hat youngster
who stands at your feet--'twas he that, with little Prince Edward,
burst into the council, and let not another word be said till he had
told your need, given Fulk Clarenham the lie direct, and challenged him
to prove his words. Pray when is the defiance to be fought out, Sir
Page?"

Arthur coloured crimson, and looked down; then raising his glowing
face, said firmly, "To-morrow, if need were, Sir--for God would defend
the right!"

"Roundly spoken, Master Page! But let not your early years be all
talk, nothing worth."

"The same warning that you gave to me, Sir John," said Eustace.

"When you thought I looked coldly and churlishly on your new-won
honours," said Sir John. "I own I thought the Prince was bestowing
knighthood over lightly--and so do I say still, Sir Eustace. But I
saw, afterwards, that you were not so easily uplifted as I had thought.
I saw you as diligent in the study of all that was knightly as if your
spurs were yet to earn, and I knew the Prince had a brave young servant
in you."

"If he would have trusted me!" said Eustace.

"He hath been deceived by the flatterers who have gained his ear. It
should not have been thus had I been at court; but things have been
much against my counsel. It may be that I have been too plain
spoken--forgetting that he is not the boy who used to be committed to
my charge--it may be that he hath been over hasty--and yet, when I look
on his changed mien and wasted face, I can scarce blame him, nor must
you, Sir Eustace, though cruel injustice hath, I fear, been done you."

"I blame our glorious Prince!" exclaimed the young Knight. "I would as
soon blame the sun in heaven because the clouds hide his face from me
for a time!"

"The clouds are likely to be dispersed with a vengeance," said Chandos.
"The confession of yonder mutinous traitors will clear you from all
that your accusers have said, by proving their villainy and baseness!"

"How? Sanchez and his fellows? Have they surrendered?"

"Yes. They kept themselves shut up in Montfort's tower until they lost
all hope of relief from their friends without; then, being in fear of
starvation, they were forced to surrender, and came forth, praying that
their lives might be spared. I, as you may suppose, would as lief have
spared the life of a wolf, and the halters were already round their
necks, when your dark-visaged Squire prayed me to attempt to gain a
confession from them; and, sure enough, t