charm of this tale is its delicate, wistful sympathy. It is the 
 story of a sunny-hearted child. Rosebud, who assists her grandfather in 
 his dusty, second-hand bookshop. One cannot help being fascinated by 
 the sweet little heroine, she is so engaging, so natural ; and to love Rose- 
 bud is to love all her friends and enter sympathetically into the good 
 fortune she brought them. 
 
 TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO 
 
 Or, The Adventures of a Roman Boy. By Professor A. J. 
 Church. With 12 full-page Illustrations by Adrien 
 Marie. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 The hero is a young Roman who has a very chequpred career, being 
 now a captive in the hands of Spartacus, again an officer on board a 
 vessel detailed for the suppression of the pirates, and anon a captive 
 once more, on a pirate ship. He escapes to Tarsus, is taken prison-r in 
 the war with Mithradates, and detained by the latter in Pontus for a 
 number of years. 
 
 "The book is extremely entertaining as well as useful; there is a 
 wonderful freshness in the Roman scenes and characters." — Tiuies. 
 
 A CHAMPION OF THE FAITH 
 
 A Tale of Prince Hal and the Lollards. By J. M. Callwell. 
 "With 6 full-page Illustrations by Herbert J, Draper. 
 Crown 8vo, $1.50. 
 
 The earlier part of this story deals with the merry escapades of Prince 
 Hal and his favorite, ISir John Oldcastle. Then the narrative deepens 
 in its interest when the Prince ascends the throne as H nry V., while 
 his old comrade becomes a Lollard and a champion of the new faith. As 
 such, Sir John Oldcastle endures many hardships, and estiapes from the 
 Tower, but finally is captured by treachery and burnt at the stake. 
 
 "A capital specimen of a historical tale, and a well told chapter in 
 English life and manners in the days of Henry of Bolmerbroke." 
 
 — The /Spectator. 
 
 THE WIGWAM AND THE WAR-PATH 
 
 Stories of the Red Indians. By Ascott R. Hope. Illustrated 
 by Gordon Browne. Crown 8vo, $1.00. 
 
 ''Mr. Hope's ' Wigwam and War-path' is notably good ; it gives a very 
 vivid picture of life amoug the Indians." — Spectator.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOVXG I'EOVLE 
 
 GOLD, GOLD, IN CARIBOO 
 
 A Story of Adventure in British Columljia. By Clh-e 
 Phillipps-Wolley. With 6 full-page Illustrations by 
 G. C. HiNDLEY. Crown 8vo, 81.25. 
 
 Ned Corbett, and his companion, Steve Chance, set out with a pack- 
 train in order to obtain fjold on the npper reaches of the Frazer river. 
 Many difficulties lie in their path, but chiefly they are the victims of an 
 unscrupulous Yankee. After innumerable adventures, and a lifi'-and- 
 death struggle with the Arctic weather of that wild region, they find the 
 secret gold mines for which they have toilsomely searched. 
 
 WITH THE SEA KINGS 
 
 A Story of the Days of Lord Nelson. By F. H. Wixdee. 
 With 6 full-page Illi;strations by W. S. Stagey. Crown 
 8vo, 81.50. 
 
 Philip Trevellon was an English lad who thought to become a Lord 
 High Admiral like his hero, Horatio Nelson. By way of achieving this 
 purpose, he ran away from home and joined a privateer. After taking 
 part in the capture of a French frigate, he was captured by Corsairs ana 
 sold into slavery. He escaped, and his subsequent bravery in a sea fight 
 brought him an interview with Lord Nelson, and promotion. Having 
 been appointed to the Victory he took part in the battle of Trafalgar. 
 
 THE CAPTURED CRUISER 
 
 Or, Two Years from Land. By C. J. Hyne. With 6 full-page 
 Illustrations by F. Bkangwyn. Crown 8vo, -81.25. 
 
 The central incidents in this realistic story of modern naval warfare 
 deal with the capture, during the recent war between Chili and Peru, of 
 an armed cruiser. The heroes and their companions break from 
 prison in the harbor of Valparaiso, board this war-ship in the nigh', 
 overpower the watch, escape to sea under the fire of the I'oits, fight two 
 torpedo boats, and finally, after marvelous, ad ventures, lose the cruiser 
 among the ice-bergs near Cape Horn. 
 
 A TRUE CORNISH MAID 
 
 By G. NoEWAY. With G full -page Illustrations by J. Finne- 
 MORE. Crown 8vo, 81.25. 
 
