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diff --git a/3048.txt b/3048.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a981ea1 --- /dev/null +++ b/3048.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4795 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Little Duke, by Charlotte M. Yonge + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Little Duke + Richard the Fearless + + +Author: Charlotte M. Yonge + + + +Release Date: June 20, 2008 [eBook #3048] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LITTLE DUKE*** + + +Transcribed from the 1905 Macmillan and Co. edition by Janet Haselow, +Marian Taylor and David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org + + + + + + THE LITTLE DUKE + + + RICHARD THE FEARLESS + + BY THE AUTHOR OF + "THE HEIR OF REDCLYFFE," + ETC. + + WITH ILLUSTRATIONS + + London + MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED + NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY + + 1905 + + _All rights reserved_ + + RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED, + BREAD STREET HILL, E.C., AND + BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. + +_Originally published elsewhere_. _Transferred in_ 1864. _First Edition + printed_ (S) _for Macmillan and Co. November_ 1864 (_Pott_ 8_vo_). + _Reprinted_ 1869, 1872, 1873, 1876, 1878, 1881 (_Globe_ 8_vo_), 1883, +1885, 1886, 1889. _New Edition_ 1891, (_Crown_ 8_vo_), 1892, 1894, 1895, + 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1905. + + + + +CHAPTER I + + +On a bright autumn day, as long ago as the year 943, there was a great +bustle in the Castle of Bayeux in Normandy. + +The hall was large and low, the roof arched, and supported on thick short +columns, almost like the crypt of a Cathedral; the walls were thick, and +the windows, which had no glass, were very small, set in such a depth of +wall that there was a wide deep window seat, upon which the rain might +beat, without reaching the interior of the room. And even if it had come +in, there was nothing for it to hurt, for the walls were of rough stone, +and the floor of tiles. There was a fire at each end of this great dark +apartment, but there were no chimneys over the ample hearths, and the +smoke curled about in thick white folds in the vaulted roof, adding to +the wreaths of soot, which made the hall look still darker. + +The fire at the lower end was by far the largest and hottest. Great +black cauldrons hung over it, and servants, both men and women, with red +faces, bare and grimed arms, and long iron hooks, or pots and pans, were +busied around it. At the other end, which was raised about three steps +above the floor of the hall, other servants were engaged. Two young +maidens were strewing fresh rushes on the floor; some men were setting up +a long table of rough boards, supported on trestles, and then ranging +upon it silver cups, drinking horns, and wooden trenchers. + +Benches were placed to receive most of the guests, but in the middle, at +the place of honour, was a high chair with very thick crossing legs, and +the arms curiously carved with lions' faces and claws; a clumsy wooden +footstool was set in front, and the silver drinking-cup on the table was +of far more beautiful workmanship than the others, richly chased with +vine leaves and grapes, and figures of little boys with goats' legs. If +that cup could have told its story, it would have been a strange one, for +it had been made long since, in the old Roman times, and been carried off +from Italy by some Northman pirate. + +From one of these scenes of activity to the other, there moved a stately +old lady: her long thick light hair, hardly touched with grey, was bound +round her head, under a tall white cap, with a band passing under her +chin: she wore a long sweeping dark robe, with wide hanging sleeves, and +thick gold ear-rings and necklace, which had possibly come from the same +quarter as the cup. She directed the servants, inspected both the +cookery and arrangements of the table, held council with an old steward, +now and then looked rather anxiously from the window, as if expecting +some one, and began to say something about fears that these loitering +youths would not bring home the venison in time for Duke William's +supper. + +Presently, she looked up rejoiced, for a few notes of a bugle-horn were +sounded; there was a clattering of feet, and in a few moments there +bounded into the hall, a boy of about eight years old, his cheeks and +large blue eyes bright with air and exercise, and his long light-brown +hair streaming behind him, as he ran forward flourishing a bow in his +hand, and crying out, "I hit him, I hit him! Dame Astrida, do you hear? +'Tis a stag of ten branches, and I hit him in the neck." + +"You! my Lord Richard! you killed him?" + +"Oh, no, I only struck him. It was Osmond's shaft that took him in the +eye, and--Look you, Fru Astrida, he came thus through the wood, and I +stood here, it might be, under the great elm with my bow thus"--And +Richard was beginning to act over again the whole scene of the deer-hunt, +but Fru, that is to say, Lady Astrida, was too busy to listen, and broke +in with, "Have they brought home the haunch?" + +"Yes, Walter is bringing it. I had a long arrow--" + + [Picture: Richard with Dame Estrida] + +A stout forester was at this instant seen bringing in the venison, and +Dame Astrida hastened to meet it, and gave directions, little Richard +following her all the way, and talking as eagerly as if she was attending +to him, showing how he shot, how Osmond shot, how the deer bounded, and +how it fell, and then counting the branches of its antlers, always ending +with, "This is something to tell my father. Do you think he will come +soon?" + +In the meantime two men entered the hall, one about fifty, the other, one +or two-and-twenty, both in hunting dresses of plain leather, crossed by +broad embroidered belts, supporting a knife, and a bugle-horn. The elder +was broad-shouldered, sun-burnt, ruddy, and rather stern-looking; the +younger, who was also the taller, was slightly made, and very active, +with a bright keen grey eye, and merry smile. These were Dame Astrida's +son, Sir Eric de Centeville, and her grandson, Osmond; and to their care +Duke William of Normandy had committed his only child, Richard, to be +fostered, or brought up. {1} + +It was always the custom among the Northmen, that young princes should +thus be put under the care of some trusty vassal, instead of being +brought up at home, and one reason why the Centevilles had been chosen by +Duke William was, that both Sir Eric and his mother spoke only the old +Norwegian tongue, which he wished young Richard to understand well, +whereas, in other parts of the Duchy, the Normans had forgotten their own +tongue, and had taken up what was then called the Langued'oui, a language +between German and Latin, which was the beginning of French. + +On this day, Duke William himself was expected at Bayeux, to pay a visit +to his son before setting out on a journey to settle the disputes between +the Counts of Flanders and Montreuil, and this was the reason of Fru +Astrida's great preparations. No sooner had she seen the haunch placed +upon a spit, which a little boy was to turn before the fire, than she +turned to dress something else, namely, the young Prince Richard himself, +whom she led off to one of the upper rooms, and there he had full time to +talk, while she, great lady though she was, herself combed smooth his +long flowing curls, and fastened his short scarlet cloth tunic, which +just reached to his knee, leaving his neck, arms, and legs bare. He +begged hard to be allowed to wear a short, beautifully ornamented dagger +at his belt, but this Fru Astrida would not allow. + +"You will have enough to do with steel and dagger before your life is at +an end," said she, "without seeking to begin over soon." + +"To be sure I shall," answered Richard. "I will be called Richard of the +Sharp Axe, or the Bold Spirit, I promise you, Fru Astrida. We are as +brave in these days as the Sigurds and Ragnars you sing of! I only wish +there were serpents and dragons to slay here in Normandy." + +"Never fear but you will find even too many of them," said Dame Astrida; +"there be dragons of wrong here and everywhere, quite as venomous as any +in my Sagas." + +"I fear them not," said Richard, but half understanding her, "if you +would only let me have the dagger! But, hark! hark!" he darted to the +window. "They come, they come! There is the banner of Normandy." + +Away ran the happy child, and never rested till he stood at the bottom of +the long, steep, stone stair, leading to the embattled porch. Thither +came the Baron de Centeville, and his son, to receive their Prince. +Richard looked up at Osmond, saying, "Let me hold his stirrup," and then +sprang up and shouted for joy, as under the arched gateway there came a +tall black horse, bearing the stately form of the Duke of Normandy. His +purple robe was fastened round him by a rich belt, sustaining the mighty +weapon, from which he was called "William of the long Sword," his legs +and feet were cased in linked steel chain-work, his gilded spurs were on +his heels, and his short brown hair was covered by his ducal cap of +purple, turned up with fur, and a feather fastened in by a jewelled +clasp. His brow was grave and thoughtful, and there was something both +of dignity and sorrow in his face, at the first moment of looking at it, +recalling the recollection that he had early lost his young wife, the +Duchess Emma, and that he was beset by many cares and toils; but the next +glance generally conveyed encouragement, so full of mildness were his +eyes, and so kind the expression of his lips. + +And now, how bright a smile beamed upon the little Richard, who, for the +first time, paid him the duty of a pupil in chivalry, by holding the +stirrup while he sprung from his horse. Next, Richard knelt to receive +his blessing, which was always the custom when children met their +parents. The Duke laid his hand on his head, saying, "God of His mercy +bless thee, my son," and lifting him in his arms, held him to his breast, +and let him cling to his neck and kiss him again and again, before +setting him down, while Sir Eric came forward, bent his knee, kissed the +hand of his Prince, and welcomed him to his Castle. + +It would take too long to tell all the friendly and courteous words that +were spoken, the greeting of the Duke and the noble old Lady Astrida, and +the reception of the Barons who had come in the train of their Lord. +Richard was bidden to greet them, but, though he held out his hand as +desired, he shrank a little to his father's side, gazing at them in dread +and shyness. + +There was Count Bernard, of Harcourt, called the "Dane," {2} with his +shaggy red hair and beard, to which a touch of grey had given a strange +unnatural tint, his eyes looking fierce and wild under his thick +eyebrows, one of them mis-shapen in consequence of a sword cut, which had +left a broad red and purple scar across both cheek and forehead. There, +too, came tall Baron Rainulf, of Ferrieres, cased in a linked steel +hauberk, that rang as he walked, and the men-at-arms, with helmets and +shields, looking as if Sir Eric's armour that hung in the hail had come +to life and was walking about. + +They sat down to Fru Astrida's banquet, the old Lady at the Duke's right +hand, and the Count of Harcourt on his left; Osmond carved for the Duke, +and Richard handed his cup and trencher. All through the meal, the Duke +and his Lords talked earnestly of the expedition on which they were bound +to meet Count Arnulf of Flanders, on a little islet in the river Somme, +there to come to some agreement, by which Arnulf might make restitution +to Count Herluin of Montreuil, for certain wrongs which he had done him. + +Some said that this would be the fittest time for requiring Arnulf to +yield up some towns on his borders, to which Normandy had long laid +claim, but the Duke shook his head, saying that he must seek no selfish +advantage, when called to judge between others. + +Richard was rather tired of their grave talk, and thought the supper very +long; but at last it was over, the Grace was said, the boards which had +served for tables were removed, and as it was still light, some of the +guests went to see how their steeds had been bestowed, others to look at +Sir Eric's horses and hounds, and others collected together in groups. + +The Duke had time to attend to his little boy, and Richard sat upon his +knee and talked, told about all his pleasures, how his arrow had hit the +deer to-day, how Sir Eric let him ride out to the chase on his little +pony, how Osmond would take him to bathe in the cool bright river, and +how he had watched the raven's nest in the top of the old tower. + +Duke William listened, and smiled, and seemed as well pleased to hear as +the boy was to tell. "And, Richard," said he at last, "have you nought +to tell me of Father Lucas, and his great book? What, not a word? Look +up, Richard, and tell me how it goes with the learning." {3} + +"Oh, father!" said Richard, in a low voice, playing with the clasp of his +father's belt, and looking down, "I don't like those crabbed letters on +the old yellow parchment." + +"But you try to learn them, I hope!" said the Duke. + +"Yes, father, I do, but they are very hard, and the words are so long, +and Father Lucas will always come when the sun is so bright, and the wood +so green, that I know not how to bear to be kept poring over those black +hooks and strokes." + +"Poor little fellow," said Duke William, smiling and Richard, rather +encouraged, went on more boldly. "You do not know this reading, noble +father?" + +"To my sorrow, no," said the Duke. + +"And Sir Eric cannot read, nor Osmond, nor any one, and why must I read, +and cramp my fingers with writing, just as if I was a clerk, instead of a +young Duke?" Richard looked up in his father's face, and then hung his +head, as if half-ashamed of questioning his will, but the Duke answered +him without displeasure. + +"It is hard, no doubt, my boy, to you now, but it will be the better for +you in the end. I would give much to be able myself to read those holy +books which I must now only hear read to me by a clerk, but since I have +had the wish, I have had no time to learn as you have now." + +"But Knights and Nobles never learn," said Richard. + +"And do you think it a reason they never should? But you are wrong, my +boy, for the Kings of France and England, the Counts of Anjou, of +Provence, and Paris, yes, even King Hako of Norway, {4} can all read." + +"I tell you, Richard, when the treaty was drawn up for restoring this +King Louis to his throne, I was ashamed to find myself one of the few +crown vassals who could not write his name thereto." + +"But none is so wise or so good as you, father," said Richard, proudly. +"Sir Eric often says so." + +"Sir Eric loves his Duke too well to see his faults," said Duke William; +"but far better and wiser might I have been, had I been taught by such +masters as you may be. And hark, Richard, not only can all Princes here +read, but in England, King Ethelstane would have every Noble taught; they +study in his own palace, with his brothers, and read the good words that +King Alfred the truth-teller put into their own tongue for them." + +"I hate the English," said Richard, raising his head and looking very +fierce. + +"Hate them? and wherefore?" + +"Because they traitorously killed the brave Sea King Ragnar! Fru Astrida +sings his death-song, which he chanted when the vipers were gnawing him +to death, and he gloried to think how his sons would bring the ravens to +feast upon the Saxon. Oh! had I been his son, how I would have carried +on the feud! How I would have laughed when I cut down the false +traitors, and burnt their palaces!" Richard's eye kindled, and his +words, as he spoke the old Norse language, flowed into the sort of wild +verse in which the Sagas or legendary songs were composed, and which, +perhaps, he was unconsciously repeating. + +Duke William looked grave. + +"Fru Astrida must sing you no more such Sagas," said he, "if they fill +your mind with these revengeful thoughts, fit only for the worshippers of +Odin and Thor. Neither Ragnar nor his sons knew better than to rejoice +in this deadly vengeance, but we, who are Christians, know that it is for +us to forgive." + +"The English had slain their father!" said Richard, looking up with +wondering dissatisfied eyes. + +"Yes, Richard, and I speak not against them, for they were even as we +should have been, had not King Harold the fair-haired driven your +grandfather from Denmark. They had not been taught the truth, but to us +it has been said, 'Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.' Listen to me, my +son, Christian as is this nation of ours, this duty of forgiveness is too +often neglected, but let it not be so with you. Bear in mind, whenever +you see the Cross {5} marked on our banner, or carved in stone on the +Churches, that it speaks of forgiveness to us; but of that pardon we +shall never taste if we forgive not our enemies. Do you mark me, boy?" + +Richard hesitated a little, and then said, "Yes, father, but I could +never have pardoned, had I been one of Ragnar's sons." + +"It may be that you will be in their case, Richard," said the Duke, "and +should I fall, as it may well be I shall, in some of the contests that +tear to pieces this unhappy Kingdom of France, then, remember what I say +now. I charge you, on your duty to God and to your father, that you keep +up no feud, no hatred, but rather that you should deem me best revenged, +when you have with heart and hand, given the fullest proof of forgiveness +to your enemy. Give me your word that you will." + +"Yes, father," said Richard, with rather a subdued tone, and resting his +head on his father's shoulder. There was a silence for a little space, +during which he began to revive into playfulness, to stroke the Duke's +short curled beard, and play with his embroidered collar. + +In so doing, his fingers caught hold of a silver chain, and pulling it +out with a jerk, he saw a silver key attached to it. "Oh, what is that?" +he asked eagerly. "What does that key unlock?" + +"My greatest treasure," replied Duke William, as he replaced the chain +and key within his robe. + +"Your greatest treasure, father! Is that your coronet?" + +"You will know one day," said his father, putting the little hand down +from its too busy investigations; and some of the Barons at that moment +returning into the hall, he had no more leisure to bestow on his little +son. + +The next day, after morning service in the Chapel, and breakfast in the +hall, the Duke again set forward on his journey, giving Richard hopes he +might return in a fortnight's time, and obtaining from him a promise that +he would be very attentive to Father Lucas, and very obedient to Sir Eric +de Centeville. + + + + +CHAPTER II + + +One evening Fru Astrida sat in her tall chair in the chimney corner, her +distaff, with its load of flax in her hand, while she twisted and drew +out the thread, and her spindle danced on the floor. Opposite to her +sat, sleeping in his chair, Sir Eric de Centeville; Osmond was on a low +bench within the chimney corner, trimming and shaping with his knife some +feathers of the wild goose, which were to fly in a different fashion from +their former one, and serve, not to wing the flight of a harmless goose, +but of a sharp arrow. + +The men of the household sat ranged on benches on one side of the hall, +the women on the other; a great red fire, together with an immense +flickering lamp which hung from the ceiling, supplied the light; the +windows were closed with wooden shutters, and the whole apartment had a +cheerful appearance. Two or three large hounds were reposing in front of +the hearth, and among them sat little Richard of Normandy, now smoothing +down their broad silken ears; now tickling the large cushions of their +feet with the end of one of Osmond's feathers; now fairly pulling open +the eyes of one of the good-natured sleepy creatures, which only +stretched its legs, and remonstrated with a sort of low groan, rather +than a growl. The boy's eyes were, all the time, intently fixed on Dame +Astrida, as if he would not lose one word of the story she was telling +him; how Earl Rollo, his grandfather, had sailed into the mouth of the +Seine, and how Archbishop Franco, of Rouen, had come to meet him and +brought him the keys of the town, and how not one Neustrian of Rouen had +met with harm from the brave Northmen. Then she told him of his +grandfather's baptism, and how during the seven days that he wore his +white baptismal robes, he had made large gifts to all the chief churches +in his dukedom of Normandy. + +"Oh, but tell of the paying homage!" said Richard; "and how Sigurd +Bloodaxe threw down simple King Charles! Ah! how would I have laughed to +see it!" + +"Nay, nay, Lord Richard," said the old lady, "I love not that tale. That +was ere the Norman learnt courtesy, and rudeness ought rather to be +forgotten than remembered, save for the sake of amending it. No, I will +rather tell you of our coming to Centeville, and how dreary I thought +these smooth meads, and broad soft gliding streams, compared with mine +own father's fiord in Norway, shut in with the tall black rocks, and dark +pines above them, and far away the snowy mountains rising into the sky. +Ah! how blue the waters were in the long summer days when I sat in my +father's boat in the little fiord, and--" + +Dame Astrida was interrupted. A bugle note rang out at the castle gate; +the dogs started to their feet, and uttered a sudden deafening bark; +Osmond sprung up, exclaiming, "Hark!" and trying to silence the hounds; +and Richard running to Sir Eric, cried, "Wake, wake, Sir Eric, my father +is come! Oh, haste to open the gate, and admit him." + +"Peace, dogs!" said Sir Eric, slowly rising, as the blast of the horn was +repeated. "Go, Osmond, with the porter, and see whether he who comes at +such an hour be friend or foe. Stay you here, my Lord," he added, as +Richard was running after Osmond; and the little boy obeyed, and stood +still, though quivering all over with impatience. + +"Tidings from the Duke, I should guess," said Fru Astrida. "It can +scarce be himself at such an hour." + +"Oh, it must be, dear Fru Astrida!" said Richard. "He said he would come +again. Hark, there are horses' feet in the court! I am sure that is his +black charger's tread! And I shall not be there to hold his stirrup! +Oh! Sir Eric, let me go." + +Sir Eric, always a man of few words, only shook his head, and at that +moment steps were heard on the stone stairs. Again Richard was about to +spring forward, when Osmond returned, his face showing, at a glance, that +something was amiss; but all that he said was, "Count Bernard of +Harcourt, and Sir Rainulf de Ferrieres," and he stood aside to let them +pass. + +Richard stood still in the midst of the hall, disappointed. Without +greeting to Sir Eric, or to any within the hall, the Count of Harcourt +came forward to Richard, bent his knee before him, took his hand, and +said with a broken voice and heaving breast, "Richard, Duke of Normandy, +I am thy liegeman and true vassal;" then rising from his knees while +Rainulf de Ferrieres went through the same form, the old man covered his +face with his hands and wept aloud. + +"Is it even so?" said the Baron de Centeville; and being answered by a +mournful look and sigh from Ferrieres, he too bent before the boy, and +repeated the words, "I am thy liegeman and true vassal, and swear fealty +to thee for my castle and barony of Centeville." + +"Oh, no, no!" cried Richard, drawing back his hand in a sort of agony, +feeling as if he was in a frightful dream from which he could not awake. +"What means it? Oh! Fru Astrida, tell me what means it? Where is my +father?" + + [Picture: The oath of the vassals] + +"Alas, my child!" said the old lady, putting her arm round him, and +drawing him close to her, whilst her tears flowed fast, and Richard +stood, reassured by her embrace, listening with eyes open wide, and deep +oppressed breathing, to what was passing between the four nobles, who +spoke earnestly among themselves, without much heed of him. + +"The Duke dead!" repeated Sir Eric de Centeville, like one stunned and +stupefied. + +"Even so," said Rainulf, slowly and sadly, and the silence was only +broken by the long-drawn sobs of old Count Bernard. + +"But how? when? where?" broke forth Sir Eric, presently. "There was no +note of battle when you went forth. Oh, why was not I at his side?" + +"He fell not in battle," gloomily replied Sir Rainulf. + +"Ha! could sickness cut him down so quickly?" + +"It was not sickness," answered Ferrieres. "It was treachery. He fell +in the Isle of Pecquigny, by the hand of the false Fleming!" + +"Lives the traitor yet?" cried the Baron de Centeville, grasping his good +sword. + +"He lives and rejoices in his crime," said Ferrieres, "safe in his own +merchant towns." + +"I can scarce credit you, my Lords!" said Sir Eric. "Our Duke slain, and +his enemy safe, and you here to tell the tale!" + +"I would I were stark and stiff by my Lord's side!" said Count Bernard, +"but for the sake of Normandy, and of that poor child, who is like to +need all that ever were friends to his house. I would that mine eyes had +been blinded for ever, ere they had seen that sight! And not a sword +lifted in his defence! Tell you how it passed, Rainulf! My tongue will +not speak it!" + +He threw himself on a bench and covered his face with his mantle, while +Rainulf de Ferrieres proceeded: "You know how in an evil hour our good +Duke appointed to meet this caitiff, Count of Flanders, in the Isle of +Pecquigny, the Duke and Count each bringing twelve men with them, all +unarmed. Duke Alan of Brittany was one on our side, Count Bernard here +another, old Count Bothon and myself; we bore no weapon--would that we +had--but not so the false Flemings. Ah me! I shall never forget Duke +William's lordly presence when he stepped ashore, and doffed his bonnet +to the knave Arnulf." + +"Yes," interposed Bernard. "And marked you not the words of the traitor, +as they met? 