can only say that on the eve of
cadsand, and on the eve of crecy, and on the eve of nogent, i
dreamed of a red cow; and now the dream has come upon me again,
so i am now setting a very keen edge to my blade."
"well said, old war-dog!" cried aylward. "by my hilt! i pray
that your dream may come true, for the prince hath not set us out
here to drink broth or to gather whortleberries. one more fight,
and i am ready to hang up my bow, marry a wife, and take to the
fire corner. but how now, robin? whom is it that you seek?"
"the lord loring craves your attendance in his tent," said a
young archer to alleyne.
the squire rose and proceeded to the pavilion, where he found the
knight seated upon a cushion, with his legs crossed in front of
him and a broad ribbon of parchment laid across his knees, over
which he was poring with frowning brows and pursed lips.
"it came this morning by the prince's messenger," said he, "and
was brought from england by sir john fallislee, who is new come
from sussex. what make you of this upon the outer side?"
"it is fairly and clearly written," alleyne answered, "and it
signifies to sir nigel loring, knight constable of twynham
castle, by the hand of christopher, the servant of god at the
priory of christchurch."
"so i read it," said sir nigel. "now i pray you to read what is
set forth within."
alleyne turned to the letter, and, as his eyes rested upon it,
his face turned pale and a cry of surprise and grief burst from
his lips.
"what then?" asked the knight, peering up at him anxiously.
"there is nought amiss with the lady mary or with the lady
maude?"
"it is my brother--my poor unhappy brother!" cried alleyne, with
his hand to his brow. "he is dead."
"by saint paul! i have never heard that he had shown so much
love for you that you should mourn him so."
"yet he was my brother--the only kith or kin that i had upon
earth. mayhap he had cause to be bitter against me, for his land
was given to the abbey for my upbringing. alas! alas! and i
raised my staff against him when last we met! he has been slain-
-and slain, i fear, amidst crime and violence."
"ha!" said sir nigel. "read on, i pray you."
" 'god be with thee, my honored lord, and have thee in his holy
keeping. the lady loring hath asked me to set down in writing
what hath befallen at twynham, and all that concerns the death of
thy ill neighbor the socman of minstead. for when ye had left
us, this evil man gathered around him all outlaws, villeins, and
masterless men, until they were come to such a force that they
slew and scattered the king's men who went against them. then,
coming forth from the woods, they laid siege to thy castle, and
for two days they girt us in and shot hard against us, with such
numbers as were a marvel to see. yet the lady loring held the
place stoutly, and on the second day the socman was slain--by his
own men, as some think--so that we were delivered from their
hands; for which praise be to all the saints, and more especially
to the holy anselm, upon whose feast it came to pass. the lady
loring, and the lady maude, thy fair daughter, are in good
health; and so also am i, save for an imposthume of the toe-
joint, which hath been sent me for my sins. may all the saints
preserve thee!' "
"it was the vision of the lady tiphaine," said sir nigel, after a
pause. "marked you not how she said that the leader was one with
a yellow beard, and how he fell before the gate. but how came
it, alleyne, that this woman, to whom all things are as crystal,
and who hath not said one word which has not come to pass, was
yet so led astray as to say that your thoughts turned to twynham
castle even more than my own?"
"my fair lord," said alleyne, with a flush on his weather-stained
cheeks, "the lady tiphaine may have spoken sooth when she said
it; for twynham castle is in my heart by day and in my dreams by
night."
"ha!" cried sir nigel, with a sidelong glance.
"yes, my fair lord; for indeed i love your daughter, the lady
maude; and, unworthy as i am, i would give my heart's blood to
serve her."
"by st. paul! edricson," said the knight coldly, arching his
eyebrows, "you aim high in this matter. our blood is very old."
"and mine also is very old," answered the squire.
"and the lady maude is our single child. all our name and lands
centre upon her."
"alas! that i should say it, but i also am now the only
edricson."
"and why have i not heard this from you before, alleyne? in
sooth, i think that you have used me ill."
"nay, my fair lord, say not so; for i know not whether your
daughter loves me, and there is no pledge between us."
sir nigel pondered for a few moments, and then burst out a-
laughing. "by st. paul!" said he, "i know not why i should mix
in the matter; for
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