 A story of the Cornish coast when the press-gang brought terror into 
 all its seaports, and smiipgling was an everyday j)rac;tice. The heroine 
 of tho tale is sister to a young fellow who gets into trouble in landing a 
 contraband cargo, and shooting the ofl&cer in charge of the press-gang. 
 
 YOUNG TRAVELLERS' TALES 
 
 By AscoTT R. Hope. With 6 full-page Illustrations by H. J. 
 Dr.\per. Crown Svo, §1.25. 
 
 "Possess a high value for instruction as well as for entertainment. 
 His quiet, level humor bubbles up on every piige." — Daily Cfironicle.
 
 2G BOOKS FOR I'OUXG PEOPLE 
 
 THE LOSS OF JOHN HUMBLE 
 
 "What Led to It, and what Came of It. By G. Norway. With 
 8 full-page Iliustratious by John Schunbeeg. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 Jolni Humble, aa orphan, is sent to sea with his Uncle Rolf, the cap- 
 tain of f.he BJrl Kiti'i. but la the course of certain adventures the boy is 
 left behind at Portsmouth. He escapes to a Norwegian vessel, the Thor, 
 which is driven from her course in a voyage to Hammer test, and 
 wrecked on a desolate shore. The survivors experience the miseries of 
 a long sojourn in the Arctic circle, but ultimately, with the aid of some 
 friendly but thievish Lapps, they succeed in making their way to a 
 reindeer station and so southward to Tornea and home again. 
 
 HUSSEIN THE HOSTAGE 
 
 Or, A Boy's Adventures in Persia. By G. Noeway. With 
 8 full-page Illustrations by John Schonberg. Crown 8vo, 
 olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 A narrative of the adventures of the young Prince Hussein and his 
 faithful follower, Askar, in their endeavor to free their oppressed tribe 
 from the Persian yoke. They fail into captivity, are sold as slaves, 
 but after escaping they attain success against the Persian forces. 
 
 THE CLEVER MISS FOLLETT 
 
 By J. K. H. Denny. With 12 full-page Illustrations by Ger- 
 trude D. Hammond. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 The story of a great fortune, and its attendant train of misfortunes. 
 The Fodttts are a middle-cla.ss family wlio suddenly found themselves 
 in the posses.sion of immense wealth, and the interest is obtained by 
 showing wh <t effect this chaiTje has upon their various characters. 
 With fine subtlety the author depicts tl'e schi mfS, duplicities, worries, 
 and disappointments whicu follow the FoUetts in their efforts to scram- 
 ble into society and make aristocratic marriages. 
 
 A FAIR CLAIMANT 
 
 Being a Story for Girls. By Frances Armstrong. With 8 
 full-page Illustrations by Geetrude D. Hammond, Crown 
 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 An exciting story of a young girl, the rightful heir to a large for- 
 tune, who has been kept out of it, but who most honorably regains it, 
 after much trial and difficulty. 
 
 SOU'WESTER AND SWORD 
 
 By Hugh St. Leger. With 6 full-page Illustrations by Haij 
 HuEST. Crown 8vo, $1.50. 
 
 " As racv a tale of life at sea and war adventure as we have met with 
 for some time. It is from first to last iliv^ wi h incident and ciiaracter, 
 and stamped with a vericity that suggests ac-tual experience by the 
 author of tlie things he describes. . . . Altogether it seems the sort 
 of book that boys will revel in." — Aihouvum.
 
 BOOKS FOR TOUSG PEOPLE 2T 
 
 IN PRESS-GANG DAYS 
 
 By Edoar Pickering. With G full-page Illustrations by W. b. 
 Stagey. Crown 8vo, §1.25. 
 
 " It is of Marryat wc think as we read this delightful story ; for it is 
 not only a story of adventure with incidents well conceive 1 and ar- 
 ranged, but the characters are interesting and well distinguished." 
 
 — Academy. 
 
 ADVENTURES OF MRS* WISHING-TO-BE 
 
 By Alice Corkran, "With 3 full-page Pictui-es in colors. 
 Crown 8vo, 75 cents. 
 
 A hook of charming fairy tales in which Cinderella, Little Bo-Peep, 
 and other old friends appear. 
 
 JOAN'S ADVENTURES 
 
 At tlie North Pole and Elsewhere. By Alice Corkran. Il- 
 lustrated. Crown 8vo, 75 cents, 
 
 A beautiful dream-land story. 
 