'My Lord,' quoth he, 'you are my shield and defence.' {6} +Would that I could cleave his treason-hatching skull with my battle-axe." + +"So," continued Rainulf, "they conferred together, and as words cost +nothing to Arnulf, he not only promised all restitution to the paltry +Montreuil, but even was for offering to pay homage to our Duke for +Flanders itself; but this our William refused, saying it were foul wrong +to both King Louis of France, and Kaiser Otho of Germany, to take from +them their vassal. They took leave of each other in all courtesy, and we +embarked again. It was Duke William's pleasure to go alone in a small +boat, while we twelve were together in another. Just as we had nearly +reached our own bank, there was a shout from the Flemings that their +Count had somewhat further to say to the Duke, and forbidding us to +follow him, the Duke turned his boat and went back again. No sooner had +he set foot on the isle," proceeded the Norman, clenching his hands, and +speaking between his teeth, "than we saw one Fleming strike him on the +head with an oar; he fell senseless, the rest threw themselves upon him, +and the next moment held up their bloody daggers in scorn at us! You may +well think how we shouted and yelled at them, and plied our oars like men +distracted, but all in vain, they were already in their boats, and ere we +could even reach the isle, they were on the other side of the river, +mounted their horses, fled with coward speed, and were out of reach of a +Norman's vengeance." + +"But they shall not be so long!" cried Richard, starting forward; for to +his childish fancy this dreadful history was more like one of Dame +Astrida's legends than a reality, and at the moment his thought was only +of the blackness of the treason. "Oh, that I were a man to chastise +them! One day they shall feel--" + +He broke off short, for he remembered how his father had forbidden his +denunciations of vengeance, but his words were eagerly caught up by the +Barons, who, as Duke William had said, were far from possessing any +temper of forgiveness, thought revenge a duty, and were only glad to see +a warlike spirit in their new Prince. + +"Ha! say you so, my young Lord?" exclaimed old Count Bernard, rising. +"Yes, and I see a sparkle in your eye that tells me you will one day +avenge him nobly!" + +Richard drew up his head, and his heart throbbed high as Sir Eric made +answer, "Ay, truly, that will he! You might search Normandy through, +yea, and Norway likewise, ere you would find a temper more bold and free. +Trust my word, Count Bernard, our young Duke will be famed as widely as +ever were his forefathers!" + +"I believe it well!" said Bernard. "He hath the port of his grandfather, +Duke Rollo, and much, too, of his noble father! How say you, Lord +Richard, will you be a valiant leader of the Norman race against our +foes?" + +"That I will!" said Richard, carried away by the applause excited by +those few words of his. "I will ride at your head this very night if you +will but go to chastise the false Flemings." + +"You shall ride with us to-morrow, my Lord," answered Bernard, "but it +must be to Rouen, there to be invested with your ducal sword and mantle, +and to receive the homage of your vassals." + +Richard drooped his head without replying, for this seemed to bring to +him the perception that his father was really gone, and that he should +never see him again. He thought of all his projects for the day of his +return, how he had almost counted the hours, and had looked forward to +telling him that Father Lucas was well pleased with him! And now he +should never nestle into his breast again, never hear his voice, never +see those kind eyes beam upon him. Large tears gathered in his eyes, and +ashamed that they should be seen, he sat down on a footstool at Fru +Astrida's feet, leant his forehead on his hands, and thought over all +that his father had done and said the last time they were together. He +fancied the return that had been promised, going over the meeting and the +greeting, till he had almost persuaded himself that this dreadful story +was but a dream. But when he looked up, there were the Barons, with +their grave mournful faces, speaking of the corpse, which Duke Alan of +Brittany was escorting to Rouen, there to be buried beside the old Duke +Rollo, and the Duchess Emma, Richard's mother. Then he lost himself in +wonder how that stiff bleeding body could be the same as the father whose +arm was so lately around him, and whether his father's spirit knew how he +was thinking of him; and in these dreamy thoughts, the young orphan Duke +of Normandy, forgotten by his vassals in their grave councils, fell +asleep, and scarce wakened enough to attend to his prayers, when Fru +Astrida at length remembered him, and led him away to bed. + +When Richard awoke the next morning, he could hardly believe that all +that had passed in the evening was true, but soon he found that it was +but too real, and all was prepared for him to go to Rouen with the +vassals; indeed, it was for no other purpose than to fetch him that the +Count of Harcourt had come to Bayeux. Fru Astrida was quite unhappy that +"the child," as she called him, should go alone with the warriors; but +Sir Eric laughed at her, and said that it would never do for the Duke of +Normandy to bring his nurse with him in his first entry into Rouen, and +she must be content to follow at some space behind under the escort of +Walter the huntsman. + +So she took leave of Richard, charging both Sir Eric and Osmond to have +the utmost care of him, and shedding tears as if the parting was to be +for a much longer space; then he bade farewell to the servants of the +castle, received the blessing of Father Lucas, and mounting his pony, +rode off between Sir Eric and Count Bernard. Richard was but a little +boy, and he did not think so much of his loss, as he rode along in the +free morning air, feeling himself a Prince at the head of his vassals, +his banner displayed before him, and the people coming out wherever he +passed to gaze on him, and call for blessings on his name. Rainulf de +Ferrieres carried a large heavy purse filled with silver and gold, and +whenever they came to these gazing crowds, Richard was well pleased to +thrust his hands deep into it, and scatter handfuls of coins among the +gazers, especially where he saw little children. + +They stopped to dine and rest in the middle of the day, at the castle of +a Baron, who, as soon as the meal was over, mounted his horse, and joined +them in their ride to Rouen. So far it had not been very different from +Richard's last journey, when he went to keep Christmas there with his +father; but now they were beginning to come nearer the town, he knew the +broad river Seine again, and saw the square tower of the Cathedral, and +he remembered how at that very place his father had met him, and how he +had ridden by his side into the town, and had been led by his hand up to +the hall. + +His heart was very heavy, as he recollected there was no one now to meet +and welcome him; scarcely any one to whom he could even tell his +thoughts, for those tall grave Barons had nothing to say to such a little +boy, and the very respect and formality with which they treated him, made +him shrink from them still more, especially from the grim-faced Bernard; +and Osmond, his own friend and playfellow, was obliged to ride far +behind, as inferior in rank. + +They entered the town just as it was growing dark. Count Bernard looked +back and arrayed the procession; Eric de Centeville bade Richard sit +upright and not look weary, and then all the Knights held back while the +little Duke rode alone a little in advance of them through the gateway. +There was a loud shout of "Long live the little Duke!" and crowds of +people were standing round to gaze upon his entry, so many that the bag +of coins was soon emptied by his largesses. The whole city was like one +great castle, shut in by a wall and moat, and with Rollo's Tower rising +at one end like the keep of a castle, and it was thither that Richard was +turning his horse, when the Count of Harcourt said, "Nay, my Lord, to the +Church of our Lady." {7} + +It was then considered a duty to be paid to the deceased, that their +relatives and friends should visit them as they lay in state, and +sprinkle them with drops of holy water, and Richard was now to pay this +token of respect. He trembled a little, and yet it did not seem quite so +dreary, since he should once more look on his father's face, and he +accordingly rode towards the Cathedral. It was then very unlike what it +is now; the walls were very thick, the windows small and almost buried in +heavy carved arches, the columns within were low, clumsy, and circular, +and it was usually so dark that the vaulting of the roof could scarcely +be seen. + +Now, however, a whole flood of light poured forth from every window, and +when Richard came to the door, he saw not only the two tall thick candles +that always burnt on each side of the Altar, but in the Chancel stood a +double row ranged in a square, shedding a pure, quiet brilliancy +throughout the building, and chiefly on the silver and gold ornaments of +the Altar. Outside these lights knelt a row of priests in dark garments, +their heads bowed over their clasped hands, and their chanted psalms +sounding sweet, and full of soothing music. Within that guarded space +was a bier, and a form lay on it. + +Richard trembled still more with awe, and would have paused, but he was +obliged to proceed. He dipped his hand in the water of the font, crossed +his brow, and came slowly on, sprinkled the remaining drops on the +lifeless figure, and then stood still. There was an oppression on his +breast as if he could neither breathe nor move. + +There lay William of the Long Sword, like a good and true Christian +warrior, arrayed in his shining armour, his sword by his side, his shield +on his arm, and a cross between his hands, clasped upon his breast. His +ducal mantle of crimson velvet, lined with ermine, was round his +shoulders, and, instead of a helmet, his coronet was on his head; but, in +contrast with this rich array, over the collar of the hauberk, was folded +the edge of a rough hair shirt, which the Duke had worn beneath his +robes, unknown to all, until his corpse was disrobed of his blood-stained +garments. His face looked full of calm, solemn peace, as if he had +gently fallen asleep, and was only awaiting the great call to awaken. +There was not a single token of violence visible about him, save that one +side of his forehead bore a deep purple mark, where he had first been +struck by the blow of the oar which had deprived him of sense. + +"See you that, my Lord?" said Count Bernard, first breaking the silence, +in a low, deep, stern voice. + +Richard had heard little for many hours past save counsels against the +Flemings, and plans of bitter enmity against them; and the sight of his +murdered father, with that look and tone of the old Dane, fired his +spirit, and breaking from his trance of silent awe and grief, he +exclaimed, "I see it, and dearly shall the traitor Fleming abye it!" +Then, encouraged by the applauding looks of the nobles, he proceeded, +feeling like one of the young champions of Fru Astrida's songs. His +cheek was coloured, his eye lighted up, and he lifted his head, so that +the hair fell back from his forehead; he laid his hand on the hilt of his +father's sword, and spoke on in words, perhaps, suggested by some sage. +"Yes, Arnulf of Flanders, know that Duke William of Normandy shall not +rest unavenged! On this good sword I vow, that, as soon as my arm shall +have strength--" + +The rest was left unspoken, for a hand was laid on his arm. A priest, +who had hitherto been kneeling near the head of the corpse, had risen, +and stood tall and dark over him, and, looking up, he recognized the +pale, grave countenance of Martin, Abbot of Jumieges, his father's chief +friend and councillor. + +"Richard of Normandy, what sayest thou?" said he, sternly. "Yes, hang +thy head, and reply not, rather than repeat those words. Dost thou come +here to disturb the peace of the dead with clamours for vengeance? Dost +thou vow strife and anger on that sword which was never drawn, save in +the cause of the poor and distressed? Wouldst thou rob Him, to whose +service thy life has been pledged, and devote thyself to that of His foe? +Is this what thou hast learnt from thy blessed father?" + +Richard made no answer, but he covered his face with his hands, to hide +the tears which were fast streaming. + +"Lord Abbot, Lord Abbot, this passes!" exclaimed Bernard the Dane. "Our +young Lord is no monk, and we will not see each spark of noble and +knightly spirit quenched as soon as it shows itself." + +"Count of Harcourt," said Abbot Martin, "are these the words of a savage +Pagan, or of one who has been washed in yonder blessed font? Never, +while I have power, shalt thou darken the child's soul with thy foul +thirst of revenge, insult the presence of thy master with the crime he so +abhorred, nor the temple of Him who came to pardon, with thy hatred. +Well do I know, ye Barons of Normandy, that each drop of your blood would +willingly be given, could it bring back our departed Duke, or guard his +orphan child; but, if ye have loved the father, do his bidding--lay aside +that accursed spirit of hatred and vengeance; if ye love the child, seek +not to injure his soul more deeply than even his bitterest foe, were it +Arnulf himself, hath power to hurt him." + +The Barons were silenced, whatever their thoughts might be, and Abbot +Martin turned to Richard, whose tears were still dropping fast through +his fingers, as the thought of those last words of his father returned +more clearly upon him. The Abbot laid his hand on his head, and spoke +gently to him. "These are tears of a softened heart, I trust," said he. +"I well believe that thou didst scarce know what thou wert saying." + +"Forgive me!" said Richard, as well as he could speak. + +"See there," said the priest, pointing to the large Cross over the Altar, +"thou knowest the meaning of that sacred sign?" + +Richard bowed his head in assent and reverence. + +"It speaks of forgiveness," continued the Abbot. "And knowest thou who +gave that pardon? The Son forgave His murderers; the Father them who +slew His Son. And shalt thou call for vengeance?" + +"But oh!" said Richard, looking up, "must that cruel, murderous traitor +glory unpunished in his crime, while there lies--" and again his voice +was cut off by tears. + +"Vengeance shall surely overtake the sinner," said Martin, "the vengeance +of the Lord, and in His own good time, but it must not be of thy seeking. +Nay, Richard, thou art of all men the most bound to show love and mercy +to Arnulf of Flanders. Yes, when the hand of the Lord hath touched him, +and bowed him down in punishment for his crime, it is then, that thou, +whom he hath most deeply injured, shouldst stretch out thine hand to aid +him, and receive him with pardon and peace. If thou dost vow aught on +the sword of thy blessed father, in the sanctuary of thy Redeemer, let it +be a Christian vow." + +Richard wept too bitterly to speak, and Bernard de Harcourt, taking his +hand, led him away from the Church. + + + + +CHAPTER III + + +Duke William of the Long Sword was buried the next morning in high pomp +and state, with many a prayer and psalm chanted over his grave. + +When this was over, little Richard, who had all the time stood or knelt +nearest the corpse, in one dull heavy dream of wonder and sorrow, was led +back to the palace, and there his long, heavy, black garments were taken +off, and he was dressed in his short scarlet tunic, his hair was +carefully arranged, and then he came down again into the hall, where +there was a great assembly of Barons, some in armour, some in long furred +gowns, who had all been attending his father's burial. Richard, as he +was desired by Sir Eric de Centeville, took off his cap, and bowed low in +reply to the reverences with which they all greeted his entrance, and he +then slowly crossed the hall, and descended the steps from the door, +while they formed into a procession behind him, according to their +ranks--the Duke of Brittany first, and then all the rest, down to the +poorest knight who held his manor immediately from the Duke of Normandy. + +Thus, they proceeded, in slow and solemn order, till they came to the +church of our Lady. The clergy were there already, ranged in ranks on +each side of the Choir; and the Bishops, in their mitres and rich robes, +each with his pastoral staff in his hand, were standing round the Altar. +As the little Duke entered, there arose from all the voices in the +Chancel the full, loud, clear chant of _Te Deum Laudamus_, echoing among +the dark vaults of the roof. To that sound, Richard walked up the Choir, +to a large, heavy, crossed-legged, carved chair, raised on two steps, +just before the steps of the Altar began, and there he stood, Bernard de +Harcourt and Eric de Centeville on each side of him, and all his other +vassals in due order, in the Choir. + +After the beautiful chant of the hymn was ended, the service for the Holy +Communion began. When the time came for the offering, each noble gave +gold or silver; and, lastly, Rainulf of Ferrieres came up to the step of +the Altar with a cushion, on which was placed a circlet of gold, the +ducal coronet; and another Baron, following him closely, carried a long, +heavy sword, with a cross handle. The Archbishop of Rouen received both +coronet and sword, and laid them on the Altar. Then the service +proceeded. At that time the rite of Confirmation was administered in +infancy, and Richard, who had been confirmed by his godfather, the +Archbishop of Rouen, immediately after his baptism, knelt in solemn awe +to receive the other Holy Sacrament from his hands, as soon as all the +clergy had communicated. {8} + +When the administration was over, Richard was led forward to the step of +the Altar by Count Bernard, and Sir Eric, and the Archbishop, laying one +hand upon both his, as he held them clasped together, demanded of him, in +the name of God, and of the people of Normandy, whether he would be their +good and true ruler, guard them from their foes, maintain truth, punish +iniquity, and protect the Church. + +"I will!" answered Richard's young, trembling voice, "So help me God!" +and he knelt, and kissed the book of the Holy Gospels, which the +Archbishop offered him. + +It was a great and awful oath, and he dreaded to think that he had taken +it. He still knelt, put both hands over his face, and whispered, "O God, +my Father, help me to keep it." + +The Archbishop waited till he rose, and then, turning him with his face +to the people, said, "Richard, by the grace of God, I invest thee with +the ducal mantle of Normandy!" + +Two of the Bishops then hung round his shoulders a crimson velvet mantle, +furred with ermine, which, made as it was for a grown man, hung heavily +on the poor child's shoulders, and lay in heaps on the ground. The +Archbishop then set the golden coronet on his long, flowing hair, where +it hung so loosely on the little head, that Sir Eric was obliged to put +his hand to it to hold it safe; and, lastly, the long, straight, +two-handed sword was brought and placed in his hand, with another solemn +bidding to use it ever in maintaining the right. It should have been +girded to his side, but the great sword was so much taller than the +little Duke, that, as it stood upright by him, he was obliged to raise +his arm to put it round the handle. + +He then had to return to his throne, which was not done without some +difficulty, encumbered as he was, but Osmond held up the train of his +mantle, Sir Eric kept the coronet on his head, and he himself held fast +and lovingly the sword, though the Count of Harcourt offered to carry it +for him. He was lifted up to his throne, and then came the paying him +homage; Alan, Duke of Brittany, was the first to kneel before him, and +with his hand between those of the Duke, he swore to be his man, to obey +him, and pay him feudal service for his dukedom of Brittany. In return, +Richard swore to be his good Lord, and to protect him from all his foes. +Then followed Bernard the Dane, and many another, each repeating the same +formulary, as their large rugged hands were clasped within those little +soft fingers. Many a kind and loving eye was bent in compassion on the +orphan child; many a strong voice faltered with earnestness as it +pronounced the vow, and many a brave, stalwart heart heaved with grief +for the murdered father, and tears flowed down the war-worn cheeks which +had met the fiercest storms of the northern ocean, as they bent before +the young fatherless boy, whom they loved for the sake of his conquering +grandfather, and his brave and pious father. Few Normans were there +whose hearts did not glow at the touch of those small hands, with a love +almost of a parent, for their young Duke. + +The ceremony of receiving homage lasted long and Richard, though +interested and touched at first, grew very weary; the crown and mantle +were so heavy, the faces succeeded each other like figures in an endless +dream, and the constant repetition of the same words was very tedious. +He grew sleepy, he longed to jump up, to lean to the right or left, or to +speak something besides that regular form. He gave one great yawn, but +it brought him such a frown from the stern face of Bernard, as quite to +wake him for a few minutes, and make him sit upright, and receive the +next vassal with as much attention as he had shown the first, but he +looked imploringly at Sir Eric, as if to ask if it ever would be over. +At last, far down among the Barons, came one at whose sight Richard +revived a little. It was a boy only a few years older than himself, +perhaps about ten, with a pleasant brown face, black hair, and quick +black eyes which glanced, with a look between friendliness and respect, +up into the little Duke's gazing face. Richard listened eagerly for his +name, and was refreshed at the sound of the boyish voice which +pronounced, "I, Alberic de Montemar, am thy liegeman and vassal for my +castle and barony of Montemar sur Epte." + +When Alberic moved away, Richard followed him with his eye as far as he +could to his place in the Cathedral, and was taken by surprise when he +found the next Baron kneeling before him. + +The ceremony of homage came to an end at last, and Richard would fain +have run all the way to the palace to shake off his weariness, but he was +obliged to head the procession again; and even when he reached the castle +hall his toils were not over, for there was a great state banquet spread +out, and he had to sit in the high chair where he remembered climbing on +his father's knee last Christmas-day, all the time that the Barons +feasted round, and held grave converse. Richard's best comfort all this +time was in watching Osmond de Centeville and Alberic de Montemar, who, +with the other youths who were not yet knighted, were waiting on those +who sat at the table. At last he grew so very weary, that he fell fast +asleep in the corner of his chair, and did not wake till he was startled +by the rough voice of Bernard de Harcourt, calling him to rouse up, and +bid the Duke of Brittany farewell. + +"Poor child!" said Duke Alan, as Richard rose up, startled, "he is +over-wearied with this day's work. Take care of him, Count Bernard; thou +a kindly nurse, but a rough one for such a babe. Ha! my young Lord, your +colour mantles at being called a babe! I crave your pardon, for you are +a fine spirit. And hark you, Lord Richard of Normandy, I have little +cause to love your race, and little right, I trow, had King Charles the +Simple to call us free Bretons liegemen to a race of plundering Northern +pirates. To Duke Rollo's might, my father never gave his homage; nay, +nor did I yield it for all Duke William's long sword, but I did pay it to +his generosity and forbearance, and now I grant it to thy weakness and to +his noble memory. I doubt not that the recreant Frank, Louis, whom he +restored to his throne, will strive to profit by thy youth and +helplessness, and should that be, remember that thou hast no surer friend +than Alan of Brittany. Fare thee well, my young Duke." + +"Farewell, Sir," said Richard, willingly giving his hand to be shaken by +his kind vassal, and watching him as Sir Eric attended him from the hall. + +"Fair words, but I trust not the Breton," muttered Bernard; "hatred is +deeply ingrained in them." + +"He should know what the Frank King is made of," said Rainulf de +Ferrieres; "he was bred up with him in the days that they were both +exiles at the court of King Ethelstane of England." + +"Ay, and thanks to Duke William that either Louis or Alan are not exiles +still. Now we shall see whose gratitude is worth most, the Frank's or +the Breton's. I suspect the Norman valour will be the best to trust to." + +"Yes, and how will Norman valour prosper without treasure? Who knows +what gold is in the Duke's coffers?" + +There was some consultation here in a low voice, and the next thing +Richard heard distinctly was, that one of the Nobles held up a silver +chain and key, {9} saying that they had been found on the Duke's neck, +and that he had kept them, thinking that they doubtless led to something +of importance. + +"Oh, yes!" said Richard, eagerly, "I know it. He told me it was the key +to his greatest treasure." + +The Normans heard this with great interest, and it was resolved that +several of the most trusted persons, among whom were the Archbishop of +Rouen, Abbot Martin of Jumieges, and the Count of Harcourt, should go +immediately in search of this precious hoard. Richard accompanied them +up the narrow rough stone stairs, to the large dark apartment, where his +father had slept. Though a Prince's chamber, it had little furniture; a +low uncurtained bed, a Cross on a ledge near its head, a rude table, a +few chairs, and two large chests, were all it contained. Harcourt tried +the lid of one of the chests: it opened, and proved to be full of wearing +apparel; he went to the other, which was smaller, much more carved, and +ornamented with very handsome iron-work. It was locked, and putting in +the key, it fitted, the lock turned, and the chest was opened. The +Normans pressed eagerly to see their Duke's greatest treasure. + +It was a robe of serge, and a pair of sandals, such as were worn in the +Abbey of Jumieges. + +"Ha! is this all? What didst say, child?" cried Bernard the Dane, +hastily. + +"He told me it was his greatest treasure!" repeated Richard. + +"And it was!" said Abbot Martin. + +Then the good Abbot told them the history, part of which was already +known to some of them. About five or six years before, Duke William had +been hunting in the forest of Jumieges, when he had suddenly come on the +ruins of the Abbey, which had been wasted thirty or forty years +previously by the Sea-King, Hasting. Two old monks, of the original +brotherhood, still survived, and came forth to greet the Duke, and offer +him their hospitality. + +"Ay!" said Bernard, "well do I remember their bread; we asked if it was +made of fir-bark, like that of our brethren of Norway." + +William, then an eager, thoughtless young man, turned with disgust from +this wretched fare, and throwing the old men some gold, galloped on to +enjoy his hunting. In the course of the sport, he was left alone, and +encountered a wild boar, which threw him down, trampled on him, and left +him stretched senseless on the ground, severely injured. His companions +coming up, carried him, as the nearest place of shelter, to the ruins of +Jumieges, where the two old monks gladly received him in the remaining +portion of their house. As soon as he recovered his senses, he earnestly +asked their pardon for his pride, and the scorn he had shown to the +poverty and patient suffering which he should have reverenced. + +William had always been a man who chose the good and refused the evil, +but this accident, and the long illness that followed it, made him far +more thoughtful and serious than he had ever been before; he made +preparing for death and eternity his first object, and thought less of +his worldly affairs, his wars, and his ducal state. He rebuilt the old +Abbey, endowed it richly, and sent for Martin himself from France, to +become the Abbot; he delighted in nothing so much as praying there, +conversing with the Abbot, and hearing him read holy books; and he felt +his temporal affairs, and the state and splendour of his rank, so great a +temptation, that he had one day come to the Abbot, and entreated to be +allowed to lay them aside, and become a brother of the order. But Martin +had refused to receive his vows. He had told him that he had no right to +neglect or forsake the duties of the station which God had appointed him; +that it would be a sin to leave the post which had been given him to +defend; and that the way marked out for him to serve God was by doing +justice among his people, and using his power to defend the right. Not +till he had done his allotted work, and his son was old enough to take +his place as ruler of the Normans, might he cease from his active duties, +quit the turmoil of the world, and seek the repose of the cloister. It +was in this hope of peaceful retirement, that William had delighted to +treasure up the humble garments that he hoped one day to wear in peace +and holiness. + +"And oh! my noble Duke!" exclaimed Abbot Martin, bursting into tears, as +he finished his narration, "the Lord hath been very gracious unto thee! +He has taken thee home to thy rest, long before thou didst dare to hope +for it." + +Slowly, and with subdued feelings, the Norman Barons left the chamber; +Richard, whom they seemed to have almost forgotten, wandered to the +stairs, to find his way to the room where he had slept last night. He +had not made many steps before he heard Osmond's voice say, "Here, my +Lord;" he looked up, saw a white cap at a doorway a little above him, he +bounded up and flew into Dame Astrida's outstretched arms. + +How glad he was to sit in her lap, and lay his wearied head on her bosom, +while, with a worn-out voice, he exclaimed, "Oh, Fru Astrida! I am very, +very tired of being Duke of Normandy!" + + + + +CHAPTER IV + + +Richard of Normandy was very anxious to know more of the little boy whom +he had seen among his vassals. + +"Ah! the young Baron de Montemar," said Sir Eric. "I knew his father +well, and a brave man he was, though not of