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prince, who, although related to himself by marriage, had no drop

of English blood in his veins. Still, that the promise should ever

have been made rankled in the minds of the English people, the more

so as the power of Normandy increased, and the ambition as well as

the valour of its duke became more and more manifest According to

English law the promise was but an empty breath, absolutely without

effect or value. According to Norman law it constituted a powerful

claim, and Duke William was assuredly not a man to let such a claim

drop unpressed.

Wulf had heard all this again and again, and the prior of Bramber

had explained it to him in all its bearings, showing him that little

as Englishmen might think of the promise given by Edward so long

ago, it would be likely to bring grievous trouble on the land at

his death. He might perhaps have said more in reference to William's

visit had not Beorn at once accepted the invitation to ride with

young De Burg to his father's castle.

CHAPTER VI

RELEASE OF THE EARL

In a few minutes the three horses were brought out. Wulf and Beorn

were much pleased with the animals that had been placed at their

service. They were powerful horses, which could carry a knight in

his full armour with ease, and seemed full of spirit and fire. They

were handsomely caparisoned, and the lads felt as they sprang on

to their backs that they had never been so well mounted before.

"You would have made the journey more quickly and easily if you had

had these horses three days ago," young De Burg laughed.

"Yes, indeed. There would have been no occasion to hide in the woods

then. With our light weight on their backs they would have made

nothing of the journey."

"You must not expect to see a castle," De Burg said presently,

"though I call it one. In his early days the duke set himself to

destroy the great majority of castles throughout Normandy, for as

you know he had no little trouble with his nobles, and held that

while the strength of these fortresses disposes men to engage either

in civil war or in private feuds with each other, they were of no

avail against the enemies of the country. My father, who is just

the age of the duke, was his loyal follower from the first, and of

his free will levelled his walls as did many others of the duke's

friends, in the first place because it gave the duke pleasure, and

in the second because, had only the castles of those opposed to the

duke been destroyed, there would have been such jealousy and animosity

on the part of their owners that matters would never have quieted

down in the country. Thus it is that throughout the land you will

find but few castles remaining. The nobles felt it strange at first

to be thus dwelling in houses undefended against attack, but they

soon learnt that it was far more convenient than to be shut up

within massive walls, and the present dwellings are much larger and

more comfortable than those of former days. The duke said rightly

that the abolition of fortresses well-nigh doubled his fighting

power, for that so many men were required to garrison them as to

greatly diminish the number their lords could take with them into

the field. You do not have castles in England, do you?"

"No, we live in open houses, and hold that it is far better and

more pleasant to do so. There is no fighting between neighbours

with us. The great earls may quarrel and lead their forces into the

field, or may gather them against Danish and Norwegian pirates, but

except on these occasions, which are rare, all dwell peaceably in

their homes."

The horses were fresh, and the five miles quickly passed over.

"There is the house," De Burg said, pointing to a large building

standing on an eminence. It was castellated in form, and much of

the old building had been incorporated with the additions, but the

outer wall had been pulled down and the moat filled up. Broad

casements had replaced the narrow loopholes, and though the flag

of the De Burgs still waved over the keep, which stood a little

apart from the rest, the family no longer dwelt in it.

"It is chiefly used as a storehouse now," Guy De Burg explained;

"but there, as you see, the old loopholes still remain, and in case

of trouble it might be held for a time. But of that, however, there

is little chance; the duke's hand is a heavy one, and he has shown

himself a great leader. He has raised Normandy well-nigh level with

France, and so long as he lives and reigns there is no fear of

domestic trouble."

The gate stood open and they rode into a courtyard, when several

men came out and took the horses. Guy de Burg ran up a broad staircase

to the entrance of the house itself, and passed beneath a noble

entrance with a lofty pointed arch supported by clustered pillars.

Inside was a spacious hall paved with stone, and from this De Burg

turned into an apartment whose walls were covered with rich hangings.

Here a lady was at work embroidering, surrounded by several of her

maids similarly engaged. A girl some fourteen years old was reading

a missal, while the master of the castle was sitting in a chair

with low arms, and was playing with the ears of a hound whose head

was lying on his knee.

"Well, Guy, what is your news?" he asked as his son entered. "Half

an hour since I received a message from the duke desiring me to

appear with ten men-at-arms in their best trappings to ride with

him to Eu. Is Conrad of Ponthieu giving trouble again, and who are

these young gentlemen with you?"

Guy went down on one knee to kiss his father's hand, and then did

the same to his mother, then he said, "I will with your permission

answer the last question first, father. My friends are young Saxon

thanes, pages to Earl Harold, and at present guests of the duke."

"You are bearers, doubtless, of some message from the king to our

duke?"

"No, my lord," Beorn said, "we were bearers of a message from Earl

Harold."

"It is to meet him, father, that we are to ride to Eu to-morrow.

He has been wrecked on the shores of Ponthieu, and has been foully

imprisoned and even fettered by Count Conrad. Beorn and Wulf escaped

from the prison and brought the news to the duke, who this afternoon

dispatched Fitz-Osberne and Warren at full speed to bid the count

at once free his prisoners, and deliver them over to him at Eu under

pain of his direst displeasure."

"Harold in Normandy and a prisoner! This is strange news indeed.

We shall surely make him welcome, for he is in all respects a great

man, and save our own duke has a reputation second to none in

Europe."

Wulf thought as he looked at the speaker that at least he had no

second thought in his mind. It was a frank honest face, martial in

its outline, but softened by a pleasant smile.

