Charlevoix county herald., 1906-07-21
CHAPTER TX.

"Maude, Maudew said he, shaking
his head, at is more hard for me to
tenscore drunken archers who followed
me to Guinne. Yet, hush! little one,
for your fair lady-mother will be here
should know at. We will keep you
from the provost marshal this journey;
Away to your chamber. sweeting, and
keep a blithe face, for she who con-
fesses is shriven. And now, fair moth
err" he continued, when his daughter
had gone, "sit you here by the nre. for
Alleyne Edricson, would have word
with you.- for 1 would fain that you
should take service under me. And
out whose counsel it is not my wont
to decide aught to import; but, indeed,
! it was. her own thought that you should
"For I have formed a good opinion
OF you, and can see that you are one
who may be trusted ted said, said the Lazy lad
lord hath. need of such a one by his
side, for he. recks. so little of himself
that there should be one there to look
to his needs and meet his. wants. You
have seen. the cloister; 1t were well
that you should see the world, too. ere
you make choice for OF life betwsen t5em, hem,
looking at the youth with puckered
"Yes. I have ridden much at the alb
"Yet there is a difference betwixt a
friar's hack and a warriors destrier.
You can sing and rlay?"
"On citole, flute and rebeck."
Good! You can read blazonryT
indifferent WELL
II trust that you ere lowly and SER
Il have served II my life, my lord"
"Canst carve too"
Il, have carved Two days week for
'Hs III model nod ii truly! wilt make squire
of squiress;;, But tell me- pray eanst
mo, my lord, but I could learn" r.. =,
love to keep my hair we'll ordered, see
ing that the. weight of my helmet for
thirty years hath in some degree frayed
1T is for you also to bear the purse, >,
said the lady: for my sweet lord Is or
R-}ree and gracious temper that he
Would give it gayly to the first who
asked aims of him; AL. these things;
of the management of horse. hawk, and
hound, with the grace and hardlhood
and courtesy which are proper to your
age. will make you tit squire Tor sir
'5Aias. iadyw Alleyne answered, 81
know well the great honor that you
have done me in deeming me worthy
to wait upon so renowned knight
yet l am so conscious of my own weak
ness that scarce dare incur fIidi GTfiif;s3 ;
"Modesty and a humble mind, SAID
she, "are the very first and rarest gllts
in page or squire. Your words Vf Is pToNft rest
is but the work of use and Of time.
1--WE can scarce hope" said Sir ,St5,aL Niscl,
the feast of st. Luke, for there is much
to be done in the time. You VIII haIe
leisure. therefore, if it please you to
take service under me, In Whlch 10
learn your devoir."
"And 1 have one favor to crave from
YOU" added the lady of the castle. as
Alleyne turned to leave their presGmCfb,
have, i
learning, which you have acquired at
Beaulieu. I would have you give ,.i an n
us in discoursing with my daughter,
the Lady Maude; for she is someWhat
backward, fear, and hath no love Tor
letters, save for. these poor fond t,. ro-
mances, which do but fill her empty
head with dreams OF enchanted maid al a..
ems and of errant cave cavalier; of;or faInee H6nee
SAom the Priory, but he is stricken with
3lrs and slow of speech, so that shG
ITS, small profit from ms ydS, t9aCninE cam With
her, and with Agatha, my youhg IRE
woman, and with Dorothy PierpQnt
And so Alleyne found hiIisGIt Inis,bt hUt hUt
also as squire to three damozels Mhicih
was even further from the part Which
he had thought to play In the "OFle of ei T.
And now there came time OF sur
and hustle. of furnishing of arms anu
ciang OF hammer from all the f3;1, SOUL ,rs
land counties Fast ] sPreadd and from fre castle
70 castle. that the old game was; afoot
once more, and the lions ana llleS ~ -
he in the field with the early sprlnS
Great news this for that fierce Ole
country whose trade for a generatloI
had been war; her exports arcners n, an ,e
her sons had chafed under an unWohteC
peace. Now they flew to thelr arms arms as
to their birthright;. Inc Inc of ofu Poictier:
We're glad to think that they mlghl @
hear the war-trumpet once more an am
gladder still were the nndor mSt yoabun The mar mai,
tial tales of their sires. To pierce tht i(
great mountains of the south, to hgh1 a1
The tanners OF the fiery Moors, 10 lol y,
low the greatest 6eIds 6aRhsiH and nd vii Vineyards
when the marches OF Picardy ana Nol
mandy were as bare and bleak as IN,
Jedburgh forestsmhefre of warriors. From
sea to sea there was string lIs t6 s6eI u ~ RI,
in the cottage and clang OF steer IN th
Nor did It take long for every strong
hold to pour forth it's caValry,, an an
every hamlet it's footmen. Inrousn I,or, ~ 81
late autumn and tke early WINTER evJt ,'it
roed and country'lane resounded VIII
nakir and trumpet, with the nelgn y y
the war-horse and the clatter OF march
In the ancient and populous, count
of Hampshire there was no lin l,,,o
leaders or OF soldiers, for serNtfT, ser0f,
Greatest of ali the musterss; howey,eI
was that at Twynham Castle, for IN
name and the fame of Sir Nigel LqriiLdI Lid
drew toward him the keenest ana Doiu -
est spirits, all eager to serve unoer
valiant a leader Archers from tn III
New Forest and the Forest OF Bere ,r
billmen from the pleasant county ~
which is watered by the Stour, , vi
Avon, and the Itchen, young cavaiier, ~,
from the ancient Hampshire houses, a.
were pusmng for Christchurch 70 taK ar,
service under the banner OF the NV
scarlet roses. shor,
And now, could Sir Nigel have show
the bachelies Of land which the law
OF rank required, he might Wen nav y
cut his forked pennon into SQUAT
banner, and taken such following lnt ~,
the field as would have supported IN
dignity OF a banneret. But poVero
was heavy upon him; his lana wa
scant, his Golfers empty. and the yer
castle which covered him the hoIu,In
OF another. Sore was his heart wne
bP saw rare bowmen and war haruente e
2 spearmen turned away from MS ghtts
for the lack Of the money whlch Ilisn .tn
equip and pay them. Yet the ieItv a',
which Awkward had brought him gay
him powers which he was not sloW =
use. In IL Sir Claude I.atour, the 1as
con lieutenant OF the White, CotnPaih y. u
assured him that there remalneu IN m ~,
,.-t.r, o0o,,Vh At out nunuTe