northern blood. He was +warden of the marches of the Epte, and was killed by your father's side +in the inroad of the Viscount du Cotentin, {10} at the time when you were +born, Lord Richard." + +"But where does he live? Shall I not see him again?" + +"Montemar is on the bank of the Epte, in the domain that the French +wrongfully claim from us. He lives there with his mother, and if he be +not yet returned, you shall see him presently. Osmond, go you and seek +out the lodgings of the young Montemar, and tell him the Duke would see +him." + +Richard had never had a playfellow of his own age, and his eagerness to +see Alberic de Montemar was great. He watched from the window, and at +length beheld Osmond entering the court with a boy of ten years old by +his side, and an old grey-headed Squire, with a golden chain to mark him +as a Seneschal or Steward of the Castle, walking behind. + +Richard ran to the door to meet them, holding out his hand eagerly. +Alberic uncovered his bright dark hair, bowed low and gracefully, but +stood as if he did not exactly know what to do next. Richard grew shy at +the same moment, and the two boys stood looking at each other somewhat +awkwardly. It was easy to see that they were of different races, so +unlike were the blue eyes, flaxen hair, and fair face of the young Duke, +to the black flashing eyes and olive cheek of his French vassal, who, +though two years older, was scarcely above him in height; and his slight +figure, well-proportioned, active and agile as it was, did not give the +same promise of strength as the round limbs and large-boned frame of +Richard, which even now seemed likely to rival the gigantic stature of +his grandfather, Earl Rollo, the Ganger. + +For some minutes the little Duke and the young Baron stood surveying each +other without a word, and old Sir Eric did not improve matters by saying, +"Well, Lord Duke, here he is. Have you no better greeting for him?" + +"The children are shame-faced," said Fru Astrida, seeing how they both +coloured. "Is your Lady mother in good health, my young sir?" + +Alberic blushed more deeply, bowed to the old northern lady, and answered +fast and low in French, "I cannot speak the Norman tongue." + +Richard, glad to say something, interpreted Fru Astrida's speech, and +Alberic readily made courteous reply that his mother was well, and he +thanked the Dame de Centeville, a French title which sounded new to Fru +Astrida's ears. Then came the embarrassment again, and Fru Astrida at +last said, "Take him out, Lord Richard; take him to see the horses in the +stables, or the hounds, or what not." + +Richard was not sorry to obey, so out they went into the court of Rollo's +tower, and in the open air the shyness went off. Richard showed his own +pony, and Alberic asked if he could leap into the saddle without putting +his foot in the stirrup. No, Richard could not; indeed, even Osmond had +never seen it done, for the feats of French chivalry had scarcely yet +spread into Normandy. + +"Can you?" said Richard; "will you show us?" + +"I know I can with my own pony," said Alberic, "for Bertrand will not let +me mount in any other way; but I will try with yours, if you desire it, +my Lord." + +So the pony was led out. Alberic laid one hand on its mane, and vaulted +on its back in a moment. Both Osmond and Richard broke out loudly into +admiration. "Oh, this is nothing!" said Alberic. "Bertrand says it is +nothing. Before he grew old and stiff he could spring into the saddle in +this manner fully armed. I ought to do this much better." + +Richard begged to be shown how to perform the exploit, and Alberic +repeated it; then Richard wanted to try, but the pony's patience would +not endure any longer, and Alberic said he had learnt on a block of wood, +and practised on the great wolf-hound. They wandered about a little +longer in the court, and then climbed up the spiral stone stairs to the +battlements at the top of the tower, where they looked at the house-tops +of Rouen close beneath, and the river Seine, broadening and glittering on +one side in its course to the sea, and on the other narrowing to a blue +ribbon, winding through the green expanse of fertile Normandy. They +threw the pebbles and bits of mortar down that they might hear them fall, +and tried which could stand nearest to the edge of the battlement without +being giddy. Richard was pleased to find that he could go the nearest, +and began to tell some of Fru Astrida's stories about the precipices of +Norway, among which when she was a young girl she used to climb about and +tend the cattle in the long light summer time. When the two boys came +down again into the hall to dinner, they felt as if they had known each +other all their lives. The dinner was laid out in full state, and +Richard had, as before, to sit in the great throne-like chair with the +old Count of Harcourt on one side, but, to his comfort, Fru Astrida was +on the other. + +After the dinner, Alberic de Montemar rose to take his leave, as he was +to ride half way to his home that afternoon. Count Bernard, who all +dinner time had been watching him intently from under his shaggy +eye-brows, at this moment turned to Richard, whom he hardly ever +addressed, and said to him, "Hark ye, my Lord, what should you say to +have him yonder for a comrade?" + +"To stay with me?" cried Richard, eagerly. "Oh, thanks, Sir Count; and +may he stay?" + +"You are Lord here." + +"Oh, Alberic!" cried Richard, jumping out of his chair of state, and +running up to him, "will you not stay with me, and be my brother and +comrade?" + +Alberic looked down hesitating. + +"Oh, say that you will! I will give you horses, and hawks, and hounds, +and I will love you--almost as well as Osmond. Oh, stay with me, +Alberic." + +"I must obey you, my Lord," said Alberic, "but--" + +"Come, young Frenchman, out with it," said Bernard,--"no buts! Speak +honestly, and at once, like a Norman, if you can." + +This rough speech seemed to restore the little Baron's self-possession, +and he looked up bright and bold at the rugged face of the old Dane, +while he said, "I had rather not stay here." + +"Ha! not do service to your Lord?" + +"I would serve him with all my heart, but I do not want to stay here. I +love the Castle of Montemar better, and my mother has no one but me." + +"Brave and true, Sir Frenchman," said the old Count, laying his great +hand on Alberic's head, and looking better pleased than Richard thought +his grim features could have appeared. Then turning to Bertrand, +Alberic's Seneschal, he said, "Bear the Count de Harcourt's greetings to +the noble Dame de Montemar, and say to her that her son is of a free bold +spirit, and if she would have him bred up with my Lord Duke, as his +comrade and brother in arms, he will find a ready welcome." + +"So, Alberic, you will come back, perhaps?" said Richard. + +"That must be as my mother pleases," answered Alberic bluntly, and with +all due civilities he and his Seneschal departed. + +Four or five times a day did Richard ask Osmond and Fru Astrida if they +thought Alberic would return, and it was a great satisfaction to him to +find that every one agreed that it would be very foolish in the Dame de +Montemar to refuse so good an offer, only Fru Astrida could not quite +believe she would part with her son. Still no Baron de Montemar arrived, +and the little Duke was beginning to think less about his hopes, when one +evening, as he was returning from a ride with Sir Eric and Osmond, he saw +four horsemen coming towards them, and a little boy in front. + +"It is Alberic himself, I am sure of it!" he exclaimed, and so it proved; +and while the Seneschal delivered his Lady's message to Sir Eric, Richard +rode up and greeted the welcome guest. + +"Oh, I am very glad your mother has sent you!" + +"She said she was not fit to bring up a young warrior of the marches," +said Alberic. + +"Were you very sorry to come?" + +"I dare say I shall not mind it soon; and Bertrand is to come and fetch +me home to visit her every three months, if you will let me go, my Lord." + +Richard was extremely delighted, and thought he could never do enough to +make Rouen pleasant to Alberic, who after the first day or two cheered +up, missed his mother less, managed to talk something between French and +Norman to Sir Eric and Fru Astrida, and became a very animated companion +and friend. In one respect Alberic was a better playfellow for the Duke +than Osmond de Centeville, for Osmond, playing as a grown up man, not for +his own amusement, but the child's, had left all the advantages of the +game to Richard, who was growing not a little inclined to domineer. This +Alberic did not like, unless, as he said, "it was to be always Lord and +vassal, and then he did not care for the game," and he played with so +little animation that Richard grew vexed. + +"I can't help it," said Alberic; "if you take all the best chances to +yourself, 'tis no sport for me. I will do your bidding, as you are the +Duke, but I cannot like it." + +"Never mind my being Duke, but play as we used to do." + +"Then let us play as I did with Bertrand's sons at Montemar. I was their +Baron, as you are my Duke, but my mother said there would be no sport +unless we forgot all that at play." + +"Then so we will. Come, begin again, Alberic, and you shall have the +first turn." + +However, Alberic was quite as courteous and respectful to the Duke when +they were not at play, as the difference of their rank required; indeed, +he had learnt much more of grace and courtliness of demeanour from his +mother, a Provencal lady, than was yet to be found among the Normans. +The Chaplain of Montemar had begun to teach him to read and write, and he +liked learning much better than Richard, who would not have gone on with +Father Lucas's lessons at all, if Abbot Martin of Jumieges had not put +him in mind that it had been his father's especial desire. + +What Richard most disliked was, however, the being obliged to sit in +council. The Count of Harcourt did in truth govern the dukedom, but +nothing could be done without the Duke's consent, and once a week at +least, there was held in the great hall of Rollo's tower, what was called +a _Parlement_, or "a talkation," where Count Bernard, the Archbishop, the +Baron de Centeville, the Abbot of Jumieges, and such other Bishops, +Nobles, or Abbots, as might chance to be at Rouen, consulted on the +affairs of Normandy; and there the little Duke always was forced to be +present, sitting up in his chair of state, and hearing rather than +listening to, questions about the repairing and guarding of Castles, the +asking of loans from the vassals, the appeals from the Barons of the +Exchequer, who were then Nobles sent through the duchy to administer +justice, and the discussions about the proceedings of his neighbours, +King Louis of France, Count Foulques of Anjou, and Count Herluin of +Montreuil, and how far the friendship of Hugh of Paris, and Alan of +Brittany might be trusted. + +Very tired of all this did Richard grow, especially when he found that +the Normans had made up their minds not to attempt a war against the +wicked Count of Flanders. He sighed most wearily, yawned again and +again, and moved restlessly about in his chair; but whenever Count +Bernard saw him doing so, he received so severe a look and sign that he +grew perfectly to dread the eye of the fierce old Dane. Bernard never +spoke to him to praise him, or to enter into any of his pursuits; he only +treated him with the grave distant respect due to him as a Prince, or +else now and then spoke a few stern words to him of reproof for this +restlessness, or for some other childish folly. + +Used as Richard was to be petted and made much of by the whole house of +Centeville, he resented this considerably in secret, disliked and feared +the old Count, and more than once told Alberic de Montemar, that as soon +as he was fourteen, when he would be declared of age, he should send +Count Bernard to take care of his own Castle of Harcourt, instead of +letting him sit gloomy and grim in the Castle hall in the evening, +spoiling all their sport. + +Winter had set in, and Osmond used daily to take the little Duke and +Alberic to the nearest sheet of ice, for the Normans still prided +themselves on excelling in skating, though they had long since left the +frost-bound streams and lakes of Norway. + +One day, as they were returning from the ice, they were surprised, even +before they entered the Castle court, by hearing the trampling of horses' +feet, and a sound of voices. + +"What may this mean?" said Osmond. "There must surely be a great arrival +of the vassals. The Duke of Brittany, perhaps." + +"Oh," said Richard, piteously, "we have had one council already this +week. I hope another is not coming!" + +"It must import something extraordinary," proceeded Osmond. "It is a +mischance that the Count of Harcourt is not at Rouen just now." + +Richard thought this no mischance at all, and just then, Alberic, who had +run on a little before, came back exclaiming, "They are French. It is +the Frank tongue, not the Norman, that they speak." + +"So please you, my Lord," said Osmond, stopping short, "we go not rashly +into the midst of them. I would I knew what were best to do." + +Osmond rubbed his forehead and stood considering, while the two boys +looked at him anxiously. In a few seconds, before he had come to any +conclusion, there came forth from the gate a Norman Squire, accompanied +by two strangers. + +"My Lord Duke," said he to Richard, in French, "Sir Eric has sent me to +bring you tidings that the King of France has arrived to receive your +homage." + +"The King!" exclaimed Osmond. + +"Ay!" proceeded the Norman, in his own tongue, "Louis himself, and with a +train looking bent on mischief. I wish it may portend good to my Lord +here. You see I am accompanied. I believe from my heart that Louis +meant to prevent you from receiving a warning, and taking the boy out of +his clutches." + +"Ha! what?" said Richard, anxiously. "Why is the King come? What must I +do?" + +"Go on now, since there is no help for it," said Osmond. + +"Greet the king as becomes you, bend the knee, and pay him homage." + +Richard repeated over to himself the form of homage that he might be +perfect in it, and walked on into the court; Alberic, Osmond, and the +rest falling back as he entered. The court was crowded with horses and +men, and it was only by calling out loudly, "The Duke, the Duke," that +Osmond could get space enough made for them to pass. In a few moments +Richard had mounted the steps and stood in the great hall. + +In the chair of state, at the upper end of the room, sat a small spare +man, of about eight or nine-and-twenty, pale, and of a light complexion, +with a rich dress of blue and gold. Sir Eric and several other persons +stood respectfully round him, and he was conversing with the Archbishop, +who, as well as Sir Eric, cast several anxious glances at the little Duke +as he advanced up the hall. He came up to the King, put his knee to the +ground, and was just beginning, "Louis, King of France, I--" when he +found himself suddenly lifted from the ground in the King's arms, and +kissed on both cheeks. Then setting him on his knee, the King exclaimed, +"And is this the son of my brave and noble friend, Duke William? Ah! I +should have known it from his likeness. Let me embrace you again, dear +child, for your father's sake." + +Richard was rather overwhelmed, but he thought the King very kind, +especially when Louis began to admire his height and free-spirited +bearing, and to lament that his own sons, Lothaire and Carloman, were so +much smaller and more backward. He caressed Richard again and again, +praised every word he said--Fru Astrida was nothing to him; and Richard +began to say to himself how strange and unkind it was of Bernard de +Harcourt to like to find fault with him, when, on the contrary, he +deserved all this praise from the King himself. + + [Picture: Louis of France and the Little Duke] + + + + +CHAPTER V + + +Duke Richard of Normandy slept in the room which had been his father's; +Alberic de Montemar, as his page, slept at his feet, and Osmond de +Centeville had a bed on the floor, across the door, where he lay with his +sword close at hand, as his young Lord's guard and protector. + +All had been asleep for some little time, when Osmond was startled by a +slight movement of the door, which could not be pushed open without +awakening him. In an instant he had grasped his sword, while he pressed +his shoulder to the door to keep it closed; but it was his father's voice +that answered him with a few whispered words in the Norse tongue, "It is +I, open." He made way instantly, and old Sir Eric entered, treading +cautiously with bare feet, and sat down on the bed motioning him to do +the same, so that they might be able to speak lower. "Right, Osmond," he +said. "It is well to be on the alert, for peril enough is around +him--The Frank means mischief! I know from a sure hand that Arnulf of +Flanders was in council with him just before he came hither, with his +false tongue, wiling and coaxing the poor child!" + +"Ungrateful traitor!" murmured Osmond. "Do you guess his purpose?" + +"Yes, surely, to carry the boy off with him, and so he trusts doubtless +to cut off all the race of Rollo! I know his purpose is to bear off the +Duke, as a ward of the Crown forsooth. Did you not hear him luring the +child with his promises of friendship with the Princes? I could not +understand all his French words, but I saw it plain enough." + +"You will never allow it?" + +"If he does, it must be across our dead bodies; but taken as we are by +surprise, our resistance will little avail. The Castle is full of +French, the hall and court swarm with them. Even if we could draw our +Normans together, we should not be more than a dozen men, and what could +we do but die? That we are ready for, if it may not be otherwise, rather +than let our charge be thus borne off without a pledge for his safety, +and without the knowledge of the states." + +"The king could not have come at a worse time," said Osmond. + +"No, just when Bernard the Dane is absent. If he only knew what has +befallen, he could raise the country, and come to the rescue." + +"Could we not send some one to bear the tidings to-night?" + +"I know not," said Sir Eric, musingly. "The French have taken the +keeping of the doors; indeed they are so thick through the Castle that I +can hardly reach one of our men, nor could I spare one hand that may +avail to guard the boy to-morrow." + +"Sir Eric;" a bare little foot was heard on the floor, and Alberic de +Montemar stood before him. "I did not mean to listen, but I could not +help hearing you. I cannot fight for the Duke yet, but I could carry a +message." + +"How would that be?" said Osmond, eagerly. "Once out of the Castle, and +in Rouen, he could easily find means of sending to the Count. He might +go either to the Convent of St. Ouen, or, which would be better, to the +trusty armourer, Thibault, who would soon find man and horse to send +after the Count." + +"Ha! let me see," said Sir Eric. "It might be. But how is he to get +out?" + +"I know a way," said Alberic. "I scrambled down that wide buttress by +the east wall last week, when our ball was caught in a branch of the ivy, +and the drawbridge is down." + +"If Bernard knew, it would be off my mind, at least!" said Sir Eric. +"Well, my young Frenchman, you may do good service." + +"Osmond," whispered Alberic, as he began hastily to dress himself, "only +ask one thing of Sir Eric--never to call me young Frenchman again!" + +Sir Eric smiled, saying, "Prove yourself Norman, my boy." + +"Then," added Osmond, "if it were possible to get the Duke himself out of +the castle to-morrow morning. If I could take him forth by the postern, +and once bring him into the town, he would be safe. It would be only to +raise the burghers, or else to take refuge in the Church of Our Lady till +the Count came up, and then Louis would find his prey out of his hands +when he awoke and sought him." + +"That might be," replied Sir Eric; "but I doubt your success. The French +are too eager to hold him fast, to let him slip out of their hands. You +will find every door guarded." + +"Yes, but all the French have not seen the Duke, and the sight of a +squire and a little page going forth, will scarcely excite their +suspicion." + +"Ay, if the Duke would bear himself like a little page; but that you need +not hope for. Besides, he is so taken with this King's flatteries, that +I doubt whether he would consent to leave him for the sake of Count +Bernard. Poor child, he is like to be soon taught to know his true +friends." + +"I am ready," said Alberic, coming forward. + +The Baron de Centeville repeated his instructions, and then undertook to +guard the door, while his son saw Alberic set off on his expedition. +Osmond went with him softly down the stairs, then avoiding the hall, +which was filled with French, they crept silently to a narrow window, +guarded by iron bars, placed at such short intervals apart that only so +small and slim a form as Alberic's could have squeezed out between them. +The distance to the ground was not much more than twice his own height, +and the wall was so covered with ivy, that it was not a very dangerous +feat for an active boy, so that Alberic was soon safe on the ground, then +looking up to wave his cap, he ran on along the side of the moat, and was +soon lost to Osmond's sight in the darkness. + +Osmond returned to the Duke's chamber, and relieved his father's guard, +while Richard slept soundly on, little guessing at the plots of his +enemies, or at the schemes of his faithful subjects for his protection. + +Osmond thought this all the better, for he had small trust in Richard's +patience and self-command, and thought there was much more chance of +getting him unnoticed out of the Castle, if he did not know how much +depended on it, and how dangerous his situation was. + +When Richard awoke, he was much surprised at missing Alberic, but Osmond +said he was gone into the town to Thibault the armourer, and this was a +message on which he was so likely to be employed that Richard's suspicion +was not excited. All the time he was dressing he talked about the King, +and everything he meant to show him that day; then, when he was ready, +the first thing was as usual to go to attend morning mass. + +"Not by that way, to-day, my Lord," said Osmond, as Richard was about to +enter the great hall. "It is crowded with the French who have been +sleeping there all night; come to the postern." + +Osmond turned, as he spoke, along the passage, walking fast, and not +sorry that Richard was lingering a little, as it was safer for him to be +first. The postern was, as he expected, guarded by two tall steel-cased +figures, who immediately held their lances across the door-way, saying, +"None passes without warrant." + +"You will surely let us of the Castle attend to our daily business," said +Osmond. "You will hardly break your fast this morning if you stop all +communication with the town." + +"You must bring warrant," repeated one of the men-at-arms. Osmond was +beginning to say that he was the son of the Seneschal of the Castle, when +Richard came hastily up. "What? Do these men want to stop us?" he +exclaimed in the imperious manner he had begun to take up since his +accession. "Let us go on, sirs." + +The men-at-arms looked at each other, and guarded the door more closely. +Osmond saw it was hopeless, and only wanted to draw his young charge back +without being recognised, but Richard exclaimed loudly, "What means +this?" + +"The King has given orders that none should pass without warrant," was +Osmond's answer. "We must wait." + +"I will pass!" said Richard, impatient at opposition, to which he was +little accustomed. "What mean you, Osmond? This is my Castle, and no +one has a right to stop me. Do you hear, grooms? let me go. I am the +Duke!" + +The sentinels bowed, but all they said was, "Our orders are express." + +"I tell you I am Duke of Normandy, and I will go where I please in my own +city!" exclaimed Richard, passionately pressing against the crossed +staves of the weapons, to force his way between them, but he was caught +and held fast in the powerful gauntlet of one of the men-at-arms. "Let +me go, villain!" cried he, struggling with all his might. "Osmond, +Osmond, help!" + +Even as he spoke Osmond had disengaged him from the grasp of the +Frenchman, and putting his hand on his arm, said, "Nay, my Lord, it is +not for you to strive with such as these." + +"I will strive!" cried the boy. "I will not have my way barred in my own +Castle. I will tell the King how these rogues of his use me. I will +have them in the dungeon. Sir Eric! where is Sir Eric?" + +Away he rushed to the stairs, Osmond hurrying after him, lest he should +throw himself into some fresh danger, or by his loud calls attract the +French, who might then easily make him prisoner. However, on the very +first step of the stairs stood Sir Eric, who was too anxious for the +success of the attempt to escape, to be very far off. Richard, too angry +to heed where he was going, dashed up against him without seeing him, and +as the old Baron took hold of him, began, "Sir Eric, Sir Eric, those +French are villains! they will not let me pass--" + +"Hush, hush! my Lord," said Sir Eric. "Silence! come here." + +However imperious with others, Richard from force of habit always obeyed +Sir Eric, and now allowed himself to be dragged hastily and silently by +him, Osmond following closely, up the stairs, up a second and a third +winding flight, still narrower, and with broken steps, to a small round, +thick-walled turret chamber, with an extremely small door, and loop-holes +of windows high up in the tower. Here, to his great surprise, he found +Dame Astrida, kneeling and telling her beads, two or three of her +maidens, and about four of the Norman Squires and men-at-arms. + +"So you have failed, Osmond?" said the Baron. + +"But what is all this? How did Fru Astrida come up here? May I not go +to the King and have those insolent Franks punished?" + +"Listen to me, Lord Richard," said Sir Eric: "that smooth-spoken King +whose words so charmed you last night is an ungrateful deceiver. The +Franks have always hated and feared the Normans, and not being able to +conquer us fairly, they now take to foul means. Louis came hither from +Flanders, he has brought this great troop of French to surprise us, claim +you as a ward of the crown, and carry you away with him to some prison of +his own." + +"You will not let me go?" said Richard. + +"Not while I live," said Sir Eric. "Alberic is gone to warn the Count of +Harcourt, to call the Normans together, and here we are ready to defend +this chamber to our last breath, but we are few, the French are many, and +succour may be far off." + +"Then you meant to have taken me out of their reach this morning, +Osmond?" + +"Yes, my Lord." + +"And if I had not flown into a passion and told who I was, I might have +been safe! O Sir Eric! Sir Eric! you will not let me be carried off to +a French prison!" + +"Here, my child," said Dame Astrida, holding out her arms, "Sir Eric will +do all he can for you, but we are in God's hands!" + +Richard came and leant against her. "I wish I had not been in a +passion!" said he, sadly, after a silence; then looking at her in +wonder--"But how came you up all this way?" + +"It is a long way for my old limbs," said Fru Astrida, smiling, "but my +son helped me, and he deems it the only safe place in the Castle." + +"The safest," said Sir Eric, "and that is not saying much for it." + +"Hark!" said Osmond, "what a tramping the Franks are making. They are +beginning to wonder where the Duke is." + +"To the stairs, Osmond," said Sir Eric. "On that narrow step one man may +keep them at bay a long time. You can speak their jargon too, and hold +parley with them." + +"Perhaps they will think I am gone," whispered Richard, "if they cannot +find me, and go away." + +Osmond and two of the Normans were, as he spoke, taking their stand on +the narrow spiral stair, where there was just room for one man on the +step. Osmond was the lowest, the other two above him, and it would have +been very hard for an enemy to force his way past them. + +Osmond could plainly hear the sounds of the steps and voices of the +French as they consulted