 DOWN THE SNOW STAIRS 
 
 Or, From Good-night to Good-morning. By Alice Corkran. 
 "With (50 character Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 
 Sijuare crown 8vo, olivine edges, §1.25. 
 
 " A gem of the first water, bearing upon every one of its pages the 
 signet mark of geniu.s. . . All is told witn such .si!nj)licity and 
 
 perfect naturalness that the dream ajipears to be a solid reality. It ia 
 indeed a Little Pilgrim's Progress." — Christian Leader. 
 
 MARGERY MERTON'S GIRLHOOD 
 
 By Alice Corkran. With G full-page Illustrations by Gordon 
 Browne. Crown 8vo, .§1.25. 
 
 Tlie experience of an orphan girl who in infancy is left by her f ^the^, 
 an officer in India, to the care of an elderly aunt residing near Paris. 
 
 MEG'S FRIEND 
 
 By Alice Corkran. With G full-page Illustrations by Bocert 
 Fowler. Crown 8vo, §1.25. 
 
 Meg his been brought up by a woman who abuses the triist. She is 
 remo\ed to a lady's school and is ultimately taken into the house of a 
 mysteiious benefactor who jirovos to lie her gnindfat her After a long 
 Beparation she once more meets the friend of her childhood.
 
 28 BOOKS FOR TOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 A PRISONER OF WAR 
 
 A Story of the Time of Napoleon Bonaparte. By Gr. Nokway. 
 With 6 full-i)age Ilhistrations by Eobekt Barnes, 
 A.Pt.W.S. Crown 8vo, $1.25. 
 
 "More hairbreadth escapes from death by starvation, by ice, by 
 fighting, etc., were never before surmounted. . . . It is a fine yarn." 
 
 — The Guardian, 
 
 THE SECRET OF THE OLD HOUSE 
 
 A Story for Chiklren. By Eveltx Everett Green. "With 4 
 full-page Illustrations by L. Leslie Brooke. Crown 8vo, 
 $1.00. 
 
 " Tim, the little Jacobite, is a charming creation." — Academy. 
 
 SIR WALTER'S WARD 
 
 A Tale of the Crusades. By William Everard. Illustrated 
 by Walter Paget. Crown 8vo, $1.25. 
 
 " A highly fascinating work, dealing with a period which is always 
 suggestive of romance and deeds of daring." — /Schoolmaster. 
 
 THREE BRIGHT GIRLS 
 
 A Story of Chance and Mischance. By Annie E. Armstrong. 
 With 6 full-page Illustrations by W. Parkinson. Crown 
 Svo, $1.25. 
 
 " The s.tory is charmingly told, and the book can be warmly recom- 
 mended as a present for girls." — SCandard. 
 
 "Among many good stories for girls this is undoubtedly one of the 
 very best." — Teachers' Aid. 
 
 A VERY ODD GIRL 
 
 Life at the Gabled Farm. By Annie E. Armstrong. With 6 
 full-page Pictures by S. T. Dadd. Crown Svo, $1.25, 
 
 "We can heartily recommend the book, for it is not only bright and 
 interesting, but also pure and healthy in tone and teaching." — The Lady. 
 
 THE HEIRESS OF COURTLEROY 
 
 By Anne Beale. With 8 page Illustrations by T. C. H. 
 Castle. Crown Svo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, $1.50. 
 
 " We can speak highlv of the grace •with which Miss Anne Beale re- 
 lates how the young ' Heiress of Courtleroy' had such good influpnce 
 over her uncle as to win him from his intensely selfish ways in regard 
 to his tenants and others." — Guardian.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOUXG PEOPLE 29 
 
 MISS WILLOWBURN^S OFFER 
 
 By Sarah Doudney. Illustrated. Crown 8vo, ^1.00. 
 
 "Sarah Doudney has no superior as a writer of hij,'h-toned stories; 
 jmre in stylo, original in conception, and with skilli'ully wrought-out 
 plots." — Christian Leader. 
 
 UNDER FALSE COLORS 
 
 A Story from Two Girls' Lives. By Sarah Doudney. With 
 G full-page Illustrations by G.G. Kilburne. Cr. 8vo, SI. 25. 
 