He had spoken in a genial tone of affection to his son, and Wulf

thought, that although no doubt he was ready to take the field at

the summons of his lord, he preferred a quiet life in this stately

home.

"This is news for you, wife," he went on. "You will have to furbish

up your gayest attire, for we shall be having grand doings in honour

of this great English earl, and our dames will have to look their

best in order that he may carry home a fair report of them to the

Saxon ladies. And how did you manage to escape, young sirs, and

when did you arrive with the news?"

Beorn, who as the elder was specially addressed, shortly related

the story of their escape and journey.

"You have done well," the baron said when he had concluded. "Guy,

you may learn from these young Saxons that even pages may be called

upon to do work of more importance than handing wine-cups and

standing behind their lord on state occasions. Had it not been for

their readiness and courage Harold might have lain weeks in prison,

maybe months, while the count was striving to wring the utmost

ransom from him. The lads would doubtless have been slain had they

been detected in making their escape or overtaken on the way, and

the attempt was therefore one that required courage as well as

devotion to their lord. I doubt not that you would exhibit both

qualities did opportunity offer, but I question whether you could

have walked the distance they did, and that on such scanty fare.

We Normans are too apt to trust wholly to our horses' legs to the

neglect of our own, and although I have no doubt that you could

ride as far as a horse could carry you, I warrant that you could

hardly have performed on foot the journey from Beaurain in twice

the time in which they did it. They must have exercised their legs

as well as their arms, and although in a campaign a Norman noble

depends upon his war horse both on the march and on the day of

battle, there may often be times when it is well that a knight

should be able to march as far as any of the footmen in the army.

Well, Agnes, and what have you to say to these Saxon youths? Methinks

your eyes are paying more attention to them than to your missal."

"I can read my missal at any hour, father, but this is the first

time that I have seen young Saxon nobles. I thought there would

have been more difference between them and us. Their hair is fairer

and more golden and their eyes bluer, but their dress differs in

no way from our own." She spoke in a matter-of-fact and serious

air, as if it were a horse or a dog that she was commenting upon,

and both Beorn and Wulf smiled, while Guy laughed outright.

"It is little wonder that their attire is like ours, Agnes," he

said, "seeing that they were furnished with it by the duke's orders.

You do not suppose that after being tossed about on the sea and

well-nigh drowned in landing, and being made prisoners, and then

travelling through the country and sleeping in the woods, Beorn and

Wulf would arrive here with their garments new and spotless. That

would indeed have been a miracle."

"But, indeed," Beorn said, "our garments differ not greatly from

those we now have on, for Norman fashions are prevalent at King

Edward's court, and we had no choice but to conform to them. Your

language is always spoken there, and methinks that were you to visit

Westminster you would see but little difference between King Edward's

court and that of your own duke."

"And your sisters, do they too dress like us?"

"Queen Edith's ladies dress like her in Norman fashion, but away

from the court the attire is different and more simple. Sisters,

Wulf and I have none; we are orphans both, and wards of Earl Harold,

who holds our estates until we are of age to take the oaths to him

and to lead our men in battle."

"And will you be barons like my father, or counts, or simple knights?"

"We shall be none of these things, Lady Agnes. We have our great

earls as in France you have your great dukes, but below that we

have no titles. We are thanes, that is land owners, who hold their

land direct from our earls. Some have wider lands than others, but

as free thanes we are all equal. As to knights, we have not in

England the titles and ceremonies which are so much thought of in

France and in other courts."

"That is a pity," the girl said gravely, "for the vows of knighthood

make a knight courteous and gentle to enemies and friends alike."

"Or rather, Agnes," her mother put in, "they should do so; but in

truth, looking round at the cruel wars we have had in Normandy, I

do not see that men have been more gentle or courteous than they

would have been had they never taken the vows or had knightly spurs

buckled on; and in truth it seems to me from the news of what has

taken place beyond the sea, that in the civil troubles they have

had in England men are much more gentle with each other, and foes

are far more easily reconciled than with us in Normandy, who are

supposed to be bound by the laws of chivalry. Had our duke been

cast upon the shores of England as Harold has been cast upon that

of Ponthieu, I think that he would not have been so dishonourably

treated by one of the English thanes as Harold has been by Count

Conrad. When Godwin and his sons returned from the exile into which

they had been driven, and again became all powerful, there was not,

as I have heard from your father, a single drop of blood shed, nor

any vengeance taken upon the men who had brought about their exile.

It would have been very different had such things happened here."

"You speak rightly, wife. The English are of a more gentle disposition

than we are, though nowise backward in battle. But now, Guy, it

is time that you were returning. You have already made a longer

stay than usual. I shall see you again to-morrow when we start for

Eu. Young sirs, I hope that on your return you will often ride over

here when your lord does not require you. We shall always be pleased

to see you, and although the forest lies some miles away, Guy can

show you good hunting, though not so good as that which, as I hear,

you can get in England, where the population is not so thick as it

is in this part of Normandy."

The horses were brought round, and the three lads rode into Rouen

just as night was falling.

Long before daybreak there was a stir in the streets of the city,

as parties of knights and nobles rode in with bodies of their

retainers in obedience to the orders of the duke. All in the palace

were awake early. A hasty breakfast was eaten, while just as the

sun rose the duke mounted his horse, and at the head of an array,

composed of some twenty barons and knights and four hundred

men-at-arms, rode out of the city.

"There is a good deal more pomp and show here than there was when

we rode with Harold from London," Wulf said. "In truth these Norman

nobles make a far braver appearance in their armour and robes, and

with their banners carried behind them, than we do. Were the king