together, and sought for the Duke. A man at +length was heard clanking up these very stairs, till winding round, he +suddenly found himself close upon young de Centeville. + +"Ha! Norman!" he cried, starting back in amazement, "what are you doing +here?" + +"My duty," answered Osmond, shortly. "I am here to guard this stair;" +and his drawn sword expressed the same intention. + +The Frenchman drew back, and presently a whispering below was heard, and +soon after a voice came up the stairs, saying, "Norman--good Norman--" + +"What would you say?" replied Osmond, and the head of another Frank +appeared. "What means all this, my friend?" was the address. "Our King +comes as a guest to you, and you received him last evening as loyal +vassals. Wherefore have you now drawn out of the way, and striven to +bear off your young Duke into secret places? Truly it looks not well +that you should thus strive to keep him apart, and therefore the King +requires to see him instantly." + +"Sir Frenchman," replied Osmond, "your King claims the Duke as his ward. +How that may be my father knows not, but as he was committed to his +charge by the states of Normandy, he holds himself bound to keep him in +his own hands until further orders from them." + +"That means, insolent Norman, that you intend to shut the boy up and keep +him in your own rebel hands. You had best yield--it will be the better +for you and for him. The child is the King's ward, and he shall not be +left to be nurtured in rebellion by northern pirates." + +At this moment a cry from without arose, so loud as almost to drown the +voices of the speakers on the turret stair, a cry welcome to the ears of +Osmond, repeated by a multitude of voices, "Haro! Haro! our little +Duke!" + +It was well known as a Norman shout. So just and so ready to redress all +grievances had the old Duke Rollo been, that his very name was an appeal +against injustice, and whenever wrong was done, the Norman outcry against +the injury was always "Ha Rollo!" or as it had become shortened, "Haro." +And now Osmond knew that those whose affection had been won by the +uprightness of Rollo, were gathering to protect his helpless grandchild. + +The cry was likewise heard by the little garrison in the turret chamber, +bringing hope and joy. Richard thought himself already rescued, and +springing from Fru Astrida, danced about in ecstasy, only longing to see +the faithful Normans, whose voices he heard ringing out again and again, +in calls for their little Duke, and outcries against the Franks. The +windows were, however, so high, that nothing could be seen from them but +the sky; and, like Richard, the old Baron de Centeville was almost beside +himself with anxiety to know what force was gathered together, and what +measures were being taken. He opened the door, called to his son, and +asked if he could tell what was passing, but Osmond knew as little--he +could see nothing but the black, cobwebbed, dusty steps winding above his +head, while the clamours outside, waxing fiercer and louder, drowned all +the sounds which might otherwise have come up to him from the French +within the Castle. At last, however, Osmond called out to his father, in +Norse, "There is a Frank Baron come to entreat, and this time very +humbly, that the Duke may come to the King." + +"Tell him," replied Sir Eric, "that save with consent of the council of +Normandy, the child leaves not my hands." + +"He says," called back Osmond, after a moment, "that you shall guard him +yourself, with as many as you choose to bring with you. He declares on +the faith of a free Baron, that the King has no thought of ill--he wants +to show him to the Rouennais without, who are calling for him, and +threaten to tear down the tower rather than not see their little Duke. +Shall I bid him send a hostage?" + +"Answer him," returned the Baron, "that the Duke leaves not this chamber +unless a pledge is put into our hands for his safety. There was an +oily-tongued Count, who sat next the King at supper--let him come hither, +and then perchance I may trust the Duke among them." + +Osmond gave the desired reply, which was carried to the King. Meantime +the uproar outside grew louder than ever, and there were new sounds, a +horn was winded, and there was a shout of "_Dieu aide_!" the Norman +war-cry, joined with "Notre Dame de Harcourt!" + +"There, there!" cried Sir Eric, with a long breath, as if relieved of +half his anxieties, "the boy has sped well. Bernard is here at last! +Now his head and hand are there, I doubt no longer." + +"Here comes the Count," said Osmond, opening the door, and admitting a +stout, burly man, who seemed sorely out of breath with the ascent of the +steep, broken stair, and very little pleased to find himself in such a +situation. The Baron de Centeville augured well from the speed with +which he had been sent, thinking it proved great perplexity and distress +on the part of Louis. Without waiting to hear his hostage speak, he +pointed to a chest on which he had been sitting, and bade two of his +men-at-arms stand on each side of the Count, saying at the same time to +Fru Astrida, "Now, mother, if aught of evil befalls the child, you know +your part. Come, Lord Richard." + +Richard moved forward. Sir Eric held his hand. Osmond kept close behind +him, and with as many of the men-at-arms as could be spared from guarding +Fru Astrida and her hostage, he descended the stairs, not by any means +sorry to go, for he was weary of being besieged in that turret chamber, +whence he could see nothing, and with those friendly cries in his ears, +he could not be afraid. + +He was conducted to the large council-room which was above the hall. +There, the King was walking up and down anxiously, looking paler than his +wont, and no wonder, for the uproar sounded tremendous there--and now and +then a stone dashed against the sides of the deep window. + +Nearly at the same moment as Richard entered by one door, Count Bernard +de Harcourt came in from the other, and there was a slight lull in the +tumult. + +"What means this, my Lords?" exclaimed the King. "Here am I come in all +good will, in memory of my warm friendship with Duke William, to take on +me the care of his orphan, and hold council with you for avenging his +death, and is this the greeting you afford me? You steal away the child, +and stir up the rascaille of Rouen against me. Is this the reception for +your King?" + +"Sir King," replied Bernard, "what your intentions may be, I know not. +All I do know is, that the burghers of Rouen are fiercely incensed +against you--so much so, that they were almost ready to tear me to pieces +for being absent at this juncture. They say that you are keeping the +child prisoner in his own Castle and that they will have him restored if +they tear it down to the foundations." + +"You are a true man, a loyal man--you understand my good intentions," +said Louis, trembling, for the Normans were extremely dreaded. "You +would not bring the shame of rebellion on your town and people. Advise +me--I will do just as you counsel me--how shall I appease them?" + +"Take the child, lead him to the window, swear that you mean him no evil, +that you will not take him from us," said Bernard. "Swear it on the +faith of a King." + +"As a King--as a Christian, it is true!" said Louis. "Here, my boy! +Wherefore shrink from me? What have I done, that you should fear me? +You have been listening to evil tales of me, my child. Come hither." + +At a sign from the Count de Harcourt, Sir Eric led Richard forward, and +put his hand into the King's. Louis took him to the window, lifted him +upon the sill, and stood there with his arm round him, upon which the +shout, "Long live Richard, our little Duke!" arose again. Meantime, the +two Centevilles looked in wonder at the old Harcourt, who shook his head +and muttered in his own tongue, "I will do all I may, but our force is +small, and the King has the best of it. We must not yet bring a war on +ourselves." + +"Hark! he is going to speak," said Osmond. + +"Fair Sirs!--excellent burgesses!" began the King, as the cries lulled a +little. {11} "I rejoice to see the love ye bear to our young Prince! I +would all my subjects were equally loyal! But wherefore dread me, as if +I were come to injure him? I, who came but to take counsel how to avenge +the death of his father, who brought me back from England when I was a +friendless exile. Know ye not how deep is the debt of gratitude I owe to +Duke William? He it was who made me King--it was he who gained me the +love of the King of Germany; he stood godfather for my son--to him I owe +all my wealth and state, and all my care is to render guerdon for it to +his child, since, alas! I may not to himself. Duke William rests in his +bloody grave! It is for me to call his murderers to account, and to +cherish his son, even as mine own!" + +So saying, Louis tenderly embraced the little boy, and the Rouennais +below broke out into another cry, in which "Long live King Louis," was +joined with "Long live Richard!" + +"You will not let the child go?" said Eric, meanwhile, to Harcourt. + +"Not without provision for his safety, but we are not fit for war as yet, +and to let him go is the only means of warding it off." + +Eric groaned and shook his head; but the Count de Harcourt's judgment was +of such weight with him, that he never dreamt of disputing it. + +"Bring me here," said the King, "all that you deem most holy, and you +shall see me pledge myself to be your Duke's most faithful friend." + +There was some delay, during which the Norman Nobles had time for further +counsel together, and Richard looked wistfully at them, wondering what +was to happen to him, and wishing he could venture to ask for Alberic. + +Several of the Clergy of the Cathedral presently appeared in procession, +bringing with them the book of the Gospels on which Richard had taken his +installation oath, with others of the sacred treasures of the Church, +preserved in gold cases. The Priests were followed by a few of the +Norman Knights and Nobles, some of the burgesses of Rouen, and, to +Richard's great joy, by Alberic de Montemar himself. The two boys stood +looking eagerly at each other, while preparation was made for the +ceremony of the King's oath. + +The stone table in the middle of the room was cleared, and arranged so as +in some degree to resemble the Altar in the Cathedral; then the Count de +Harcourt, standing before it, and holding the King's hand, demanded of +him whether he would undertake to be the friend, protector, and good Lord +of Richard, Duke of Normandy, guarding him from all his enemies, and ever +seeking his welfare. Louis, with his hand on the Gospels, "swore that so +he would." + +"Amen!" returned Bernard the Dane, solemnly, "and as thou keepest that +oath to the fatherless child, so may the Lord do unto thine house!" + +Then followed the ceremony, which had been interrupted the night before, +of the homage and oath of allegiance which Richard owed to the King, and, +on the other hand, the King's formal reception of him as a vassal, +holding, under him, the two dukedoms of Normandy and Brittany. "And," +said the King, raising him in his arms and kissing him, "no dearer vassal +do I hold in all my realm than this fair child, son of my murdered friend +and benefactor--precious to me as my own children, as so on my Queen and +I hope to testify." + +Richard did not much like all this embracing; but he was sure the King +really meant him no ill, and he wondered at all the distrust the +Centevilles had shown. + +"Now, brave Normans," said the King, "be ye ready speedily, for an onset +on the traitor Fleming. The cause of my ward is my own cause. Soon +shall the trumpet be sounded, the ban and arriere ban of the realm be +called forth, and Arnulf, in the flames of his cities, and the blood of +his vassals, shall learn to rue the day when his foot trod the Isle of +Pecquigny! How many Normans can you bring to the muster, Sir Count?" + +"I cannot say, within a few hundreds of lances," replied the old Dane, +cautiously; "it depends on the numbers that may be engaged in the Italian +war with the Saracens, but of this be sure, Sir King, that every man in +Normandy and Brittany who can draw a sword or bend a bow, will stand +forth in the cause of our little Duke; ay, and that his blessed father's +memory is held so dear in our northern home, that it needs but a message +to King Harold Blue-tooth to bring a fleet of long keels into the Seine, +with stout Danes enough to carry fire and sword, not merely through +Flanders, but through all France. We of the North are not apt to forget +old friendships and favours, Sir King." + +"Yes, yes, I know the Norman faith of old," returned Louis, uneasily, +"but we should scarcely need such wild allies as you propose; the Count +of Paris, and Hubert of Senlis may be reckoned on, I suppose." + +"No truer friend to Normandy than gallant and wise old Hugh the White!" +said Bernard, "and as to Senlis, he is uncle to the boy, and doubly bound +to us." + +"I rejoice to see your confidence," said Louis. "You shall soon hear +from me. In the meantime I must return to gather my force together, and +summon my great vassals, and I will, with your leave, brave Normans, take +with me my dear young ward. His presence will plead better in his cause +than the finest words; moreover, he will grow up in love and friendship +with my two boys, and shall be nurtured with them in all good learning +and chivalry, nor shall he ever be reminded that he is an orphan while +under the care of Queen Gerberge and myself." + +"Let the child come to me, so please you, my Lord the King," answered +Harcourt, bluntly. "I must hold some converse with him, ere I can +reply." + +"Go then, Richard," said Louis, "go to your trusty vassal--happy are you +in possessing such a friend; I hope you know his value." + +"Here then, young Sir," said the Count, in his native tongue, when +Richard had crossed from the King's side, and stood beside him, "what say +you to this proposal?" + +"The King is very kind," said Richard. "I am sure he is kind; but I do +not like to go from Rouen, or from Dame Astrida." + +"Listen, my Lord," said the Dane, stooping down and speaking low. "The +King is resolved to have you away; he has with him the best of his +Franks, and has so taken us at unawares, that though I might yet rescue +you from his hands, it would not be without a fierce struggle, wherein +you might be harmed, and this castle and town certainly burnt, and +wrested from us. A few weeks or months, and we shall have time to draw +our force together, so that Normandy need fear no man, and for that time +you must tarry with him." + +"Must I--and all alone?" + +"No, not alone, not without the most trusty guardian that can be found +for you. Friend Eric, what say you?" and he laid his hand on the old +Baron's shoulder. "Yet, I know not; true thou art, as a Norwegian +mountain, but I doubt me if thy brains are not too dull to see through +the French wiles and disguises, sharp as thou didst show thyself last +night." + +"That was Osmond, not I," said Sir Eric. "He knows their mincing tongue +better than I. He were the best to go with the poor child, if go he +must." + +"Bethink you, Eric," said the Count, in an undertone, "Osmond is the only +hope of your good old house--if there is foul play, the guardian will be +the first to suffer." + +"Since you think fit to peril the only hope of all Normandy, I am not the +man to hold back my son where he may aid him," said old Eric, sadly. +"The poor child will be lonely and uncared-for there, and it were hard he +should not have one faithful comrade and friend with him." + +"It is well," said Bernard: "young as he is, I had rather trust Osmond +with the child than any one else, for he is ready of counsel, and quick +of hand." + +"Ay, and a pretty pass it is come to," muttered old Centeville, "that we, +whose business it is to guard the boy, should send him where you scarcely +like to trust my son." + +Bernard paid no further attention to him, but, coming forward, required +another oath from the King, that Richard should be as safe and free at +his court as at Rouen, and that on no pretence whatsoever should he be +taken from under the immediate care of his Esquire, Osmond Fitz Eric, +heir of Centeville. + +After this, the King was impatient to depart, and all was preparation. +Bernard called Osmond aside to give full instructions on his conduct, and +the means of communicating with Normandy, and Richard was taking leave of +Fru Astrida, who had now descended from her turret, bringing her hostage +with her. She wept much over her little Duke, praying that he might +safely be restored to Normandy, even though she might not live to see it; +she exhorted him not to forget the good and holy learning in which he had +been brought up, to rule his temper, and, above all, to say his prayers +constantly, never leaving out one, as the beads of his rosary reminded +him of their order. As to her own grandson, anxiety for him seemed +almost lost in her fears for Richard, and the chief things she said to +him, when he came to take leave of her, were directions as to the care he +was to take of the child, telling him the honour he now received was one +which would make his name forever esteemed if he did but fulfil his +trust, the most precious that Norman had ever yet received. + +"I will, grandmother, to the very best of my power," said Osmond; "I may +die in his cause, but never will I be faithless!" + +"Alberic!" said Richard, "are you glad to be going back to Montemar?" + +"Yes, my Lord," answered Alberic, sturdily, "as glad as you will be to +come back to Rouen." + +"Then I shall send for you directly, Alberic, for I shall never love the +Princes Carloman and Lothaire half as well as you!" + +"My Lord the King is waiting for the Duke," said a Frenchman, coming +forward. + +"Farewell then, Fru Astrida. Do not weep. I shall soon come back. +Farewell, Alberic. Take the bar-tailed falcon back to Montemar, and keep +him for my sake. Farewell, Sir Eric--Farewell, Count Bernard. When the +Normans come to conquer Arnulf you will lead them. O dear, dear Fru +Astrida, farewell again." + +"Farewell, my own darling. The blessing of Heaven go with you, and bring +you safe home! Farewell, Osmond. Heaven guard you and strengthen you to +be his shield and his defence!" + + + + +CHAPTER VI + + +Away from the tall narrow gateway of Rollo's Tower, with the cluster of +friendly, sorrowful faces looking forth from it, away from the booth-like +shops of Rouen, and the stout burghers shouting with all the power of +their lungs, "Long live Duke Richard! Long live King Louis! Death to +the Fleming!"--away from the broad Seine--away from home and friends, +rode the young Duke of Normandy, by the side of the palfrey of the King +of France. + +The King took much notice of him, kept him by his side, talked to him, +admired the beautiful cattle grazing in security in the green pastures, +and, as he looked at the rich dark brown earth of the fields, the Castles +towering above the woods, the Convents looking like great farms, the many +villages round the rude Churches, and the numerous population who came +out to gaze at the party, and repeat the cry of "Long live the King! +Blessings on the little Duke!" he told Richard, again and again, that his +was the most goodly duchy in France and Germany to boot. + +When they crossed the Epte, the King would have Richard in the same boat +with him, and sitting close to Louis, and talking eagerly about falcons +and hounds, the little Duke passed the boundary of his own dukedom. + +The country beyond was not like Normandy. First they came to a great +forest, which seemed to have no path through it. The King ordered that +one of the men, who had rowed them across, should be made to serve as +guide, and two of the men-at-arms took him between them, and forced him +to lead the way, while others, with their swords and battle-axes, cut +down and cleared away the tangled branches and briars that nearly choked +the path. All the time, every one was sharply on the look-out for +robbers, and the weapons were all held ready for use at a moment's +notice. On getting beyond the forest a Castle rose before them, and, +though it was not yet late in the day, they resolved to rest there, as a +marsh lay not far before them, which it would not have been safe to +traverse in the evening twilight. + +The Baron of the Castle received them with great respect to the King, but +without paying much attention to the Duke of Normandy, and Richard did +not find the second place left for him at the board. He coloured +violently, and looked first at the King, and then at Osmond, but Osmond +held up his finger in warning; he remembered how he had lost his temper +before, and what had come of it, and resolved to try to bear it better; +and just then the Baron's daughter, a gentle-looking maiden of fifteen or +sixteen, came and spoke to him, and entertained him so well, that he did +not think much more of his offended dignity.--When they set off on their +journey again, the Baron and several of his followers came with them to +show the only safe way across the morass, and a very slippery, +treacherous, quaking road it was, where the horses' feet left pools of +water wherever they trod. The King and the Baron rode together, and the +other French Nobles closed round them; Richard was left quite in the +background, and though the French men-at-arms took care not to lose sight +of him, no one offered him any assistance, excepting Osmond, who, giving +his own horse to Sybald, one of the two Norman grooms who accompanied +him, led Richard's horse by the bridle along the whole distance of the +marshy path, a business that could scarcely have been pleasant, as Osmond +wore his heavy hauberk, and his pointed, iron-guarded boots sunk deep at +every step into the bog. He spoke little, but seemed to be taking good +heed of every stump of willow or stepping-stone that might serve as a +note of remembrance of the path. + +At the other end of the morass began a long tract of dreary-looking, +heathy waste, without a sign of life. The Baron took leave of the King, +only sending three men-at-arms, to show him the way to a monastery, which +was to be the next halting-place. He sent three, because it was not safe +for one, even fully armed, to ride alone, for fear of the attacks of the +followers of a certain marauding Baron, who was at deadly feud with him, +and made all that border a most perilous region. Richard might well +observe that he did not like the Vexin half as well as Normandy, and that +the people ought to learn Fru Astrida's story of the golden bracelets, +which, in his grandfather's time, had hung untouched for a year, in a +tree in a forest. + +It was pretty much the same through the whole journey, waste lands, +marshes, and forests alternated. The Castles stood on high mounds +frowning on the country round, and villages were clustered round them, +where the people either fled away, driving off their cattle with them at +the first sight of an armed band, or else, if they remained, proved to be +thin, wretched-looking creatures, with wasted limbs, aguish faces, and +often iron collars round their necks. Wherever there was anything of +more prosperous appearance, such as a few cornfields, vineyards on the +slopes of the hills, fat cattle, and peasantry looking healthy and +secure, there was sure to be seen a range of long low stone buildings, +surmounted with crosses, with a short square Church tower rising in the +midst, and interspersed with gnarled hoary old apple-trees, or with +gardens of pot-herbs spreading before them to the meadows. If, instead +of two or three men-at-arms from a Castle, or of some trembling serf +pressed into the service, and beaten, threatened, and watched to prevent +treachery, the King asked for a guide at a Convent, some lay brother +would take his staff; or else mount an ass, and proceed in perfect +confidence and security as to his return homewards, sure that his poverty +and his sacred character would alike protect him from any outrage from +the most lawless marauder of the neighbourhood. + +Thus they travelled until they reached the royal Castle of Laon, where +the Fleur-de-Lys standard on the battlements announced the presence of +Gerberge, Queen of France, and her two sons. The King rode first into +the court with his Nobles, and before Richard could follow him through +the narrow arched gateway, he had dismounted, entered the Castle, and was +out of sight. Osmond held the Duke's stirrup, and followed him up the +steps which led to the Castle Hall. It was full of people, but no one +made way, and Richard, holding his Squire's hand, looked up in his face, +inquiring and bewildered. + +"Sir Seneschal," said Osmond, seeing a broad portly old man, with grey +hair and a golden chain, "this is the Duke of Normandy--I pray you +conduct him to the King's presence." + +Richard had no longer any cause to complain of neglect, for the Seneschal +instantly made him a very low bow, and calling "Place--place for the high +and mighty Prince, my Lord Duke of Normandy!" ushered him up to the dais +or raised part of the floor, where the King and Queen stood together +talking. The Queen looked round, as Richard was announced, and he saw +her face, which was sallow, and with a sharp sour expression that did not +please him, and he backed and looked reluctant, while Osmond, with a +warning hand pressed on his shoulder, was trying to remind him that he +ought to go forward, kneel on one knee, and kiss her hand. + +"There he is," said the King. + +"One thing secure!" said the Queen; "but what makes that northern giant +keep close to his heels?" + +Louis answered something in a low voice, and, in the meantime, Osmond +tried in a whisper to induce his young Lord to go forward and perform his +obeisance. + +"I tell you I will not," said Richard. "She looks cross, and I do not +like her." + +Luckily he spoke his own language; but his look and air expressed a good +deal of what he said, and Gerberge looked all the more unattractive. + +"A thorough little Norwegian bear," said the King; "fierce and unruly as +the rest. Come, and perform your courtesy--do you forget where you are?" +he added, sternly. + +Richard bowed, partly because Osmond forced down his shoulder; but he +thought of old Rollo and Charles the Simple, and his proud heart resolved +that he would never kiss the hand of that sour-looking Queen. It was a +determination made in pride and defiance, and he suffered for it +afterwards; but no more passed now, for the Queen only saw in his +behaviour that of an unmannerly young Northman: and though she disliked +and despised him, she did not care enough about his courtesy to insist on +its being paid. She sat down, and so did the King, and they went on +talking; the King probably telling her his adventures at Rouen, while +Richard stood on the step of the dais, swelling with sullen pride. + +Nearly a quarter of an hour had passed in this manner when the servants +came to set the table for supper, and Richard, in spite of his indignant +looks, was forced to stand aside. He wondered that all this time he had +not seen the two Princes, thinking how strange he should have thought it, +to let his own dear father be in the house so long without coming to +welcome him. At last, just as the supper had been served up, a side door +opened, and the Seneschal called, "Place for the high and mighty Princes, +my Lord Lothaire and my Lord Carloman!" and in walked two boys, one about +the same age as Richard, the other rather less than a year younger. They +were both thin, pale, sharp-featured children, and Richard drew himself +up to his full height, with great satisfaction at being so much taller +than Lothaire. + +They came up ceremoniously to their father and kissed his hand, while he +kissed their foreheads, and then said to them, "There is a new +play-fellow for you." + +"Is that the little Northman?" said Carloman, turning to stare at Richard +with a look of curiosity, while Richard in his turn felt considerably +affronted that a boy so much less than himself should call him little. + +"Yes," said the Queen; "your father has brought him home with him." + +Carloman stepped forward, shyly holding out his hand to the stranger, but +his brother pushed him rudely aside. "I am the eldest; it is my business +to be first. So, young