jupon."
"aye, by st. paul!" observed sir nigel, "they both bear the print
of their armor upon their cotes-hardies. methinks they are men
who breathe freer in a camp than a court."
"there are many of us who do that, nigel," said chandos, "and the
head of the court is, i dare warrant, among them. but of these
two men the one is sir hugh calverley, and the other is sir
robert knolles."
sir nigel and sir oliver craned their necks to have the clearer
view of these famous warriors, the one a chosen leader of free
companies, the other a man who by his fierce valor and energy had
raised himself from the lowest ranks until he was second only to
chandos himself in the esteem of the army.
"he hath no light hand in war, hath sir robert," said chandos.
"if he passes through a country you may tell it for some years to
come. i have heard that in the north it is still the use to call
a house which hath but the two gable ends left, without walls or
roof, a knolles' mitre."
"i have often heard of him," said nigel, "and i have hoped to be
so far honored as to run a course with him. but hark, sir john,
what is amiss with the prince?"
whilst chandos had been conversing with the two knights a
continuous stream of suitors had been ushered in, adventurers
seeking to sell their swords and merchants clamoring over some
grievance, a ship detained for the carriage of troops, or a tun
of sweet wine which had the bottom knocked out by a troop of
thirsty archers. a few words from the prince disposed of each
case, and, if the applicant liked not the judgment, a quick
glance from the prince's dark eyes sent him to the door with the
grievance all gone out of him. the younger ruler had sat
listlessly upon his stool with the two puppet monarchs enthroned
behind him, but of a sudden a dark shadow passed over his face,
and he sprang to his feet in one of those gusts of passion which
were the single blot upon his noble and generous character.
"how now, don martin de la carra?" he cried. "how now, sirrah?
what message do you bring to us from our brother of navarre?"
the new-comer to whom this abrupt query had been addressed was a
tall and exceedingly handsome cavalier who had just been ushered
into the apartment. his swarthy cheek and raven black hair spoke
of the fiery south, and he wore his long black cloak swathed
across his chest and over his shoulders in a graceful sweeping
fashion, which was neither english nor french. with stately
steps and many profound bows, he advanced to the foot of the dais
before replying to the prince's question.
"my powerful and illustrious master," he began, "charles, king of
navarre, earl of evreux, count of champagne, who also writeth
himself overlord of bearn, hereby sends his love and greetings to
his dear cousin edward, the prince of wales, governor of
aquitaine, grand commander of----"
"tush! tush! don martin!" interrupted the prince, who had been
beating the ground with his foot impatiently during this stately
preamble. "we already know our cousin's titles and style, and,
certes, we know our own. to the point, man, and at once, are the
passes open to us, or does your master go back from his word
pledged to me at libourne no later than last michaelmas?"
"it would ill become my gracious master, sire, to go back from
promise given. he does but ask some delay and certain conditions
and hostages----"
"conditions! hostages! is he speaking to the prince of england,
or is it to the bourgeois provost of some half-captured town!
conditions, quotha? he may find much to mend in his own
condition ere long. the passes are, then, closed to us?"
"nay, sire----"
"they are open, then?"
"nay, sire, if you would but----"
"enough, enough, don martin," cried the prince. "it is a sorry
sight to see so true a knight pleading in so false a cause. we
know the doings of our cousin charles. we know that while with
the right hand he takes our fifty thousand crowns for the holding
of the passes open, he hath his left outstretched to henry of
trastamare, or to the king of france, all ready to take as many
more for the keeping them closed. i know our good charles, and,
by my blessed name-saint the confessor, he shall learn that i
know him. he sets his kingdom up to the best bidder, like some
scullion farrier selling a glandered horse. he is----"
"my lord," cried don martin, "i cannot stand there to hear such
words of my master. did they come from other lips, i should know
better how to answer them."
don pedro frowned and curled his lip, but the prince smiled and
nodded his approbation.
"your bearing and your words, don martin, are such i should have
looked for in you," he remarked. "you will tell the king, your
master, that he hath been paid his price and that if he holds to
his promise he hath m
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