ges of gold that he had taken from our little chest by the bedplace.

"'If I had known this," said Fulke, catching his breath, "I would never
have lifted hand against Pevensey. Only lack of this yellow stuff has
made me so unlucky in my dealings."

'It was dawn then, and they stirred in the Great Hall below. We sent
down Fulke's mail to be scoured, and when he rode away at noon under
his own and the King's banner, very splendid and stately did he show.
He smoothed his long beard, and called his son to his stirrup and
kissed him. De Aquila rode with him as far as the New Mill landward.
We thought the night had been all a dream.'

'But did he make it right with the King?' Dan asked. 'About your not
being traitors, I mean.'

Sir Richard smiled. 'The King sent no second summons to Pevensey, nor
did he ask why De Aquila had not obeyed the first. Yes, that was
Fulke's work. I know not how he did it, but it was well and swiftly
done.'

'Then you didn't do anything to his son?' said Una.

'The boy? Oh, he was an imp! He turned the keep doors out of dortoirs
while we had him. He sang foul songs, learned in the Barons'
camps--poor fool; he set the hounds fighting in Hall; he lit the rushes
to drive out, as he said, the fleas; he drew his dagger on jehan, who
threw him down the stairway for it; and he rode his horse through crops
and among sheep. But when we had beaten him, and showed him wolf and
deer, he followed us old men like a young, eager hound, and called us
"uncle". His father came the summer's end to take him away, but the
boy had no lust to go, because of the otter-hunting, and he stayed on
till the fox-hunting. I gave him a bittern's claw to bring him good
luck at shooting. An imp, if ever there was!'

'And what happened to Gilbert?' said Dan.

'Not even a whipping. De Aquila said he would sooner a clerk, however
false, that knew the Manor-roll than a fool, however true, that must be
taught his work afresh. Moreover, after that night I think Gilbert
loved as much as he feared De Aquila. At least he would not leave
us--not even when Vivian, the King's Clerk, would have made him
Sacristan of Battle Abbey. A false fellow, but, in his fashion, bold.'

'Did Robert ever land in Pevensey after all?' Dan went on.

'We guarded the coast too well while Henry was fighting his Barons; and
three or four years later, when England had peace, Henry crossed to
Normandy and showed his brother some work at Tenc