Northman, you are come here for us to play with." + +Richard was too much amazed at being spoken to in this imperious way to +make any answer. He was completely taken by surprise, and only opened +his great blue eyes to their utmost extent. + +"Ha! why don't you answer? Don't you hear? Can you speak only your own +heathen tongue?" continued Lothaire. + +"The Norman is no heathen tongue!" said Richard, at once breaking silence +in a loud voice. "We are as good Christians as you are--ay, and better +too." + +"Hush! hush! my Lord!" said Osmond. + +"What now, Sir Duke," again interfered the King, in an angry tone, "are +you brawling already? Time, indeed, I should take you from your own +savage court. Sir Squire, look to it, that you keep your charge in +better rule, or I shall send him instantly to bed, supperless." + +"My Lord, my Lord," whispered Osmond, "see you not that you are bringing +discredit on all of us?" + +"I would be courteous enough, if they would be courteous to me," returned +Richard, gazing with eyes full of defiance at Lothaire, who, returning an +angry look, had nevertheless shrunk back to his mother. She meanwhile +was saying, "So strong, so rough, the young savage is, he will surely +harm our poor boys!" + +"Never fear," said Louis; "he shall be watched. And," he added in a +lower tone, "for the present, at least, we must keep up appearances. +Hubert of Senlis, and Hugh of Paris, have their eyes on us, and were the +boy to be missed, the grim old Harcourt would have all the pirates of his +land on us in the twinkling of an eye. We have him, and there we must +rest content for the present. Now to supper." + +At supper, Richard sat next little Carloman, who peeped at him every now +and then from under his eyelashes, as if he was afraid of him; and +presently, when there was a good deal of talking going on, so that his +voice could not be heard, half whispered, in a very grave tone, "Do you +like salt beef or fresh?" + +"I like fresh," answered Richard, with equal gravity, "only we eat salt +all the winter." + +There was another silence, and then Carloman, with the same solemnity, +asked, "How old are you?" + +"I shall be nine on the eve of St. Boniface. How old are you?" + +"Eight. I was eight at Martinmas, and Lothaire was nine three days +since." + +Another silence; then, as Osmond waited on Richard, Carloman returned to +the charge, "Is that your Squire?" + +"Yes, that is Osmond de Centeville." + +"How tall he is!" + +"We Normans are taller than you French." + +"Don't say so to Lothaire, or you will make him angry." + +"Why? it is true." + +"Yes; but--" and Carloman sunk his voice--"there are some things which +Lothaire will not hear said. Do not make him cross, or he will make my +mother displeased with you. She caused Thierry de Lincourt to be +scourged, because his ball hit Lothaire's face." + +"She cannot scourge me--I am a free Duke," said Richard. "But why? Did +he do it on purpose?" + +"Oh, no!" + +"And was Lothaire hurt?" + +"Hush! you must say Prince Lothaire. No; it was quite a soft ball." + +"Why?" again asked Richard--"why was he scourged?" + +"I told you, because he hit Lothaire." + +"Well, but did he not laugh, and say it was nothing? Alberic quite +knocked me down with a great snowball the other day, and Sir Eric +laughed, and said I must stand firmer." + +"Do you make snowballs?" + +"To be sure I do! Do not you?" + +"Oh, no! the snow is so cold." + +"Ah! you are but a little boy," said Richard, in a superior manner. +Carloman asked how it was done; and Richard gave an animated description +of the snowballing, a fortnight ago, at Rouen, when Osmond and some of +the other young men built a snow fortress, and defended it against +Richard, Alberic, and the other Squires. Carloman listened with delight, +and declared that next time it snowed, they would have a snow castle; and +thus, by the time supper was over, the two little boys were very good +friends. + +Bedtime came not long after supper. Richard's was a smaller room than he +had been used to at Rouen; but it amazed him exceedingly when he first +went into it: he stood gazing in wonder, because, as he said, "It was as +if he had been in a church." + +"Yes, truly!" said Osmond. "No wonder these poor creatures of French +cannot stand before a Norman lance, if they cannot sleep without glass to +their windows. Well! what would my father say to this?" + +"And see! see, Osmond! they have put hangings up all round the walls, +just like our Lady's church on a great feast-day. They treat us just as +if we were the holy saints; and here are fresh rushes strewn about the +floor, too. This must be a mistake--it must be an oratory, instead of my +chamber." + +"No, no, my Lord; here is our gear, which I bade Sybald and Henry see +bestowed in our chamber. Well, these Franks are come to a pass, indeed! +My grandmother will never believe what we shall have to tell her. Glass +windows and hangings to sleeping chambers! I do not like it I am sure we +shall never be able to sleep, closed up from the free air of heaven in +this way: I shall be always waking, and fancying I am in the chapel at +home, hearing Father Lucas chanting his matins. Besides, my father would +blame me for letting you be made as tender as a Frank. I'll have out +this precious window, if I can." + +Luxurious as the young Norman thought the King, the glazing of Laon was +not permanent. It consisted of casements, which could be put up or +removed at pleasure; for, as the court possessed only one set of glass +windows, they were taken down, and carried from place to place, as often +as Louis removed from Rheims to Soissons, Laon, or any other of his royal +castles; so that Osmond did not find much difficulty in displacing them, +and letting in the sharp, cold, wintry breeze. The next thing he did was +to give his young Lord a lecture on his want of courtesy, telling him +that "no wonder the Franks thought he had no more culture than a Viking +(or pirate), fresh caught from Norway. A fine notion he was giving them +of the training he had at Centeville, if he could not even show common +civility to the Queen--a lady! Was that the way Alberic had behaved when +he came to Rouen?" + +"Fru Astrida did not make sour faces at him, nor call him a young +savage," replied Richard. + +"No, and he gave her no reason to do so; he knew that the first teaching +of a young Knight is to be courteous to ladies--never mind whether fair +and young, or old and foul of favour. Till you learn and note that, Lord +Richard, you will never be worthy of your golden spurs." + +"And the King told me she would treat me as a mother," exclaimed Richard. +"Do you think the King speaks the truth, Osmond?" + +"That we shall see by his deeds," said Osmond. + +"He was very kind while we were in Normandy. I loved him so much better +than the Count de Harcourt; but now I think that the Count is best! I'll +tell you, Osmond, I will never call him grim old Bernard again." + +"You had best not, sir, for you will never have a more true-hearted +vassal." + +"Well, I wish we were back in Normandy, with Fru Astrida and Alberic. I +cannot bear that Lothaire. He is proud, and unknightly, and cruel. I am +sure he is, and I will never love him." + +"Hush, my Lord!--beware of speaking so loud. You are not in your own +Castle." + +"And Carloman is a chicken-heart," continued Richard, unheeding. "He +does not like to touch snow, and he cannot even slide on the ice, and he +is afraid to go near that great dog--that beautiful wolf-hound." + +"He is very little," said Osmond. + +"I am sure I was not as cowardly at his age, now was I, Osmond? Don't +you remember?" + +"Come, Lord Richard, I cannot let you wait to remember everything; tell +your beads and pray that we may be brought safe back to Rouen; and that +you may not forget all the good that Father Lucas and holy Abbot Martin +have laboured to teach you." + +So Richard told the beads of his rosary--black polished wood, with amber +at certain spaces--he repeated a prayer with every bead, and Osmond did +the same; then the little Duke put himself into a narrow crib of richly +carved walnut; while Osmond, having stuck his dagger so as to form an +additional bolt to secure the door, and examined the hangings that no +secret entrance might be concealed behind them, gathered a heap of rushes +together, and lay down on them, wrapped in his mantle, across the +doorway. The Duke was soon asleep; but the Squire lay long awake, musing +on the possible dangers that surrounded his charge, and on the best way +of guarding against them. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + + +Osmond de Centeville was soon convinced that no immediate peril +threatened his young Duke at the Court of Laon. Louis seemed to intend +to fulfil his oaths to the Normans by allowing the child to be the +companion of his own sons, and to be treated in every respect as became +his rank. Richard had his proper place at table, and all due attendance; +he learnt, rode, and played with the Princes, and there was nothing to +complain of, excepting the coldness and inattention with which the King +and Queen treated him, by no means fulfilling the promise of being as +parents to their orphan ward. Gerberge, who had from the first dreaded +his superior strength and his roughness with her puny boys, and who had +been by no means won by his manners at their first meeting, was +especially distant and severe with him, hardly ever speaking to him +except with some rebuke, which, it must be confessed, Richard often +deserved. + +As to the boys, his constant companions, Richard was on very friendly +terms with Carlo-man, a gentle, timid, weakly child. Richard looked down +upon him; but he was kind, as a generous-tempered boy could not fail to +be, to one younger and weaker than himself. He was so much kinder than +Lothaire, that Carloman was fast growing very fond of him, and looked up +to his strength and courage as something noble and marvellous. + +It was very different with Lothaire, the person from whom, above all +others, Richard would have most expected to meet with affection, as his +father's god-son, a relationship which in those times was thought almost +as near as kindred by blood. Lothaire had been brought up by an +indulgent mother, and by courtiers who never ceased flattering him, as +the heir to the crown, and he had learnt to think that to give way to his +naturally imperious and violent disposition was the way to prove his +power and assert his rank. He had always had his own way, and nothing +had ever been done to check his faults; somewhat weakly health had made +him fretful and timid; and a latent consciousness of this fearfulness +made him all the more cruel, sometimes because he was frightened, +sometimes because he fancied it manly. + +He treated his little brother in a way which in these times boys would +call bullying; and, as no one ever dared to oppose the King's eldest son, +it was pretty much the same with every one else, except now and then some +dumb creature, and then all Lothaire's cruelty was shown. When his horse +kicked, and ended by throwing him, he stood by, and caused it to be +beaten till the poor creature's back streamed with blood; when his dog +bit his hand in trying to seize the meat with which he was teazing it, he +insisted on having it killed, and it was worse still when a falcon pecked +one of his fingers. It really hurt him a good deal, and, in a furious +rage, he caused two nails to be heated red hot in the fire, intending to +have them thrust into the poor bird's eyes. + +"I will not have it done!" exclaimed Richard, expecting to be obeyed as +he was at home; but Lothaire only laughed scornfully, saying, "Do you +think you are master here, Sir pirate?" + +"I will not have it done!" repeated Richard. "Shame on you, shame on +you, for thinking of such an unkingly deed." + +"Shame on me! Do you know to whom you speak, master savage?" cried +Lothaire, red with passion. + +"I know who is the savage now!" said Richard. "Hold!" to the servant who +was bringing the red-hot irons in a pair of tongs. + +"Hold?" exclaimed Lothaire. "No one commands here but I and my father. +Go on Charlot--where is the bird? Keep her fast, Giles." + +"Osmond. You I can command--" + +"Come away, my Lord," said Osmond, interrupting Richard's order, before +it was issued. "We have no right to interfere here, and cannot hinder it. +Come away from such a foul sight." + +"Shame on you too, Osmond, to let such a deed be done without hindering +it!" exclaimed Richard, breaking from him, and rushing on the man who +carried the hot irons. The French servants were not very willing to +exert their strength against the Duke of Normandy, and Richard's onset, +taking the man by surprise, made him drop the tongs. Lothaire, both +afraid and enraged, caught them up as a weapon of defence, and, hardly +knowing what he did, struck full at Richard's face with the hot iron. +Happily it missed his eye, and the heat had a little abated; but, as it +touched his cheek, it burnt him sufficiently to cause considerable pain. +With a cry of passion, he flew at Lothaire, shook him with all his might, +and ended by throwing him at his length on the pavement. But this was +the last of Richard's exploits, for he was at the same moment captured by +his Squire, and borne off, struggling and kicking as if Osmond had been +his greatest foe; but the young Norman's arms were like iron round him; +and he gave over his resistance sooner, because at that moment a whirring +flapping sound was heard, and the poor hawk rose high, higher, over their +heads in ever lessening circles, far away from her enemies. The servant +who held her, had relaxed his grasp in the consternation caused by +Lothaire's fall, and she was mounting up and up, spying, it might be, her +way to her native rocks in Iceland, with the yellow eyes which Richard +had saved. + +"Safe! safe!" cried Richard, joyfully, ceasing his struggles. "Oh, how +glad I am! That young villain should never have hurt her. Put me down, +Osmond, what are you doing with me?" + +"Saving you from your--no, I cannot call it folly,--I would hardly have +had you stand still to see such--but let me see your face." + +"It is nothing. I don't care now the hawk is safe," said Richard, though +he could hardly keep his lips in order, and was obliged to wink very hard +with his eyes to keep the tears out, now that he had leisure to feel the +smarting; but it would have been far beneath a Northman to complain, and +he stood bearing it gallantly, and pinching his fingers tightly together, +while Osmond knelt down to examine the hurt. "'Tis not much," said he, +talking to himself, "half bruise, half burn--I wish my grandmother was +here--however, it can't last long! 'Tis right, you bear it like a little +Berserkar, and it is no bad thing that you should have a scar to show, +that they may not be able to say you did _all_ the damage." + +"Will it always leave a mark?" said Richard. "I am afraid they will call +me Richard of the scarred cheek, when we get back to Normandy." + +"Never mind, if they do--it will not be a mark to be ashamed of, even if +it does last, which I do not believe it will." + +"Oh, no, I am so glad the gallant falcon is out of his reach!" replied +Richard, in a somewhat quivering voice. + +"Does it smart much? Well, come and bathe it with cold water--or shall I +take you to one of the Queen's women?" + +"No--the water," said Richard, and to the fountain in the court they +went; but Osmond had only just begun to splash the cheek with the +half-frozen water, with a sort of rough kindness, afraid at once of +teaching the Duke to be effeminate, and of not being as tender to him as +Dame Astrida would have wished, when a messenger came in haste from the +King, commanding the presence of the Duke of Normandy and his Squire. + +Lothaire was standing between his father and mother on their throne-like +seat, leaning against the Queen, who had her arm round him; his face was +red and glazed with tears, and he still shook with subsiding sobs. It +was evident he was just recovering from a passionate crying fit. + +"How is this?" began the King, as Richard entered. "What means this +conduct, my Lord of Normandy? Know you what you have done in striking +the heir of France? I might imprison you this instant in a dungeon where +you would never see the light of day." + +"Then Bernard de Harcourt would come and set me free," fearlessly +answered Richard. + +"Do you bandy words with me, child? Ask Prince Lothaire's pardon +instantly, or you shall rue it." + +"I have done nothing to ask his pardon for. It would have been cruel and +cowardly in me to let him put out the poor hawk's eyes," said Richard, +with a Northman's stern contempt for pain, disdaining to mention his own +burnt cheek, which indeed the King might have seen plainly enough. + +"Hawk's eyes!" repeated the King. "Speak the truth, Sir Duke; do not add +slander to your other faults." + + [Picture: False accusation] + +"I have spoken the truth--I always speak it!" cried Richard. "Whoever +says otherwise lies in his throat." + +Osmond here hastily interfered, and desired permission to tell the whole +story. The hawk was a valuable bird, and Louis's face darkened when he +heard what Lothaire had purposed, for the Prince had, in telling his own +story, made it appear that Richard had been the aggressor by insisting on +letting the falcon fly. Osmond finished by pointing to the mark on +Richard's cheek, so evidently a burn, as to be proof that hot iron had +played a part in the matter. The King looked at one of his own Squires +and asked his account, and he with some hesitation could not but reply +that it was as the young Sieur de Centeville had said. Thereupon Louis +angrily reproved his own people for having assisted the Prince in trying +to injure the hawk, called for the chief falconer, rated him for not +better attending to his birds, and went forth with him to see if the hawk +could yet be recaptured, leaving the two boys neither punished nor +pardoned. + +"So you have escaped for this once," said Gerberge, coldly, to Richard; +"you had better beware another time. Come with me, my poor darling +Lothaire." She led her son away to her own apartments, and the French +Squires began to grumble to each other complaints of the impossibility of +pleasing their Lords, since, if they contradicted Prince Lothaire, he was +so spiteful that he was sure to set the Queen against them, and that was +far worse in the end than the King's displeasure. Osmond, in the +meantime, took Richard to re-commence bathing his face, and presently +Carloman ran out to pity him, wonder at him for not crying, and say he +was glad the poor hawk had escaped. + +The cheek continued inflamed and painful for some time, and there was a +deep scar long after the pain had ceased, but Richard thought little of +it after the first, and would have scorned to bear ill-will to Lothaire +for the injury. + +Lothaire left off taunting Richard with his Norman accent, and calling +him a young Sea-king. He had felt his strength, and was afraid of him; +but he did not like him the better--he never played with him +willingly--scowled, and looked dark and jealous, if his father, or if any +of the great nobles took the least notice of the little Duke, and +whenever he was out of hearing, talked against him with all his natural +spitefulness. + +Richard liked Lothaire quite as little, contemning almost equally his +cowardly ways and his imperious disposition. Since he had been Duke, +Richard had been somewhat inclined to grow imperious himself, though +always kept under restraint by Fru Astrida's good training, and Count +Bernard's authority, and his whole generous nature would have revolted +against treating Alberic, or indeed his meanest vassal, as Lothaire used +the unfortunate children who were his playfellows. Perhaps this made him +look on with great horror at the tyranny which Lothaire exercised; at any +rate he learnt to abhor it more, and to make many resolutions against +ordering people about uncivilly when once he should be in Normandy again. +He often interfered to protect the poor boys, and generally with success, +for the Prince was afraid of provoking such another shake as Richard had +once given him, and though he generally repaid himself on his victim in +the end, he yielded for the time. + +Carloman, whom Richard often saved from his brother's unkindness, clung +closer and closer to him, went with him everywhere, tried to do all he +did, grew very fond of Osmond, and liked nothing better than to sit by +Richard in some wide window-seat, in the evening, after supper, and +listen to Richard's version of some of Fru Astrida's favourite tales, or +hear the never-ending history of sports at Centeville, or at Rollo's +Tower, or settle what great things they would both do when they were +grown up, and Richard was ruling Normandy--perhaps go to the Holy Land +together, and slaughter an unheard-of host of giants and dragons on the +way. In the meantime, however, poor Carloman gave small promise of being +able to perform great exploits, for he was very small for his age and +often ailing; soon tired, and never able to bear much rough play. +Richard, who had never had any reason to learn to forbear, did not at +first understand this, and made Carloman cry several times with his +roughness and violence, but this always vexed him so much that he grew +careful to avoid such things for the future, and gradually learnt to +treat his poor little weakly friend with a gentleness and patience at +which Osmond used to marvel, and which he would hardly have been taught +in his prosperity at home. + +Between Carloman and Osmond he was thus tolerably happy at Laon, but he +missed his own dear friends, and the loving greetings of his vassals, and +longed earnestly to be at Rouen, asking Osmond almost every night when +they should go back, to which Osmond could only answer that he must pray +that Heaven would be pleased to bring them home safely. + +Osmond, in the meantime, kept a vigilant watch for anything that might +seem to threaten danger to his Lord; but at present there was no token of +any evil being intended; the only point in which Louis did not seem to be +fulfilling his promises to the Normans was, that no preparations were +made for attacking the Count of Flanders. + +At Easter the court was visited by Hugh the White, the great Count of +Paris, the most powerful man in France, and who was only prevented by his +own loyalty and forbearance, from taking the crown from the feeble and +degenerate race of Charlemagne. He had been a firm friend of William +Longsword, and Osmond remarked how, on his arrival, the King took care to +bring Richard forward, talk of him affectionately, and caress him almost +as much as he had done at Rouen. The Count himself was really kind and +affectionate to the little Duke; he kept him by his side, and seemed to +like to stroke down his long flaxen hair, looking in his face with a +grave mournful expression, as if seeking for a likeness to his father. +He soon asked about the scar which the burn had left, and the King was +obliged to answer hastily, it was an accident, a disaster that had +chanced in a boyish quarrel. Louis, in fact, was uneasy, and appeared to +be watching the Count of Paris the whole time of his visit, so as to +prevent him from having any conversation in private with the other great +vassals assembled at the court. Hugh did not seem to perceive this, and +acted as if he was entirely at his ease, but at the same time he watched +his opportunity. One evening, after supper, he came up to the window +where Richard and Carloman were, as usual, deep in story telling; he sat +down on the stone seat, and taking Richard on his knee, he asked if he +had any greetings for the Count de Harcourt. + +How Richard's face lighted up! "Oh, Sir," he cried, "are you going to +Normandy?" + +"Not yet, my boy, but it may be that I may have to meet old Harcourt at +the Elm of Gisors." + +"Oh, if I was but going with you." + +"I wish I could take you, but it would scarcely do for me to steal the +heir of Normandy. What shall I tell him?" + +"Tell him," whispered Richard, edging himself close to the Count, and +trying to reach his ear, "tell him that I am sorry, now, that I was +sullen when he reproved me. I know he was right. And, sir, if he brings +with him a certain huntsman with a long hooked nose, whose name is +Walter, {12} tell him I am sorry I used to order him about so unkindly. +And tell him to bear my greetings to Fru Astrida and Sir Eric, and to +Alberic." + +"Shall I tell him how you have marked your face?" + +"No," said Richard, "he would think me a baby to care about such a thing +as that!" + +The Count asked how it happened, and Richard told the story, for he felt +as if he could tell the kind Count anything--it was almost like that last +evening that he had sat on his father's knee. Hugh ended by putting his +arm round him, and saying, "Well, my little Duke, I am as glad as you are +the gallant bird is safe--it will be a tale for my own little Hugh and +Eumacette {13} at home--and you must one day be friends with them as your +father has been with me. And now, do you think your Squire could come to +my chamber late this evening when the household is at rest?" + +Richard undertook that Osmond should do so, and the Count, setting him +down again, returned to the dais. Osmond, before going to the Count that +evening, ordered Sybald to come and guard the Duke's door. It was a long +conference, for Hugh had come to Laon chiefly for the purpose of seeing +how it went with his friend's son, and was anxious to know what Osmond +thought of the matter. They agreed that at present there did not seem to +be any evil intended, and that it rather appeared as if Louis wished only +to keep him as a hostage for the tranquillity of the borders of Normandy; +but Hugh advised that Osmond should maintain a careful watch, and send +intelligence to him on the first token of mischief. + +The next morning the Count of Paris quitted Laon, and everything went on +in the usual course till the feast of Whitsuntide, when there was always +a great display of splendour at the French court. The crown vassals +generally came to pay their duty and go with the King to Church; and +there was a state banquet, at which the King and Queen wore their crowns, +and every one sat in great magnificence according to their rank. + +The grand procession to Church was over. Richard had walked with +Carloman, the Prince richly dressed in blue, embroidered with golden +fleur-de-lys, and Richard in scarlet, with a gold Cross on his breast; +the beautiful service was over, they had returned to the Castle, and +there the Seneschal was marshalling the goodly and noble company to the +banquet, when horses' feet were heard at the gate announcing some fresh +arrival. The Seneschal went to receive the guests, and presently was +heard ushering in the noble Prince, Arnulf, Count of Flanders. + +Richard's face became pale--he turned from Carloman by whose side he had +been standing, and walked straight out of the hall and up the stairs, +closely followed by Osmond. In a few minutes there was a knock at the +door of his chamber, and a French Knight stood there saying, "Comes not +the Duke to the banquet?" + +"No," answered Osmond: "he eats not with the slayer of his father." + +"The King will take it amiss; for the sake of the child you had better +beware," said the Frenchman, hesitating. + +"He had better beware himself," exclaimed Osmond, indignantly, "how he +brings the treacherous murderer of William Longsword into the presence of +a free-born Norman, unless he would see him slain where he stands. Were +it not for the boy, I would challenge the traitor this instant to single +combat." + +"Well, I can scarce blame you," said the Knight, "but you had best have a +care how you tread. Farewell." + +Richard had hardly time to express his indignation, and his wishes that +he was a man, before another message came through a groom of Lothaire's +train, that the Duke must fast, if he would not consent to feast with the +rest. + +"Tell Prince Lothaire," replied Richard, "that I am not such a glutton as +he--I had rather fast than be choked with eating with Arnulf." + +All the rest of the day, Richard remained in his own chamber, resolved +not to run the risk of meeting with Arnulf. The Squire remained with +him, in this voluntary