 A story which has in it so strong a dramatic element that it will attract 
 readers of all ages and of either sex. The incidents of the plot, arising 
 from the thoughtless indulgence of a deceptive freak, are exceedingly 
 natural, and the keen interest of the narrative is sustained from be- 
 ginning to end. 
 
 THORNDYKE MANOR 
 
 A Tale of Jacobite Times. By Mary O. BowsELii. With G 
 fiill-page Illustrations by L. Leslie Brooke. Cr. 8vo, 
 31.25, 
 
 Is an old house near the mouth of the Thames which is convenient on 
 account of its secret vaults and situation as the basis of operation in the 
 Jacobite conspiracy. In consequence its owner finds himself suddenly 
 involved by a treacherous steward in the clos' st meshes of the plot. He 
 is conveyed to the Tower, but all difficulties are tinally overcome and his 
 innocence triumphantly proved by his sister. 
 
 TRAITOR OR PATRIOT 
 
 A Tale of the Rye-House Plot. By Mary C. RowsEiiii. With 
 G full-page Pictures. Crown 8vo, .ijl.25. 
 
 " A romantic love episode, whose ti ne characters arc life-like beings, 
 not dry sticks as in many historical talcs." — Graphic. 
 
 HAL HUNGERFORD 
 
 Or, The Strange xVJ ventures of a Boy Emigrant. By J. R. 
 Hutchinson. With 4 full-page Illustrations by Stanley 
 Berkeley. Crown 8vo, iBl.OU. 
 
 " There is no question whatever as to the spirited manner in which the 
 story is told ; the detth of the mate of the smuggler liy the teeth of the 
 dog is especially effective. 'Hal Hungerford' is a distinct literary 
 success. " — Upeciator. 
 
 GIRL NEIGHBORS 
 
 Or, The Ohl Fashion and the New. Bv S.vrah Tttler. With 
 8 full-page Illustrations by C T. Garland. Cr. 8vo, SI. 00. 
 
 "One of the most effective and quietly humorous of MisH Tytlei's 
 s'ori' s. ' (lirl Neighbors' is a plcasa 't comedy, not so much of errors .ts 
 of prejudices got rid of, very healthy, very agreeable, and very well 
 written." — Upectator,
 
 30 BOOKS FOR TOUXG PEOPLE 
 
 AN OLD-TIME YARN 
 
 Wlierein is set forth Divers Desperate Mischances which Befell 
 Anthony Ingram and his Bhipmates in the West Indies and 
 Mexico with Hawkins and Drake. By Edgae Pickering. 
 Illustrated with 6 full-page Pictures drawn by Alfeed 
 Peabse. Crown 8vo, $1.'25. 
 
 " An excel! nt story of ad^-entvire. Especially good is the dpscription 
 of Mexico and of the daiigi^ons of the Inquis tion. while Don Di< go Polo 
 is a delii^'htful mix ure of bravery and humor, and his rescue of the 
 unfortuna e prisoi.eis is told w th great spirit. 'An Old-Time Yarn' is 
 thoroughly to be recommended." — G uaidian. 
 
 SILAS VERNEY 
 
 A Tale of the Time of Charles II. By Edgae Pickeeing. 
 With 6 full- page Illustrations by Alfeed Pearse. Crown 
 8vo, 5^1.25. 
 
 "Mr. Pickering reels off the narrative with spirit, rather reminding 
 us of Mr. Stevenson in such books as ' Kidnapped.' " — The Times. 
 
 COUSIN GEOFFREY AND I 
 
 By Caeoline Austin. With 6 full-page Illustrations by W. 
 Parkinson. Crown 8vo, .'pi. 25. 
 
 The only daughter of a conn'ry gentleman finds herself unprovided 
 for at her father's death, and f> r some time lives as a dei endant. She 
 finally makes a brave a' tempt to e;irn her own livelihood, and being a 
 splt-ndid rider, she succeeds m doing this unt 1 the startling event which 
 brings her cousin Geoflrey and herself together again. 
 
 HUGH HERBERTS INHERITANCE 
 
 By Caeoline Austin. W^ith 6 full-page Illustrations by C T. 
 
 Gaeland. Crown Svo, .'$1.25. 
 ' ' A story that teaches patience as well as courage in fighting the battles 
 of life. " — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 UNLUCKY 
 
 A Fragment of a Girl's Life. By Caeoline Austin. Illus- 
 trated. Crown Svo, 75 cents. 
 A touching story of an unlucky girl at odds with her stepmother. 
 