imprisonment, and they occupied themselves, as +best they could, with furbishing Osmond's armour, and helping each other +out in repeating some of the Sagas. They once heard a great uproar in +the court, and both were very anxious to learn its cause, but they did +not know it till late in the afternoon. + +Carloman crept up to them--"Here I am at last!" he exclaimed. "Here, +Richard, I have brought you some bread, as you had no dinner: it was all +I could bring. I saved it under the table lest Lothaire should see it." + +Richard thanked Carloman with all his heart, and being very hungry was +glad to share the bread with Osmond. He asked how long the wicked Count +was going to stay, and rejoiced to hear he was going away the next +morning, and the King was going with him. + +"What was that great noise in the court?" asked Richard. + +"I scarcely like to tell you," returned Carloman. + +Richard, however, begged to hear, and Carloman was obliged to tell that +the two Norman grooms, Sybald and Henry, had quarrelled with the Flemings +of Arnulf's train; there had been a fray, which had ended in the death of +three Flemings, a Frank, and of Sybald himself--And where was Henry? +Alas! there was more ill news--the King had sentenced Henry to die, and +he had been hanged immediately. + +Dark with anger and sorrow grew young Richard's face; he had been fond of +his two Norman attendants, he trusted to their attachment, and he would +have wept for their loss even if it had happened in any other way; but +now, when it had been caused by their enmity to his father's foes, the +Flemings,--when one had fallen overwhelmed by numbers, and the other been +condemned hastily, cruelly, unjustly, it was too much, and he almost +choked with grief and indignation. Why had he not been there, to claim +Henry as his own vassal, and if he could not save him, at least bid him +farewell? Then he would have broken out in angry threats, but he felt +his own helplessness, and was ashamed, and he could only shed tears of +passionate grief, refusing all Carloman's attempts to comfort him. +Osmond was even more concerned; he valued the two Normans extremely for +their courage and faithfulness, and had relied on sending intelligence by +their means to Rouen, in case of need. It appeared to him as if the +first opportunity had been seized of removing these protectors from the +little Duke, and as if the designs, whatever they might be, which had +been formed against him, were about to take effect. He had little doubt +that his own turn would be the next; but he was resolved to endure +anything, rather than give the smallest opportunity of removing him, to +bear even insults with patience, and to remember that in his care rested +the sole hope of safety for his charge. + +That danger was fast gathering around them became more evident every day, +especially after the King and Arnulf had gone away together. It was very +hot weather, and Richard began to weary after the broad cool river at +Rouen, where he used to bathe last summer; and one evening he persuaded +his Squire to go down with him to the Oise, which flowed along some +meadow ground about a quarter of a mile from the Castle; but they had +hardly set forth before three or four attendants came running after them, +with express orders from the Queen that they should return immediately. +They obeyed, and found her standing in the Castle hall, looking greatly +incensed. + +"What means this?" she asked, angrily. "Knew you not that the King has +left commands that the Duke quits not the Castle in his absence?" + +"I was only going as far as the river--" began Richard, but Gerberge cut +him short. "Silence, child--I will hear no excuses. Perhaps you think, +Sieur de Centeville, that you may take liberties in the King's absence, +but I tell you that if you are found without the walls again, it shall be +at your peril; ay, and his! I'll have those haughty eyes put out, if you +disobey!" + +She turned away, and Lothaire looked at them with his air of gratified +malice. "You will not lord it over your betters much longer, young +pirate!" said he, as he followed his mother, afraid to stay to meet the +anger he might have excited by the taunt he could not deny himself the +pleasure of making; but Richard, who, six months ago could not brook a +slight disappointment or opposition, had, in his present life of +restraint, danger, and vexation, learnt to curb the first outbreak of +temper, and to bear patiently instead of breaking out into passion and +threats, and now his only thought was of his beloved Squire. + +"Oh, Osmond! Osmond!" he exclaimed, "they shall not hurt you. I will +never go out again. I will never speak another hasty word. I will never +affront the Prince, if they will but leave you with me!" {14} + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + + +It was a fine summer evening, and Richard and Carloman were playing at +ball on the steps of the Castle-gate, when a voice was heard from +beneath, begging for alms from the noble Princes in the name of the +blessed Virgin, and the two boys saw a pilgrim standing at the gate, +wrapt in a long robe of serge, with a staff in his hand, surmounted by a +Cross, a scrip at his girdle, and a broad shady hat, which he had taken +off, as he stood, making low obeisances, and asking charity. + +"Come in, holy pilgrim," said Carloman. "It is late, and you shall sup +and rest here to-night." + +"Blessings from Heaven light on you, noble Prince," replied the pilgrim, +and at that moment Richard shouted joyfully, "A Norman, a Norman! 'tis my +own dear speech! Oh, are you not from Normandy? Osmond, Osmond! he +comes from home!" + +"My Lord! my own Lord!" exclaimed the pilgrim, and, kneeling on one knee +at the foot of the steps, he kissed the hand which his young Duke held +out to him--"This is joy unlooked for!" + +"Walter!--Walter, the huntsman!" cried Richard. "Is it you? Oh, how is +Fru Astrida, and all at home?" + +"Well, my Lord, and wearying to know how it is with you--" began +Walter--but a very different tone exclaimed from behind the pilgrim, +"What is all this? Who is stopping my way? What! Richard would be +King, and more, would he? More insolence!" It was Lothaire, returning +with his attendants from the chase, in by no means an amiable mood, for +he had been disappointed of his game. + +"He is a Norman--a vassal of Richard's own," said Carloman. + +"A Norman, is he? I thought we had got rid of the robbers! We want no +robbers here! Scourge him soundly, Perron, and teach him how to stop my +way!" + +"He is a pilgrim, my Lord," suggested one of the followers. + +"I care not; I'll have no Normans here, coming spying in disguise. +Scourge him, I say, dog that he is! Away with him! A spy, a spy!" + +"No Norman is scourged in my sight!" said Richard, darting forwards, and +throwing himself between Walter and the woodsman, who was preparing to +obey Lothaire, just in time to receive on his own bare neck the sharp, +cutting leathern thong, which raised a long red streak along its course. +Lothaire laughed. + +"My Lord Duke! What have you done? Oh, leave me--this befits you not!" +cried Walter, extremely distressed; but Richard had caught hold of the +whip, and called out, "Away, away! run! haste, haste!" and the words were +repeated at once by Osmond, Carloman, and many of the French, who, though +afraid to disobey the Prince, were unwilling to violate the sanctity of a +pilgrim's person; and the Norman, seeing there was no help for it, +obeyed: the French made way for him and he effected his escape; while +Lothaire, after a great deal of storming and raging, went up to his +mother to triumph in the cleverness with which he had detected a Norman +spy in disguise. + +Lothaire was not far wrong; Walter had really come to satisfy himself as +to the safety of the little Duke, and try to gain an interview with +Osmond. In the latter purpose he failed, though he lingered in the +neighbourhood of Laon for several days; for Osmond never left the Duke +for an instant, and he was, as has been shown, a close prisoner, in all +but the name, within the walls of the Castle. The pilgrim had, however, +the opportunity of picking up tidings which made him perceive the true +state of things: he learnt the deaths of Sybald and Henry, the alliance +between the King and Arnulf, and the restraint and harshness with which +the Duke was treated; and with this intelligence he went in haste to +Normandy. + +Soon after his arrival, a three days' fast was observed throughout the +dukedom, and in every church, from the Cathedral of Bayeux to the +smallest and rudest village shrine, crowds of worshippers were kneeling, +imploring, many of them with tears, that God would look on them in His +mercy, restore to them their Prince, and deliver the child out of the +hands of his enemies. How earnest and sorrowful were the prayers offered +at Centeville may well be imagined; and at Montemar sur Epte the anxiety +was scarcely less. Indeed, from the time the evil tidings arrived, +Alberic grew so restless and unhappy, and so anxious to do something, +that at last his mother set out with him on a pilgrimage to the Abbey of +Jumieges, to pray for the rescue of his dear little Duke. + +In the meantime, Louis had sent notice to Laon that he should return home +in a week's time; and Richard rejoiced at the prospect, for the King had +always been less unkind to him than the Queen, and he hoped to be +released from his captivity within the Castle. Just at this time he +became very unwell; it might have been only the effect of the life of +unwonted confinement which he had lately led that was beginning to tell +on his health; but, after being heavy and uncomfortable for a day or two, +without knowing what was the matter with him, he was one night attacked +with high fever. + +Osmond was dreadfully alarmed, knowing nothing at all of the treatment of +illness, and, what was worse, fully persuaded that the poor child had +been poisoned, and therefore resolved not to call any assistance; he hung +over him all night, expecting each moment to see him expire--ready to +tear his hair with despair and fury, and yet obliged to restrain himself +to the utmost quietness and gentleness, to soothe the suffering of the +sick child. + +Through that night, Richard either tossed about on his narrow bed, or, +when his restlessness desired the change, sat, leaning his aching head on +Osmond's breast, too oppressed and miserable to speak or think. When the +day dawned on them, and he was still too ill to leave the room, +messengers were sent for him, and Osmond could no longer conceal the fact +of his sickness, but parleyed at the door, keeping out every one he +could, and refusing all offers of attendance. He would not even admit +Carloman, though Richard, hearing his voice, begged to see him; and when +a proposal was sent from the Queen, that a skilful old nurse should visit +and prescribe for the patient, he refused with all his might, and when he +had shut the door, walked up and down, muttering, "Ay, ay, the witch! +coming to finish what she has begun!" + +All that day and the next, Richard continued very ill, and Osmond waited +on him very assiduously, never closing his eyes for a moment, but +constantly telling his beads whenever the boy did not require his +attendance. At last Richard fell asleep, slept long and soundly for some +hours, and waked much better. Osmond was in a transport of joy: "Thanks +to Heaven, they shall fail for this time and they shall never have +another chance! May Heaven be with us still!" Richard was too weak and +weary to ask what he meant, and for the next few days Osmond watched him +with the utmost care. As for food, now that Richard could eat again, +Osmond would not hear of his touching what was sent for him from the +royal table, but always went down himself to procure food in the kitchen, +where he said he had a friend among the cooks, who would, he thought, +scarcely poison him intentionally. When Richard was able to cross the +room, he insisted on his always fastening the door with his dagger, and +never opening to any summons but his own, not even Prince Carloman's. +Richard wondered, but he was obliged to obey; and he knew enough of the +perils around him to perceive the reasonableness of Osmond's caution. + +Thus several days had passed, the King had returned, and Richard was so +much recovered, that he had become very anxious to be allowed to go down +stairs again, instead of remaining shut up there; but still Osmond would +not consent, though Richard had done nothing all day but walk round the +room, to show how strong he was. + +"Now, my Lord, guard the door--take care," said Osmond; "you have no loss +to-day, for the King has brought home Herluin of Montreuil, whom you +would be almost as loth to meet as the Fleming. And tell your beads +while I am gone, that the Saints may bring us out of our peril." + +Osmond was absent nearly half an hour, and, when he returned, brought on +his shoulders a huge bundle of straw. "What is this for?" exclaimed +Richard. "I wanted my supper, and you have brought straw!" + +"Here is your supper," said Osmond, throwing down the straw, and +producing a bag with some bread and meat. "What should you say, my Lord, +if we should sup in Normandy to-morrow night?" + +"In Normandy!" cried Richard, springing up and clapping his hands. "In +Normandy! Oh, Osmond, did you say in Normandy? Shall we, shall we +really? Oh, joy! joy! Is Count Bernard come? Will the King let us go?" + +"Hush! hush, sir! It must be our own doing; it will all fail if you are +not silent and prudent, and we shall be undone." + +"I will do anything to get home again!" + +"Eat first," said Osmond. + +"But what are you going to do? I will not be as foolish as I was when +you tried to get me safe out of Rollo's tower. But I should like to wish +Carloman farewell." + +"That must not be," said Osmond; "we should not have time to escape, if +they did not still believe you very ill in bed." + +"I am sorry not to wish Carloman good-bye," repeated Richard; "but we +shall see Fru Astrida again, and Sir Eric; and Alberic must come back! +Oh, do let us go! O Normandy, dear Normandy!" + +Richard could hardly eat for excitement, while Osmond hastily made his +arrangements, girding on his sword, and giving Richard his dagger to put +into his belt. He placed the remainder of the provisions in his wallet, +threw a thick purple cloth mantle over the Duke, and then desired him to +lie down on the straw which he had brought in. "I shall hide you in it," +he said, "and carry you through the hall, as if I was going to feed my +horse." + +"Oh, they will never guess!" cried Richard, laughing. "I will be quite +still--I will make no noise--I will hold my breath." + +"Yes, mind you do not move hand or foot, or rustle the straw. It is no +play--it is life or death," said Osmond, as he disposed the straw round +the little boy. "There, can you breathe?" + +"Yes," said Richard's voice from the midst. "Am I quite hidden?" + +"Entirely. Now, remember, whatever happens, do not move. May Heaven +protect us! Now, the Saints be with us!" + +Richard, from the interior of the bundle heard Osmond set open the door; +then he felt himself raised from the ground; Osmond was carrying him +along down the stairs, the ends of the straw crushing and sweeping +against the wall. The only way to the outer door was through the hall, +and here was the danger. Richard heard voices, steps, loud singing and +laughter, as if feasting was going on; then some one said, "Tending your +horse, Sieur de Centeville?" + +"Yes," Osmond made answer. "You know, since we lost our grooms, the poor +black would come off badly, did I not attend to him." + +Presently came Carloman's voice: "O Osmond de Centeville! is Richard +better?" + +"He is better, my Lord, I thank you, but hardly yet out of danger." + +"Oh, I wish he was well! And when will you let me come to him, Osmond? +Indeed, I would sit quiet, and not disturb him." + +"It may not be yet, my Lord, though the Duke loves you well--he told me +so but now." + +"Did he? Oh, tell him I love him very much--better than any one +here--and it is very dull without him. Tell him so, Osmond." + +Richard could hardly help calling out to his dear little Carloman; but he +remembered the peril of Osmond's eyes and the Queen's threat, and held +his peace, with some vague notion that some day he would make Carloman +King of France. In the meantime, half stifled with the straw, he felt +himself carried on, down the steps, across the court; and then he knew, +from the darkness and the changed sound of Osmond's tread, that they were +in the stable. Osmond laid him carefully down, and whispered--"All right +so far. You can breathe?" + +"Not well. Can't you let me out?" + +"Not yet--not for worlds. Now tell me if I put you face downwards, for I +cannot see." + +He laid the living heap of straw across the saddle, bound it on, then led +out the horse, gazing round cautiously as he did so; but the whole of the +people of the Castle were feasting, and there was no one to watch the +gates. Richard heard the hollow sound of the hoofs, as the drawbridge +was crossed, and knew that he was free; but still Osmond held his arm +over him, and would not let him move, for some distance. Then, just as +Richard felt as if he could endure the stifling of the straw, and his +uncomfortable position, not a moment longer, Osmond stopped the horse, +took him down, laid him on the grass, and released him. He gazed around; +they were in a little wood; evening twilight was just coming on, and the +birds sang sweetly. + +"Free! free!--this is freedom!" cried Richard, leaping up in the +delicious cool evening breeze; "the Queen and Lothaire, and that grim +room, all far behind." + +"Not so far yet," said Osmond; "you must not call yourself safe till the +Epte is between us and them. Into the saddle, my Lord; we must ride for +our lives." + + [Picture: Escape from captivity] + +Osmond helped the Duke to mount, and sprang to the saddle behind him, set +spurs to the horse, and rode on at a quick rate, though not at full +speed, as he wished to spare the horse. The twilight faded, the stars +came out, and still he rode, his arm round the child, who, as night +advanced, grew weary, and often sunk into a sort of half doze, conscious +all the time of the trot of the horse. But each step was taking him +further from Queen Gerberge, and nearer to Normandy; and what recked he +of weariness? On--on; the stars grew pale again, and the first pink +light of dawn showed in the eastern sky; the sun rose, mounted higher and +higher, and the day grew hotter; the horse went more slowly, stumbled, +and though Osmond halted and loosed the girth, he only mended his pace +for a little while. + +Osmond looked grievously perplexed; but they had not gone much further +before a party of merchants came in sight, winding their way with a long +train of loaded mules, and stout men to guard them, across the plains, +like an eastern caravan in the desert. They gazed in surprise at the +tall young Norman holding the child upon the worn-out war-horse. + +"Sir merchant," said Osmond to the first, "see you this steed? Better +horse never was ridden; but he is sorely spent, and we must make speed. +Let me barter him with you for yonder stout palfrey. He is worth twice +as much, but I cannot stop to chaffer--ay or no at once." + +The merchant, seeing the value of Osmond's gallant black, accepted the +offer; and Osmond removing his saddle, and placing Richard on his new +steed, again mounted, and on they went through the country which Osmond's +eye had marked with the sagacity men acquire by living in wild, unsettled +places. The great marshes were now far less dangerous than in the +winter, and they safely crossed them. There had, as yet, been no +pursuit, and Osmond's only fear was for his little charge, who, not +having recovered his full strength since his illness, began to suffer +greatly from fatigue in the heat of that broiling summer day, and leant +against Osmond patiently, but very wearily, without moving or looking up. +He scarcely revived when the sun went down, and a cool breeze sprang up, +which much refreshed Osmond himself; and still more did it refresh the +Squire to see, at length, winding through the green pastures, a blue +river, on the opposite bank of which rose a high rocky mound, bearing a +castle with many a turret and battlement. + +"The Epte! the Epte! There is Normandy, sir! Look up, and see your own +dukedom." "Normandy!" cried Richard, sitting upright. "Oh, my own +home!" Still the Epte was wide and deep, and the peril was not yet +ended. Osmond looked anxiously, and rejoiced to see marks of cattle, as +if it had been forded. "We must try it," he said, and dismounting, he +waded in, leading the horse, and firmly holding Richard in the saddle. +Deep they went; the water rose to Richard's feet, then to the horse's +neck; then the horse was swimming, and Osmond too, still keeping his firm +hold; then there was ground again, the force of the current was less, and +they were gaining the bank. At that instant, however, they perceived two +men aiming at them with cross-bows from the castle, and another standing +on the bank above them, who called out, "Hold! None pass the ford of +Montemar without permission of the noble Dame Yolande." "Ha! Bertrand, +the Seneschal, is that you?" returned Osmond. "Who calls me by my name?" +replied the Seneschal. "It is I, Osmond de Centeville. Open your gates +quickly, Sir Seneschal; for here is the Duke, sorely in need of rest and +refreshment." + +"The Duke!" exclaimed Bertrand, hurrying down to the landing-place, and +throwing off his cap. "The Duke! the Duke!" rang out the shout from the +men-at-arms on the battlements above and in an instant more Osmond had +led the horse up from the water, and was exclaiming, "Look up, my Lord, +look up! You are in your own dukedom again, and this is Alberic's +castle." + +"Welcome, indeed, most noble Lord Duke! Blessings on the day!" cried the +Seneschal. "What joy for my Lady and my young Lord!" + +"He is sorely weary," said Osmond, looking anxiously at Richard, who, +even at the welcome cries that showed so plainly that he was in his own +Normandy, scarcely raised himself or spoke. "He had been very sick ere I +brought him away. I doubt me they sought to poison him, and I vowed not +to tarry at Laon another hour after he was fit to move. But cheer up, my +Lord; you are safe and free now, and here is the good Dame de Montemar to +tend you, far better than a rude Squire like me." + +"Alas, no!" said the Seneschal; "our Dame is gone with young Alberic on a +pilgrimage to Jumieges to pray for the Duke's safety. What joy for them +to know that their prayers have been granted!" + +Osmond, however, could scarcely rejoice, so alarmed was he at the extreme +weariness and exhaustion of his charge, who, when they brought him into +the Castle hall, hardly spoke or looked, and could not eat. They carried +him up to Alberic's bed, where he tossed about restlessly, too tired to +sleep. + +"Alas! alas!" said Osmond, "I have been too hasty. I have but saved him +from the Franks to be his death by my own imprudence." + +"Hush! Sieur de Centeville," said the Seneschal's wife, coming into the +room. "To talk in that manner is the way to be his death, indeed. Leave +the child to me--he is only over-weary." + +Osmond was sure his Duke was among friends, and would have been glad to +trust him to a woman; but Richard had but one instinct left in all his +weakness and exhaustion--to cling close to Osmond, as if he felt him his +only friend and protector; for he was, as yet, too much worn out to +understand that he was in Normandy and safe. For two or three hours, +therefore, Osmond and the Seneschal's wife watched on each side of his +bed, soothing his restlessness, until at length he became quiet, and at +last dropped sound asleep. + +The sun was high in the heavens when Richard awoke. He turned on his +straw-filled crib, and looked up. It was not the tapestried walls of his +chamber at Laon that met his opening eyes, but the rugged stone and tall +loop-hole window of a turret chamber. Osmond de Centeville lay on the +floor by his side, in the sound sleep of one overcome by long watching +and weariness. And what more did Richard see? + +It was the bright face and sparkling eyes of Alberic de Montemar, who was +leaning against the foot of his bed, gazing earnestly, as he watched for +his waking. There was a cry--"Alberic! Alberic!" "My Lord! my Lord!" +Richard sat up and held out both arms, and Alberic flung himself into +them. They hugged each other, and uttered broken exclamations and +screams of joy, enough to have awakened any sleeper but one so wearied +out as Osmond. + +"And is it true? Oh, am I really in Normandy again?" cried Richard. + +"Yes, yes!--oh, yes, my Lord! You are at Montemar. Everything here is +yours. The bar-tailed hawk is quite well, and my mother will be here +this evening; she let me ride on the instant we heard the news." + +"We rode long and late, and I was very weary," said Richard! "but I don't +care, now we are at home. But I can hardly believe it! Oh, Alberic, it +has been very dreary!" + +"See here, my Lord!" said Alberic, standing by the window. "Look here, +and you will know you are at home again!" + +Richard bounded to the window, and what a sight met his eyes! The Castle +court was thronged with men-at-arms and horses, the morning sun sparkling +on many a burnished hauberk and tall conical helmet, and above them waved +many a banner and pennon that Richard knew full well. "There! there!" he +shouted aloud with glee. "Oh, there is the horse-shoe of Ferrieres! and +there the chequers of Warenne! Oh, and best of all, there is--there is +our own red pennon of Centeville! O Alberic! Alberic! is Sir Eric here? +I must go down to him!" + +"Bertrand sent out notice to them all, as soon as you came, to come and +guard our Castle," said Alberic, "lest the Franks should pursue you; but +you are safe now--safe as Norman spears can make you--thanks be to God!" + +"Yes, thanks to God!" said Richard, crossing himself and kneeling +reverently for some minutes, while he repeated his Latin prayer; then, +rising and looking at Alberic, he said, "I must thank Him, indeed, for he +has saved Osmond and me from the cruel King and Queen, and I must try to +be a less hasty and overbearing boy than I was when I went away; for I +vowed that so I would be, if ever I came back. Poor Osmond, how soundly +he sleeps! Come, Alberic, show me the way to Sir Eric!" + +And, holding Alberic's hand, Richard left the room, and descended the +stairs to the Castle hall. Many of the Norman knights and barons, in +full armour, were gathered there; but Richard looked only for one. He +knew Sir Eric's grizzled hair, and blue inlaid armour, though his back +was towards him, and in a moment, before his entrance had been perceived, +he sprang towards him, and, with outstretched arms, exclaimed: "Sir +Eric--dear Sir Eric, here I am! Osmond is safe! And is Fru Astrida +well?" + +The old Baron turned. "My child!" he exclaimed, and clasped him in his +mailed arms, while the tears flowed down his rugged cheeks. "Blessed be +God that you are safe, and that my son has done his duty!" + +"And is Fru Astrida well?" + +"Yes, right well, since she heard of your safety. But look round, my +Lord; it befits not a Duke to be clinging thus round an old man's neck. +See how many of your true vassals be here, to guard you from the villain +Franks." + +Richard stood up, and held out his hand, bowing courteously and +acknowledging the greetings of each bold baron, with a grace and +readiness he certainly had not when he left Normandy. He was taller too; +and though still pale, and not dressed with much care (since he had +hurried on his clothes with no help but Alberic's)--though his hair was +rough and disordered, and the scar of the burn had not yet faded from his +check--yet still, with his bright blue eyes, glad face, and upright form, +he was a princely, promising boy, and the Norman knights looked at him +with pride and joy, more especially when, unprompted, he said: "I thank +you, gallant knights, for coming to guard me. I do not fear the whole +French host now I am among my own true Normans." + +Sir Eric led him to the door of the hall to the top of the steps, that +the men-at-arms might see him; and then such a shout rang out of "Long +live Duke Richard!"--"Blessings on the little Duke!"--that it echoed and +came back again from the hills around--it pealed from the old tower--it +roused Osmond from his sleep--and, if anything more had been wanting to +do so, it made Richard feel that he was indeed in a land where every +heart glowed with loyal love for him. + +Before the shout had died away, a bugle-horn was heard winding before the +gate; and Sir Eric, saying, "It is the Count of Harcourt's note," sent +Bertrand to open the gates in haste, while Alberic followed, as Lord of +the Castle, to receive the Count. + +The old Count rode into the court, and to the foot of the steps, where he +dismounted, Alberic holding his stirrup. He had not taken many steps +upwards before Richard came voluntarily to meet him (which he had never +done before), held out his hand, and said, "Welcome, Count Bernard, +welcome. Thank you for coming to guard me. I am very glad to see you +once more." + +"Ah, my young Lord," said Bernard, "I am right glad to see you out of the +clutches of the Franks! You know friend from foe now, methinks!" + +"Yes, indeed I do, Count Bernard. I know you meant kindly by me, and +that I ought to have thanked you, and not been angry, when you reproved +me. Wait one moment, Sir Count; there is one thing that I promised +myself to say if ever I came safe to my own dear home. +Walter--Maurice--Jeannot--all you of my household, and of Sir Eric's--I +know, before I went away, I was often no good Lord to you; I was +passionate, and proud, and overbearing; but God has punished me for it, +when I was far away among my enemies, and sick and lonely. I am very +sorry for it, and I hope you will pardon me; for I will strive, and I +hope God will help me, never to be proud and passionate again." + +"There, Sir Eric," said Bernard, "you hear what the boy says. If he +speaks it out so bold and free, without bidding, and if he holds to what +he says, I doubt it not that he shall not grieve for his journey to +France, and that we shall see him, in all things, such a Prince as his +father of blessed memory." + +"You must thank Osmond for me," said Richard, as Osmond came down, +awakened at length. "It is Osmond who has helped me to bear my troubles; +and as to saving me, why he flew away with me even like an old eagle with +its eaglet. I say, Osmond, you must ever after this wear a pair of wings +on shield and pennon, to show how well we managed our flight." {15} + +"As you will, my Lord," said Osmond, half asleep; "but 'twas a good long +flight at a stretch, and I trust never to have to fly before your foes or +mine again." + +What a glad summer's day was that! Even the three hours spent in council +did but renew the relish with which Richard visited Alberic's treasures, +told his adventures, and showed the accomplishments he had learnt at +Laon. The evening was more joyous still; for the Castle gates were +opened, first to receive Dame Yolande Montemar, and not above a quarter +of an hour afterwards, the drawbridge was lowered to admit the followers +of Centeville; and in front of them appeared Fru Astrida's own high cap. +Richard made but one bound into her arms, and was clasped to her breast; +then held off at arm's-length, that she might see how much he was grown, +and pity his scar; then hugged closer than ever: but, taking another +look, she declared that Osmond left his hair like King Harald +Horrid-locks; {16} and, drawing an ivory comb from her pouch, began to +pull out the thick tangles, hurting him to a degree that would once have +made him rebel, but now he only fondled her the more. + +As to Osmond, when he knelt before her, she blessed him, and sobbed over +him, and blamed him for over-tiring her darling, all in one; and +assuredly, when night closed in and Richard had, as of old, told his +beads beside her knee, the happiest boy in Normandy was its little Duke. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + + +Montemar was too near the frontier to be a safe abode for the little +Duke, and his uncle, Count Hubert of Senlis, agreed with Bernard the Dane +that he would be more secure beyond the limits of his own duchy, which +was likely soon to be the scene of war; and, sorely against his will, he +was sent in secret, under a strong escort, first to the Castle of Coucy, +and afterwards to Senlis. + +His consolation was, that he was not again separated from his friends; +Alberic, Sir Eric, and even Fru Astrida, accompanied him, as well as his +constant follower, Osmond. Indeed, the Baron would hardly bear that he +should be out of his sight; and he was still so carefully watched, that +it was almost like a captivity. Never, even in the summer days, was he +allowed to go beyond the Castle walls; and his guardians would fain have +had it supposed that the Castle did not contain any such guest. + +Osmond did not give him so much of his company as usual, but was always +at work in the armourer's forge--a low, vaulted chamber, opening into the +Castle court. Richard and Alberic were very curious to know what he did +there; but he fastened the door with an iron bar, and they were forced to +content themselves with listening to the strokes of the hammer, keeping +time to the voice that sang out, loud and cheerily, the song of "Sigurd's +sword, and the maiden sleeping within the ring of flame." Fru Astrida +said Osmond was quite right--no good weapon-smith ever toiled with open +doors; and when the boys asked him questions as to his work, he only +smiled, and said that they would see what it was when the call to arms +should come. + +They thought it near at hand, for tidings came that Louis had assembled +his army, and marched into Normandy to recover the person of the young +Duke, and to seize the country. No summons, however, arrived, but a +message came instead, that Rouen had been surrendered into the bands of +the King. Richard shed indignant tears. "My father's Castle! My own +city in the hands of the foe! Bernard is a traitor then! None shall +hinder me from so calling him. Why did we trust him?" + +"Never fear, Lord Duke," said Osmond. "When you come to the years of +Knighthood, your own sword shall right you, in spite of all the false +Danes, and falser Franks, in the land." + +"What! you too, son Osmond? I deemed you carried a cooler brain than to +miscall one who was true to Rollo's race before you or yon varlet were +born!" said the old Baron. + +"He has yielded my dukedom! It is mis-calling to say he is aught but a +traitor!" cried Richard. "Vile, treacherous, favour-seeking--" + +"Peace, peace, my Lord," said the Baron. "Bernard has more in that wary +head of his than your young wits, or my old ones, can unwind. What he is +doing I may not guess, but I gage my life his heart is right." + +Richard was silent, remembering he had been once unjust, but he grieved +heartily when he thought of the French in Rollo's tower, and it was +further reported that the King was about to share Normandy among his +French vassals. A fresh outcry broke out in the little garrison of +Senlis, but Sir Eric still persisted in his trust in his friend Bernard, +even when he heard that Centeville was marked out as the prey of the fat +French Count who had served for a hostage at Rouen. + +"What say you now, my Lord?" said he, after a conference with a messenger +at the gate. "The Black Raven has spread its wings. Fifty keels are in +the Seine, and Harald Blue-tooth's Long Serpent at the head of them." + +"The King of Denmark! Come to my aid!" + +"Ay, that he is! Come at Bernard's secret call, to right you, and put +you on your father's seat. Now call honest Harcourt a traitor, because +he gave not up your fair dukedom to the flame and sword!" + +"No traitor to me," said Richard, pausing. "No, verily, but what more +would you say?" + +"I think, when I come to my dukedom, I will not be so politic," said +Richard. "I will be an open friend or an open foe." + +"The boy grows too sharp for us," said Sir Eric, smiling, "but it was +spoken like his father." + +"He grows more like his blessed father each day," said Fru Astrida. + +"But the Danes, father, the Danes!" said Osmond. "Blows will be passing +now. I may join the host and win my spurs?" + +"With all my heart," returned the Baron, "so my Lord here gives you +leave: would that I could leave him and go with you. It would do my very +spirit good but to set foot in a Northern keel once more." + +"I would fain see what these men of the North are," said Osmond. + +"Oh! they are only Danes, not Norsemen, and there are no Vikings, such as +once were when Ragnar laid waste--" + +"Son, son, what talk is this for the child's ears?" broke in Fru Astrida, +"are these words for a Christian Baron?" + +"Your pardon, mother," said the grey warrior, in all humility, "but my +blood thrills to hear of a Northern fleet at hand, and to think of Osmond +drawing sword under a Sea-King." + +The next morning, Osmond's steed was led to the door, and such +men-at-arms as could be spared from the garrison of Senlis were drawn up +in readiness to accompany him. The boys stood on the steps, wishing they +were old enough to be warriors, and wondering what had become of him, +until at length the sound of an opening door startled them, and there, in +the low archway of the smithy, the red furnace glowing behind him, stood +Osmond, clad in bright steel, the links of his hauberk reflecting the +light, and on his helmet a pair of golden wings, while the same device +adorned his long pointed kite-shaped shield. + +"Your wings! our wings!" cried Richard, "the bearing of Centeville!" + +"May they fly after the foe, not before him," said Sir Eric. "Speed thee +well, my son--let not our Danish cousins say we learn Frank graces +instead of Northern blows." + +With such farewells, Osmond quitted Senlis, while the two boys hastened +to the battlements to watch him as long as he remained in view. + +The highest tower became their principal resort, and their eyes were +constantly on the heath where he had disappeared; but days passed, and +they grew weary of the watch, and betook themselves to games in the +Castle court. + +One day, Alberic, in the character of a Dragon, was lying on his back, +panting hard so as to be supposed to cast out volumes of flame and smoke +at Richard, the Knight, who with a stick for a lance, and a wooden sword, +was waging fierce war; when suddenly the Dragon paused, sat up, and +pointed towards the warder on the tower. His horn was at his lips, and +in another moment, the blast rang out through the Castle. + +With a loud shout, both boys rushed headlong up the turret stairs, and +came to the top so breathless, that they could not even ask the warder +what he saw. He pointed, and the keen-eyed Alberic exclaimed, "I see! +Look, my Lord, a speck there on the heath!" + +"I do not see! where, oh where?" + +"He is behind the hillock now, but--oh, there again! How fast he comes!" + +"It is like the flight of a bird," said Richard, "fast, fast--" + +"If only it be not flight in earnest," said Alberic, a little anxiously, +looking into the warder's face, for he was a borderer, and tales of +terror of the inroad of the Vicomte du Contentin were rife on the marches +of the Epte. + +"No, young Sir," said the warder, "no fear of that. I know how men ride +when they flee from the battle." + +"No, indeed, there is no discomfiture in the pace of that steed," said +Sir Eric, who had by this time joined them. + +"I see him clearer! I see the horse," cried Richard, dancing with +eagerness, so that Sir Eric caught hold of him, exclaiming, "You will be +over the battlements! hold still! better hear of a battle lost than +that!" + +"He bears somewhat in his hand," said Alberic. + +"A banner or pennon," said the warder; "methinks he rides like the young +Baron." + +"He does! My brave boy! He has done good service," exclaimed Sir Eric, +as the figure became more developed. "The Danes have seen how we train +our young men." + +"His wings bring good tidings," said Richard. "Let me go, Sir Eric, I +must tell Fru Astrida." + +The drawbridge was lowered, the portcullis raised, and as all the +dwellers in the Castle stood gathered in the court, in rode the warrior +with the winged helm, bearing in his hand a drooping banner; lowering it +as he entered, it unfolded, and displayed, trailing on the ground at the +feet of the little Duke of Normandy, the golden lilies of France. + +A shout of amazement arose, and all gathered round him, asking hurried +questions. "A great victory--the King a prisoner--Montreuil slain!" + +Richard would not be denied holding his hand, and leading him to the +hall, and there, sitting around him, they heard his tidings. His +father's first question was, what he thought of their kinsmen, the Danes? + +"Rude comrades, father, I must own," said Osmond, smiling, and shaking +his head. "I could not pledge them in a skull-goblet--set in gold though +it were." + +"None the worse warriors," said Sir Eric. "Ay, ay, and you were dainty, +and brooked not the hearty old fashion of tearing the whole sheep to +pieces. You must needs cut your portion with the fine French knife at +your girdle." + +Osmond could not see that a man was braver for being a savage, but he +held his peace; and Richard impatiently begged to hear how the battle had +gone, and where it had been fought. + +"On the bank of the Dive," said Osmond. "Ah, father, you might well call +old Harcourt wary--his name might better have been Fox-heart than +Bear-heart! He had sent to the Franks a message of distress, that the +Danes were on him in full force, and to pray them to come to his aid." + +"I trust there was no treachery. No foul dealing shall be wrought in my +name," exclaimed Richard, with such dignity of tone and manner, as made +all feel he was indeed their Duke, and forget his tender years. + +"No, or should I tell the tale with joy like this?" said Osmond. +"Bernard's view was to bring the Kings together, and let Louis see you +had friends to maintain your right. He sought but to avoid bloodshed." + +"And how chanced it?" + +"The Danes were encamped on the Dive, and so soon as the French came in +sight, Blue-tooth sent a messenger to Louis, to summon him to quit +Neustria, and leave it to you, its lawful owner. Thereupon, Louis, +hoping to win him over with wily words, invited him to hold a personal +conference." + +"Where were you, Osmond?" + +"Where I had scarce patience to be. Bernard had gathered all of us +honest Normans together, and arranged us beneath that standard of the +King, as if to repel his Danish inroad. Oh, he was, in all seeming, +hand-and-glove with Louis, guiding him by his counsel, and, verily, +seeming his friend and best adviser! But in one thing he could not +prevail. That ungrateful recreant, Herluin of Montreuil, came with the +King, hoping, it seems, to get his share of our spoils; and when Bernard +advised the King to send him home, since no true Norman could bear the +sight of him, the hot-headed Franks vowed no Norman should hinder them +from bringing whom they chose. So a tent was set up by the riverside, +wherein the two Kings, with Bernard, Alan of Brittany, and Count Hugh, +held their meeting. We all stood without, and the two hosts began to +mingle together, we Normans making acquaintance with the Danes. There +was a red-haired, wild-looking fellow, who told me he had been with +Anlaff in England, and spoke much of the doings of Hako in Norway; when, +suddenly, he pointed to a Knight who was near, speaking to a Cotentinois, +and asked me his name. My blood boiled as I answered, for it was +Montreuil himself! 'The cause of your Duke's death!' said the Dane. +'Ha, ye Normans are fallen sons of Odin, to see him yet live!'" + +"You said, I trust, my son, that we follow not the laws of Odin?" said +Fru Astrida. + +"I had no space for a word, grandmother; the Danes took the vengeance on +themselves. In one moment they rushed on Herluin with their axes, and +the unhappy man was dead. All was tumult; every one struck without +knowing at whom, or for what. Some shouted, '_Thor Hulfe_!' some '_Dieu +aide_!' others '_Montjoie St. Denis_!' Northern blood against French, +that was all our guide. I found myself at the foot of this standard, and +had a hard combat for it; but I bore it away at last." + +"And the Kings?" + +"They hurried out of the tent, it seems, to rejoin their men. Louis +mounted, but you know of old, my Lord, he is but an indifferent horseman, +and the beast carried him into the midst of the Danes, where King Harald +caught his bridle, and delivered him to four Knights to keep. Whether he +dealt secretly with them, or whether they, as they declared, lost sight +of him whilst plundering his tent, I cannot say; but when Harald demanded +him of them, he was gone." + +"Gone! is this what you call having the King prisoner?" + +"You shall hear. He rode four leagues, and met one of the baser sort of +Rouennais, whom he bribed to hide him in the Isle of Willows. However, +Bernard made close inquiries, found the fellow had been seen in speech +with a French horseman, pounced on his wife and children, and threatened +they should die if he did not disclose the secret. So the King was +forced to come out of his hiding-place, and is now fast guarded in +Rollo's tower--a Dane, with a battle-axe on his shoulder, keeping guard +at every turn of the stairs." + +"Ha! ha!" cried Richard. "I wonder how he likes it. I wonder if he +remembers holding me up to the window, and vowing that he meant me only +good!" + +"When you believed him, my Lord," said Osmond, slyly. + +"I was a little boy then," said Richard, proudly. "Why, the very walls +must remind him of his oath, and how Count Bernard said, as he dealt with +me, so might Heaven deal with him." + +"Remember it, my child--beware of broken vows," said Father Lucas; "but +remember it not in triumph over a fallen foe. It were better that all +came at once to the chapel, to bestow their thanksgivings where alone +they are due." + + + + +CHAPTER X + + +After nearly a year's captivity, the King engaged to pay a ransom, and, +until the terms could be arranged, his two sons were to be placed as +hostages in the hands of the Normans, whilst he returned to his own +domains. The Princes were to be sent to Bayeux; whither Richard had +returned, under the charge of the Centevilles, and was now allowed to +ride and walk abroad freely, provided he was accompanied by a guard. + +"I shall rejoice to have Carloman, and make him happy," said Richard; +"but I wish Lothaire were not coming." + +"Perhaps," said good Father Lucas, "he comes that you may have a first +trial in your father's last lesson, and Abbot Martin's, and return good +for evil." + +The Duke's cheek flushed, and he made no answer. + +He and Alberic betook themselves to the watch-tower, and, by and by, saw +a cavalcade approaching, with a curtained vehicle in the midst, slung +between two horses. "That cannot be the Princes," said Alberic; "that +must surely be some sick lady." + +"I only hope it is not the Queen," exclaimed Richard, in dismay. "But +no; Lothaire is such a coward, no doubt he was afraid to ride, and she +would not trust her darling without shutting him up like a demoiselle. +But come down, Alberic; I will say nothing unkind of Lothaire, if I can +help it." + +Richard met the Princes in the court, his sunny hair uncovered, and +bowing with such becoming courtesy, that Fru Astrida pressed her son's +arm, and bade him say if their little Duke was not the fairest and +noblest child in Christendom. + +With black looks, Lothaire stepped from the litter, took no heed of the +little Duke, but, roughly calling his attendant, Charlot, to follow him, +he marched into the hall, vouchsafing neither word nor look to any as he +passed, threw himself into the highest seat, and ordered Charlot to bring +him some wine. + +Meanwhile, Richard, looking into the litter, saw Carloman crouching in a +corner, sobbing with fright. + +"Carloman!--dear Carloman!--do not cry. Come out! It is I--your own +Richard! Will you not let me welcome you?" + +Carloman looked, caught at the outstretched hand, and clung to his neck. + +"Oh, Richard, send us back! Do not let the savage Danes kill us!" + +"No one will hurt you. There are no Danes here. You are my guest, my +friend, my brother. Look up! here is my own Fru Astrida." + +"But my mother said the Northmen would kill us for keeping you captive. +She wept and raved, and the cruel men dragged us away by force. Oh, let +us go back!" + +"I cannot do that," said Richard; "for you are the King of Denmark's +captives, not mine; but I will love you, and you shall have all that is +mine, if you will only not cry, dear Carloman. Oh, Fru Astrida, what +shall I do? You comfort him--" as the poor boy clung sobbing to him. + +Fru Astrida advanced to take his hand, speaking in a soothing voice, but +he shrank and started with a fresh cry of terror--her tall figure, high +cap, and wrinkled face, were to him witch-like, and as she knew no +French, he understood not her kind words. However, he let Richard lead +him into the hall, where Lothaire sat moodily in the chair, with one leg +tucked under him, and his finger in his mouth. + +"I say, Sir Duke," said he, "is there nothing to be had in this old den +of yours? Not a drop of Bordeaux?" + +Richard tried to repress his anger at this very uncivil way of speaking, +and answered, that he thought there was none, but there was plenty of +Norman cider. + +"As if I would taste your mean peasant drinks! I bade them bring my +supper--why does it not come?" + +"Because you are not master here," trembled on Richard's lips, but he +forced it back, and answered that it would soon be ready, and Carloman +looked imploringly at his brother, and said, "Do not make them angry, +Lothaire." + +"What, crying still, foolish child?" said Lothaire. "Do you not know +that if they dare to cross us, my father will treat them as they deserve? +Bring supper, I say, and let me have a pasty of ortolans." + +"There are none--they are not in season," said Richard. + +"Do you mean to give me nothing I like? I tell you it shall be the worse +for you." + +"There is a pullet roasting," began Richard. + +"I tell you, I do not care for pullets--I will have ortolans." + +"If I do not take order with that boy, my name is not Eric," muttered the +Baron. + +"What must he not have made our poor child suffer!" returned Fru Astrida, +"but the little one moves my heart. How small and weakly he is, but it +is worth anything to see our little Duke so tender to him." + +"He is too brave not to be gentle," said Osmond; and, indeed, the +high-spirited, impetuous boy was as soft and kind as a maiden, with that +feeble, timid child. He coaxed him to eat, consoled him, and, instead of +laughing at his fears, kept between him and the great bloodhound +Hardigras, and drove it off when it came too near. + +"Take that dog away," said Lothaire, imperiously. No one moved to obey +him, and the dog, in seeking for scraps, again came towards him. + +"Take it away," he repeated, and struck it with his foot. The dog +growled, and Richard started up in indignation. + +"Prince Lothaire," he said, "I care not what else you do, but my dogs and +my people you shall not maltreat." + +"I tell you I am Prince! I do what I will! Ha! who laughs there?" cried +the passionate boy, stamping on the floor. + +"It is not so easy for French Princes to scourge free-born Normans here," +said the rough voice of Walter the huntsman: "there is a reckoning for +the stripe my Lord Duke bore for me." + +"Hush, hush, Walter," began Richard; but Lothaire had caught up a +footstool, and was aiming it at the huntsman, when his arm was caught. + +Osmond, who knew him well enough to be prepared for such outbreaks, held +him fast by both hands, in spite of his passionate screams and struggles, +which were like those of one frantic. + +Sir Eric, meanwhile, thundered forth in his Norman patois, "I would have +you to know, young Sir, Prince though you be, you are our prisoner, and +shall taste of a dungeon, and bread and water, unless you behave +yourself." + +Either Lothaire did not hear, or did not believe, and fought more +furiously in Osmond's arms, but he had little chance with the stalwart +young warrior, and, in spite of Richard's remonstrances, he was carried +from the hall, roaring and kicking, and locked up alone in an empty room. + +"Let him alone for the present," said Sir Eric, putting the Duke aside, +"when he knows his master, we shall have peace." + +Here Richard had to turn, to reassure Carloman, who had taken refuge in a +dark corner, and there shook like an aspen leaf, crying bitterly, and +starting with fright, when Richard touched him. + +"Oh, do not put me in the dungeon. I cannot bear the dark." + +Richard again tried to comfort him, but he did not seem to hear or heed. +"Oh! they said you would beat and hurt us for what we did to you! but, +indeed, it was not I that burnt your cheek!" + +"We would not hurt you for worlds, dear Carloman; Lothaire is not in the +dungeon--he is only shut up till he is good." + +"It was Lothaire that did it," repeated Carloman, "and, indeed, you must +not be angry with me, for my mother was so cross with me for not having +stopped Osmond when I met him with the bundle of straw, that she gave me +a blow, that knocked me down. And were you really there, Richard?" + +Richard told his story, and was glad to find Carloman could smile at it; +and then Fru Astrida advised him to take his little friend to bed. +Carloman would not lie down without still holding Richard's hand, and the +little Duke spared no pains to set him at rest, knowing what it was to be +a desolate captive far from home. + +"I thought you would be good to me," said Carloman. "As to Lothaire, it +serves him right, that you should use him as he used you." + +"Oh, no, Carloman; if I had a brother I would never speak so of him." + +"But Lothaire is so unkind." + +"Ah! but we must be kind to those who are unkind to us." + +The child rose on his elbow, and looked into Richard's face. "No one +ever told me so before." + +"Oh, Carloman, not Brother Hilary?" + +"I never heed Brother Hilary--he is so lengthy, and wearisome; besides, +no one is ever kind to those that hate them." + +"My father was," said Richard. + +"And they killed him!" said Carloman. + +"Yes," said Richard, crossing himself, "but he is gone to be in peace." + +"I wonder if it is happier there, than here," said Carloman. "I am not +happy. But tell me why should we be good to those that hate us?" + +"Because the holy Saints were--and look at the Crucifix, Carloman. That +was for them that hated Him. And, don't you know what our Pater Noster +says?" + +Poor little Carloman could only repeat the Lord's Prayer in Latin--he had +not the least notion of its meaning--in which Richard had been carefully +instructed by Father Lucas. He began to explain it, but before many +words had passed his lips, little Carloman was asleep. + +The Duke crept softly away to beg to be allowed to go to Lothaire; he +entered the room, already dark, with a pine torch in his hand, that so +flickered in the wind, that he could at first see nothing, but presently +beheld a dark lump on the floor. + +"Prince Lothaire," he said, "here is--" + +Lothaire cut him short. "Get away," he said. "If it is your turn now, +it will be mine by and by. I wish my mother had kept her word, and put +your eyes out." + +Richard's temper did not serve for such a reply. "It is a foul shame of +you to speak so, when I only came out of kindness to you--so I shall +leave you here all night, and not ask Sir Eric to let you out." + +And he swung back the heavy door with a resounding clang. But his heart +smote him when he told his beads, and remembered what he had said to +Carloman. He knew he could not sleep in his warm bed when Lothaire was +in that cold gusty room. To be sure, Sir Eric said it would do him good, +but Sir Eric little knew how tender the French Princes were. + +So Richard crept down in the dark, slid back the bolt, and called, +"Prince, Prince, I am sorry I was angry. Come out, and let us try to be +friends." + +"What do you mean?" said Lothaire. + +"Come out of the cold and dark. Here am I. I will show you the way. +Where is your hand? Oh, how cold it is. Let me lead you down to the +hall fire." + +Lothaire was subdued by fright, cold, and darkness, and quietly allowed +Richard to lead him down. Round the fire, at the lower end of the hall, +snored half-a-dozen men-at-arms; at the upper hearth there was only +Hardigras, who raised his head as the boys came in. Richard's whisper +and soft pat quieted him instantly, and the two little Princes sat on the +hearth together, Lothaire surprised, but sullen. Richard stirred the +embers, so as to bring out more heat, then spoke: "Prince, will you let +us be friends?" + +"I must, if I am in your power." + +"I wish you would be my guest and comrade." + +"Well, I will; I can't help it." + +Richard thought his advances might have been more graciously met, and, +having little encouragement to say more, took Lothaire to bed, as soon as +he was warm. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + + +As the Baron had said, there was more peace now that Lothaire had learnt +to know that he must submit, and that no one cared for his threats of his +father's or his mother's vengeance. He was very sulky and disagreeable, +and severely tried Richard's forbearance; but there were no fresh +outbursts, and, on the whole, from one week to another, there might be +said to be an improvement. He could not always hold aloof from one so +good-natured and good-humoured as the little Duke; and the fact of being +kept in order could not but have some beneficial effect on him, after +such spoiling as his had been at home. + +Indeed, Osmond was once heard to say, it was a pity the boy was not to be +a hostage for life; to which Sir Eric replied, "So long as we have not +the training of him." + +Little Carloman, meanwhile, recovered from his fears of all the inmates +of the Castle excepting Hardigras, at whose approach he always shrank and +trembled. + +He renewed his friendship with Osmond, no longer started at the entrance +of Sir Eric, laughed at Alberic's merry ways, and liked to sit on Fru +Astrida's lap, and hear her sing, though he understood not one word; but +his especial love was still for his first friend, Duke Richard. +Hand-in-hand they went about together, Richard sometimes lifting him up +the steep steps, and, out of consideration for him, refraining from rough +play; and Richard led him to join with him in those lessons that Father +Lucas gave the children of the Castle, every Friday and Sunday evening in +the Chapel. The good Priest stood on the Altar steps, with the children +in a half circle round him--the son and daughter of the armourer, the +huntsman's little son, the young Baron de Montemar, the Duke of Normandy, +and the Prince of France, all were equal there--and together they learnt, +as he explained to them the things most needful to believe; and thus +Carloman left off wondering why Richard thought it right to be good to +his enemies; and though at first he had known less than even the little +leather-coated huntsman, he seemed to take the holy lessons in faster +than any of them--yes, and act on them, too. His feeble health seemed to +make him enter into their comfort and meaning more than even Richard; and +Alberic and Father Lucas soon told Fru Astrida that it was a +saintly-minded child. + +Indeed, Carloman was more disposed to thoughtfulness, because he was +incapable of joining in the sports of the other boys. A race round the +court was beyond his strength, the fresh wind on the battlements made him +shiver and cower, and loud shouting play was dreadful to him. In old +times, he used to cry when Lothaire told him he must have his hair cut, +and be a priest; now, he only said quietly, he should like it very much, +if he could be good enough. + +Fru Astrida sighed and shook her head, and feared the poor child would +never grow up to be anything on this earth. Great as had been the +difference at first between him and Richard, it was now far greater. +Richard was an unusually strong boy for ten years old, upright and +broad-chested, and growing very fast; while Carloman seemed to dwindle, +stooped forward from weakness, had thin pinched features, and sallow +cheeks, looking like a plant kept in the dark. + +The old Baron said that hardy, healthy habits would restore the puny +children; and Lothaire improved in health, and therewith in temper; but +his little brother had not strength enough to bear the seasoning. He +pined and drooped more each day; and as the autumn came on, and the wind +was chilly, he grew worse, and was scarcely ever off the lap of the kind +Lady Astrida. It was not a settled sickness, but he grew weaker, and +wasted away. They made up a little couch for him by the fire, with the +high settle between it and the door, to keep off the draughts; and there +he used patiently to lie, hour after hour, speaking feebly, or smiling +and seeming pleased, when any one of those he loved approached. He liked +Father Lucas to come and say prayers with him; and he never failed to +have a glad look, when his dear little Duke came to talk to him, in his +cheerful voice, about his rides and his hunting and hawking adventures. +Richard's sick guest took up much of his thoughts, and he never willingly +spent many hours at a distance from him, softening his step and lowering +his voice, as he entered the hall, lest Carloman should be asleep. + +"Richard, is it you?" said the little boy, as the young figure came round +the settle in the darkening twilight. + +"Yes. How do you feel now, Carloman; are you better?" + +"No better, thanks, dear Richard;" and the little wasted fingers were put +into his. + +"Has the pain come again?" + +"No; I have been lying still, musing; Richard, I shall never be better." + +"Oh, do not say so! You will, indeed you will, when spring comes." + +"I feel as if I should die," said the little boy; "I think I shall. But +do not grieve, Richard. I do not feel much afraid. You said it was +happier there than here, and I know it now." + +"Where my blessed father is," said Richard, thoughtfully. "But oh, +Carloman, you are so young to die!" + +"I do not want to live. This is a fighting, hard world, full of cruel +people; and it is peace there. You are strong and brave, and will make +them better; but I am weak and fearful--I could only sigh and grieve." + +"Oh, Carloman! Carloman! I cannot spare you. I love you like my own +brother. You must not die--you must live to see your father and mother +again!" + +"Commend me to them," said Carloman. "I am going to my Father in heaven. +I am glad I am here, Richard; I never was so happy before. I should have +been afraid indeed to die, if Father Lucas had not taught me how my sins +are pardoned. Now, I think the Saints and Angels are waiting for me." + +He spoke feebly, and his last words faltered into sleep. He slept on; +and when supper was brought, and the lamps were lighted, Fru Astrida +thought the little face looked unusually pale and waxen; but he did not +awake. At night, they carried him to his bed, and he was roused into a +half conscious state, moaning at being disturbed. Fru Astrida would not +leave him, and Father Lucas shared her watch. + +At midnight, all were wakened by the slow notes, falling one by one on +the ear, of the solemn passing-bell, calling them to waken, that their +prayers might speed a soul on its way. Richard and Lothaire were soon at +the bedside. Carloman lay still asleep, his hands folded on his breast, +but his breath came in long gasps. Father Lucas was praying over him, +and candles were placed on each side of the bed. All was still, the boys +not daring to speak or move. There came a longer breath--then they heard +no more. He was, indeed, gone to a happier home--a truer royalty than +ever had been his on earth. + +Then the boys' grief burst out. Lothaire screamed for his mother, and +sobbed out that he should die too--he must go home. Richard stood by the +bed, large silent tears rolling down his cheeks, and his chest heaving +with suppressed sobs. + +Fru Astrida led them from the room, back to their beds. Lothaire soon +cried himself to sleep. Richard lay awake, sorrowful, and in deep +thought; while that scene in St. Mary's, at Rouen, returned before his +eyes, and though it had passed nearly two years ago, its meaning and its +teaching had sunk deep into his mind, and now stood before him more +completely. + +"Where shall I go, when I come to die, if I have not returned good for +evil?" And a resolution was taken in the mind of the little Duke. + +Morning came, and brought back the sense that his gentle little companion +was gone from him; and Richard wept again, as if he could not be +consoled, as he beheld the screened couch where the patient smile would +never again greet him. He now knew that he had loved Carloman all the +more for his weakness and helplessness; but his grief was not like +Lothaire's, for with the Prince's was still joined a selfish fear: his +cry was still, that he should die too, if not set free, and violent +weeping really made him heavy and ill. + +The little corpse, embalmed and lapped in lead, was to be sent back to +France, that it might rest with its forefathers in the city of Rheims; +and Lothaire seemed to feel this as an additional stroke of desertion. +He was almost beside himself with despair, imploring every one, in turn, +to send him home, though he well knew they were unable to do so. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + + +"Sir Eric," said Richard, "you told me there was a Parlement to be held +at Falaise, between Count Bernard and the King of Denmark. I mean to +attend it. Will you come with me, or shall Osmond go, and you remain in +charge of the Prince?" + +"How now, Lord Richard, you were not wont to love a Parlement?" + +"I have something to say," replied Richard. The Baron made no objection, +only telling his mother that the Duke was a marvellous wise child, and +that he would soon be fit to take the government himself. + +Lothaire lamented the more when he found that Richard was going away; his +presence seemed to him a protection, and he fancied, now Carloman was +dead, that his former injuries were about to be revenged. The Duke +assured him, repeatedly, that he meant him nothing but kindness, adding, +"When I return, you will see, Lothaire;" then, commending him to the care +and kindness of Fru Astrida, Osmond, and Alberic, Richard set forth upon +his pony, attended by Sir Eric and three men-at-arms. + +Richard felt sad when he looked back at Bayeux, and thought that it no +longer contained his dear little friend; but it was a fresh bright frosty +morning, the fields were covered with a silvery-white coating, the flakes +of hoar-frost sparkled on every bush, and the hard ground rung cheerily +to the tread of the horses' feet. As the yellow sun fought his way +through the grey mists that dimmed his brightness, and shone out merrily +in the blue heights of the sky, Richard's spirits rose, and he laughed +and shouted, as hare or rabbit rushed across the heath, or as the plover +rose screaming above his head, flapping her broad wings across the wintry +sky. + +One night they slept at a Convent, where they heard that Hugh of Paris +had passed on to join the conference at Falaise. The next day they rode +on, and, towards the afternoon, the Baron pointed to a sharp rocky range +of hills, crowned by a tall solid tower, and told Richard, yonder was his +keep of Falaise, the strongest Castle in Normandy. + +The country was far more broken as they advanced--narrow valleys and +sharp hills, each little vale full of wood, and interspersed with rocks. +"A choice place for game," Sir Eric said and Richard, as he saw a herd of +deer dash down a forest glade, exclaimed, "that they must come here to +stay, for some autumn sport." + +There seemed to be huntsmen abroad in the woods; for through the frosty +air came the baying of dogs, the shouts and calls of men, and, now and +then, the echoing, ringing notes of a bugle. Richard's eyes and cheeks +glowed with excitement, and he pushed his brisk little pony on faster and +faster, unheeding that the heavier men and horses of his suite were not +keeping pace with him on the rough ground and through the tangled boughs. + +Presently, a strange sound of growling and snarling was heard close at +hand: his pony swerved aside, and could not be made to advance; so +Richard, dismounting, dashed through some briars, and there, on an open +space, beneath a precipice of dark ivy-covered rock, that rose like a +wall, he beheld a huge grey wolf and a large dog in mortal combat. It +was as if they had fallen or rolled down the precipice together, not +heeding it in their fury. Both were bleeding, and the eyes of both +glared like red fiery glass in the dark shadow of the rock. The dog lay +undermost, almost overpowered, making but a feeble resistance; and the +wolf would, in another moment, be at liberty to spring on the lonely +child. + +But not a thought of fear passed through his breast; to save the dog was +Richard's only idea. In one moment he had drawn the dagger he wore at +his girdle, ran to the two struggling animals, and with all his force, +plunged it into the throat of the wolf, which, happily, was still held by +the teeth of the hound. + +The struggles relaxed, the wolf rolled heavily aside, dead; the dog lay +panting and bleeding, and Richard feared he was cruelly torn. "Poor +fellow! noble dog! what shall I do to help you?" and he gently smoothed +the dark brindled head. + +A voice was now heard shouting aloud, at which the dog raised and crested +his head, as a figure in a hunting dress was coming down a rocky pathway, +an extremely tall, well-made man, of noble features. "Ha! holla! Vige! +Vige! How now, my brave hound?" he said in the Northern tongue, though +not quite with the accent Richard was accustomed to hear "Art hurt?" + +"Much torn, I fear," Richard called out, as the faithful creature wagged +his tail, and strove to rise and meet his master. + +"Ha, lad! what art thou?" exclaimed the hunter, amazed at seeing the boy +between the dead wolf and wounded dog. "You look like one of those +Frenchified Norman gentilesse, with your smooth locks and gilded +baldrick, yet your words are Norse. By the hammer of Thor! that is a +dagger in the wolf's throat!" + +"It is mine," said Richard. "I found your dog nearly spent, and I made +in to the rescue." + +"You did? Well done! I would not have lost Vige for all the plunder of +Italy. I am beholden to you, my brave young lad," said the stranger, all +the time examining and caressing the hound. "What is your name? You +cannot be Southern bred?" + +As he spoke, more shouts came near; and the Baron de Centeville rushed +through the trees holding Richard's pony by the bridle. "My Lord, my +Lord!--oh, thank Heaven, I see you safe!" At the same moment a party of +hunters also approached by the path, and at the head of them Bernard the +Dane. + +"Ha!" exclaimed he, "what do I see? My young Lord! what brought you +here?" And with a hasty obeisance, Bernard took Richard's outstretched +hand. + +"I came hither to attend your council," replied Richard. "I have a boon +to ask of the King of Denmark." + +"Any boon the King of Denmark has in his power will be yours," said the +dog's master, slapping his hand on the little Duke's shoulder, with a +rude, hearty familiarity, that took him by surprise; and he looked up +with a shade of offence, till, on a sudden flash of perception, he took +off his cap, exclaiming, "King Harald himself! Pardon me, Sir King!" + +"Pardon, Jarl Richart! What would you have me pardon?--your saving the +life of Vige here? No French politeness for me. Tell me your boon, and +it is yours. Shall I take you a voyage, and harry the fat monks of +Ireland?" + +Richard recoiled a little from his new friend. + +"Oh, ha! I forgot. They have made a Christian of you--more's the pity. +You have the Northern spirit so strong. I had forgotten it. Come, walk +by my side, and let me hear what you would ask. Holla, you Sweyn! carry +Vige up to the Castle, and look to his wounds. Now for it, young Jarl." + +"My boon is, that you would set free Prince Lothaire." + +"What?--the young Frank? Why they kept you captive, burnt your face, and +would have made an end of you but for your clever Bonder." + +"That is long past, and Lothaire is so wretched. His brother is dead, +and he is sick with grief, and he says he shall die, if he does not go +home." + +"A good thing too for the treacherous race to die out in him! What +should you care for him? he is your foe." + +"I am a Christian," was Richard's answer. + +"Well, I promised you whatever you might ask. All my share of his +ransom, or his person, bond or free, is yours. You have only to prevail +with your own Jarls and Bonders." + +Richard feared this would be more difficult; but Abbot Martin came to the +meeting, and took his part. Moreover, the idea of their hostage dying in +their hands, so as to leave them without hold upon the King, had much +weight with them; and, after long deliberation, they consented that +Lothaire should be restored to his father, without ransom but only on +condition that Louis should guarantee to the Duke the peaceable +possession of the country, as far as St. Clair sur Epte, which had been +long in dispute; so that Alberic became, indisputably, a vassal of +Normandy. + +Perhaps it was the happiest day in Richard's life when he rode back to +Bayeux, to desire Lothaire to prepare to come with him to St. Clair, +there to be given back into the hands of his father. + +And then they met King Louis, grave and sorrowful for the loss of his +little Carloman, and, for the time, repenting of his misdeeds towards the +orphan heir of Normandy. + +He pressed the Duke in his arms, and his kiss was a genuine one as he +said, "Duke Richard, we have not deserved this of you. I did not treat +you as you have treated my children. We will be true lord and vassal +from henceforth." + +Lothaire's last words were, "Farewell, Richard. If I lived with you, I +might be good like you. I will never forget what you have done for me." + +When Richard once more entered Rouen in state, his subjects shouting +round him in transports of joy, better than all his honour and glory was +the being able to enter the Church of our Lady, and kneel by his father's +grave, with a clear conscience, and the sense that he had tried to keep +that last injunction. + + + + +CONCLUSION + + +Years had passed away. The oaths of Louis, and promises of Lothaire, had +been broken; and Arnulf of Flanders, the murderer of Duke William, had +incited them to repeated and treacherous inroads on Normandy; so that +Richard's life, from fourteen to five or six-and-twenty, had been one +long war in defence of his country. But it had been a glorious war for +him, and his gallant deeds had well earned for him the title of "Richard +the Fearless"--a name well deserved; for there was but one thing he +feared, and that was, to do wrong. + +By and by, success and peace came; and then Arnulf of Flanders, finding +open force would not destroy him, three times made attempts to +assassinate him, like his father, by treachery. But all these had +failed; and now Richard had enjoyed many years of peace and honour, +whilst his enemies had vanished from his sight. + +King Louis was killed by a fall from his horse; Lothaire died in early +youth, and in him ended the degenerate line of Charlemagne; Hugh Capet, +the son of Richard's old friend, Hugh the White, was on the throne of +France, his sure ally and brother-in-law, looking to him for advice and +aid in all his undertakings. + +Fru Astrida and Sir Eric had long been in their quiet graves; Osmond and +Alberic were among Richard's most trusty councillors and warriors; Abbot +Martin, in extreme old age, still ruled the Abbey of Jumieges, where +Richard, like his father, loved to visit him, hold converse with him, and +refresh himself in the peaceful cloister, after the affairs of state and +war. + +And Richard himself was a grey-headed man, of lofty stature and majestic +bearing. His eldest son was older than he had been himself when he +became the little Duke, and he had even begun to remember his father's +project, of an old age to be spent in retirement and peace. + +It was on a summer eve, that Duke Richard sat beside the white-bearded +old Abbot, within the porch, looking at the sun shining with soft +declining beams on the arches and columns. They spoke together of that +burial at Rouen, and of the silver key; the Abbot delighting to tell, +over and over again, all the good deeds and good sayings of William +Longsword. + +As they sat, a man, also very old and shrivelled and bent, came up to the +cloister gate, with the tottering, feeble step of one pursued beyond his +strength, coming to take sanctuary. + +"What can be the crime of one so aged and feeble?" said the Duke, in +surprise. + +At the sight of him, a look of terror shot from the old man's eye. He +clasped his hands together, and turned as if to flee; then, finding +himself incapable of escape, he threw himself on the ground before him. + +"Mercy, mercy! noble, most noble Duke!" was all he said. + +"Rise up--kneel not to me. I cannot brook this from one who might be my +father," said Richard, trying to raise him; but at those words the old +man groaned and crouched lower still. + +"Who art thou?" said the Duke. "In this holy place thou art secure, be +thy deed what it may. Speak!--who art thou?" + +"Dost thou not know me?" said the suppliant. "Promise mercy, ere thou +dost hear my name." + +"I have seen that face under a helmet," said the Duke. "Thou art Arnulf +of Flanders!" + +There was a deep silence. + +"And wherefore art thou here?" + +"I delayed to own the French King Hugh. He has taken my towns and +ravaged my lands. Each Frenchman and each Norman vows to slay me, in +revenge for your wrongs, Lord Duke. I have been driven hither and +thither, in fear of my life, till I thought of the renown of Duke +Richard, not merely the most fearless, but the most merciful of Princes. +I sought to come hither, trusting that, when the holy Father Abbot beheld +my bitter repentance, he would intercede for me with you, most noble +Prince, for my safety and forgiveness. Oh, gallant Duke, forgive and +spare!" + +"Rise up, Arnulf," said Richard. "Where the hand of the Lord hath +stricken, it is not for man to exact his own reckoning. My father's +death has been long forgiven, and what you may have planned against +myself has, by the blessing of Heaven, been brought to nought. From +Normans at least you are safe; and it shall be my work to ensure your +pardon from my brother the King. Come into the refectory: you need +refreshment. The Lord Abbot makes you welcome." {17} + +Tears of gratitude and true repentance choked Arnulf's speech, and he +allowed himself to be raised from the ground, and was forced to accept +the support of the Duke's arm. + +The venerable Abbot slowly rose, and held up his hand in an attitude of +blessing: "The blessing of a merciful God be upon the sinner who turneth +from his evil way; and ten thousand blessings of pardon and peace are +already on the head of him who hath stretched out his hand to forgive and +aid him who was once his most grievous foe!" + + + + +Footnotes: + + +{1} Richard's place of education was Bayeaux; for, as Duke William says +in the rhymed Chronicle of Normandy,-- + + "Si a Roem le faz garder + E norir, gaires longement + Il ne saura parlier neiant + Daneis, kar nul n l'i parole. + Si voil qu'il seit a tele escole + Qu l'en le sache endoctriner + Que as Daneis sache parler. + Ci ne sevent riens fors Romanz + Mais a Baieux en a tanz + Qui ne sevent si Daneis non." + +{2} Bernard was founder of the family of Harcourt of Nuneham. +Ferrieres, the ancestor of that of Ferrars. + +{3} In the same Chronicle, William Longsword directs that,-- + + "Tant seit apris qu'il lise un bref + Kar ceo ne li ert pas trop gref." + +{4} Hako of Norway was educated by Ethelstane of England. It was +Foulques le Bon, the contemporary Count of Anjou, who, when derided by +Louis IV. for serving in the choir of Tours, wrote the following retort: +"The Count of Anjou to the King of France. Apprenez, Monseigneur, qu'un +roi sans lettres est une ane couronne." + +{5} The Banner of Normandy was a cross till William the Conqueror +adopted the lion. + +{6} + + "Sire, soies mon escus, soies mes defendemens." + + _Histoire des Ducs de Normandie_ (MICHEL). + +{7} The Cathedral was afterwards built by Richard himself. + +{8} Sus le maistre autel del iglise +Li unt sa feaute juree. + +{9} + + Une clef d'argent unt trovee + A sun braiol estreit noee. + Tout la gent se merveillont + Que cete clef signifiont. + * * * * + Ni la cuoule e l'estamine + En aveit il en un archete, + Que disfermeront ceste clavete + De sol itant ert tresorier + Kar nul tresor n'vait plus cher. + +The history of the adventures of Jumieges is literally true, as is +Martin's refusal to admit the Duke to the cloister:-- + + Dun ne t'a Deus mis e pose + Prince gardain de sainte iglise + E cur tenir leial justise. + +{10} An attack, in which Riouf, Vicomte du Cotentin, placed Normandy in +the utmost danger. He was defeated on the banks of the Seine, in a field +still called the "Pre de Battaille," on the very day of Richard's birth; +so that the _Te Deum_ was sung at once for the victory and the birth of +the heir of Normandy. + +{11} "Biaus Segnors, vees chi vo segneur, je ne le vous voel tolir, mais +je estoie venus en ceste ville, prendre consel a vous, comment je poroie +vengier la mort son pere, qui me rapiela d'Engletiere. Il me fist roi, +il me fist avoir l'amour le roi d'Alemaigne, il leva mon fil de fons, il +me fist toz les biens, et jou en renderai au fill le guerredon se je +puis."--MICHEL. + +{12} In a battle fought with Lothaire at Charmenil, Richard saved the +life of Walter the huntsman, who had been with him from his youth. + +{13} At fourteen years of age, Richard was betrothed to Eumacette of +Paris, then but eight years old. In such esteem did Hugues la Blanc hold +his son-in-law, that, on his death-bed, he committed his son Hugues Capet +to his guardianship, though the Duke was then scarcely above twenty, +proposing him as the model of wisdom and of chivalry. + +{14} "Osmons, qui l'enfant enseognoit l'eu mena i jour en riviere, et +quant il revint, la reine Gerberge dist que se il jamais l'enmenait fors +des murs, elle li ferait les jeix crever."--MICHEL. + +{15} "Gules, two wings conjoined in lure, or," is the original coat of +St. Maur, or Seymour, said to be derived from Osmond de Centeville, who +assumed them in honour of his flight with Duke Richard. His direct +descendants in Normandy were the Marquises of Osmond, whose arms were +gules, two wings ermine. In 1789 there were two survivors of the line of +Centeville, one a Canon of Notre Dame, the other a Chevalier de St. +Louis, who died childless. + +{16} Harald of Norway, who made a vow never to trim his hair till he had +made himself sole king of the country. The war lasted ten years, and he +thus might well come to deserve the title of Horrid-locks, which was +changed to that of Harfagre, or fair-haired, when he celebrated his final +victory, by going into a bath at More, and committing his shaggy hair to +be cut and arranged by his friend Jarl Rognwald, father of Rollo. + +{17} Richard obtained for Arnulf the restitution of Arras, and several +other Flemish towns. He died eight years afterwards, in 996, leaving +several children, among whom his daughter Emma is connected with English +history, by her marriage, first, with Ethelred the Unready, and secondly, +with Knute, the grandson of his firm friend and ally, Harald Blue-tooth. +His son was Richard, called the Good; his grandson, Robert the +Magnificent; his great-grandson, William the Conqueror, who brought the +Norman race to England. Few names in history shine with so consistent a +lustre as that of Richard; at first the little Duke, afterwards Richard +aux longues jambes, but always Richard sans peur. This little sketch has +only brought forward the perils of his childhood, but his early manhood +was likewise full of adventures, in which he always proved himself brave, +honourable, pious, and forbearing. But for these our readers must search +for themselves into early French history, where all they will find +concerning our hero will only tend to exalt his character. + + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LITTLE DUKE*** + + +******* This file should be named 3048.txt or 3048.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/0/4/3048 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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