 LAUGH AND LEARN 
 
 The Easiest Book of Nursery Lessons and Nurseiy Games. By 
 Jennett Hujiphreys. Charmingly Illustrated. Square 
 Svo, $1.25. 
 
 " One of the best Vooks of the kind imaginable, full of practical teach- 
 ing in word and picture, and hflpiig the little ones pleasantly along a 
 right royal road to learning." — Grapliic.
 
 BOOKS FOR rOUXG PEOPLE 
 
 31 
 
 SOME STORIES OF ADVENTURE 
 
 ** HALLOWE'EN " AHOY I 
 Or, Lost on the Crozet Is- 
 lands. By Hugh St. Lkgeb. 
 With 6 page Illustrations. 
 Crowu 8vo, ^1.50. 
 
 An exciting .stnv}' of shipwreck 
 and adventure in the South Atlan- 
 tic. The II iihiwc^u is found a 
 derelict with only a girl on board, 
 and after many experiences it is 
 sailed to England. 
 
 REEFER AND RIFLEMAN 
 A Tale of the Two SerWccs. 
 By J. Percy Guov'es. Illus- 
 trated. Crowu 8vo, .^1.25. 
 
 THE SEARCH FOR THE 
 
 TALISMAN 
 A Tale of Labrador. By 
 
 Henry Frith. Illustrated. 
 
 Crown 8vo, iBL25. 
 
 FAMOUS DISCOVERIES BY 
 
 SEA AND LAND 
 Illustrated. Crown 8vo, 8L00. 
 
 TO 
 
 STORIES OF THE SEA IN 
 
 FORMER DAYS 
 Narratives of Wreck and Ees- 
 
 cue. Illustrated, Crown 
 
 Svo, $1.00. 
 
 HISTORICAL STORIES 
 
 FROM THE CLYDE 
 
 THE JORDAN 
 By Hugh Cvld-vn. With 30 
 
 Illustrations and a Map. 
 
 Crown Svo, 1$1.50. 
 
 An interesting story of a bicycle 
 trip through Europe aud Palestine. 
 
 UNDER THE BLACK 
 EAGLE 
 By Andrew Hilliard. Illus- 
 trated. Crown 8vo, $L00. 
 
 Tiic adventures of a young Eng- 
 lis'i lad who was imprisoned in 
 Russia and sent to Siberia, from 
 which he escaiied across Asia. 
 
 JACK O'LANTHORN 
 A Tale of Adventure. By 
 Henry Fritti. Illustrated. 
 Crown Svo, .I?!. 00. 
 
 THE WAR OF THE AXE 
 
 Or, Adventures in South Af- 
 rica. By J. Percy Groves. 
 Illustrated. Crown Svo, 
 igl.OO. 
 
 TALES OF CAPTIVITY 
 AND EXILE 
 By W. B. Fort'escue. Illus- 
 trated. Crown Svo, §1.00. 
 
 A THANE OF WESSEX 
 
 Beinpf a Story of the Great 
 Viking Raids into Somerset. 
 By Cn.\RiiES W. Whistler. 
 Illustrated. Crowu Svo, 
 $1.25. 
 
 BROTHERS IN ARMS 
 
 A Story of the Cnisades. 
 By P. Bayeorp Harrison. 
 Illustrated. Crown Svo, 
 §1.00. 
 
 TWO GALLANT REBELS 
 
 A Story of the Great Sti-ugRle 
 
 of La Vondoo. By Edgar 
 
 Pickering. Illustrated. 
 
 Crown Svo, 81.25. 
 
 STORIES OF OLD RENOWN 
 Tales of Knij^lits and II<>n)es. 
 By .\scott11. Hove. Illus- 
 trated. Crown Svo, -SI. 25. 
 
 STIRRING EVENTS OF 
 
 HISTORY 
 
 Illustrated. Crown Svo, $1.00.
 
 32 
 
 BOOKS FOR TOTING PEOPLE 
 
 SOME BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
 
 THE WHISPERING WINDS 
 
 And the Tales that they Told. By Maky H. Debenham. 
 With 25 Illustrations by Paul Hardy. Crown 8vo, $1.00. 
 
 "We wish the winds would tell ws stories Uke these. It would be 
 worth while to climb Primrose Hill, or even to the giddy heights of 
 Hampstead Heath in a bitter east wind, if we could only be sure of hear- 
 ing such a sweet, sad, tender, and stirring story as that of Hilda Brave 
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