obert rode away to London; and his uncle was sad to see him go so
stonily and sullenly, with a mind so bent upon himself, and, it
seemed, without love for a living thing; and as Robert rode he
pondered; and it seemed to him a useless quest, because he thought
that the giving back of the jewel was part of the terms, and that the
Duke would not promote a man who brought him nothing but a memory of
old deeds; and moreover, he thought that the Duke would not believe
the story, but would think that he had the jewel safe at home, and
wished to gain fortune in Spain, and keep the wealth as well. And as
he rode into London, it seemed to him as though some wise power put it
into his heart what he should do; for he rode by the sign of a maker
of rich glass for church windows; and at once a thought darted into
his mind; and going in, he sought out the master of the shop, and told
him that he had lost a jewel from a crown, a jewel of price, and that
he was ashamed that the crown should lack it; and he asked if he could
make him a jewel of glass to set in its place; and he described the
jewel, how large it was and how dull outside, and its fiery heart; and
the craftsman smiled shrewdly and foxily, and told him to return on
the third day, and he should have his will. On the third day he came
again; and the craftsman, opening a box, took from it a jewel so like
_The Wound_, that he thought for a moment that he must have recovered
it; so he paid a mighty price for it, and set off light-hearted for
Spain.

After weary wandering, and many strange adventures by sea and land,
he rode one day to the Duke's palace gate. It was a great bare house
of stone, within a wall, at the end of a little town. It was far
larger and greater than he had dreamed; he was stayed at the gate, for
he knew as yet but a few words of the language; but he had written on
a parchment who he was, and that he desired to see the Duke. And
presently there came out a seneschal in haste, and he was led within
honourably, and soon he was had into a small room, richly furnished.
He was left alone, and the seneschal showed him through which door the
Duke would come.

Presently a door opened, and there came in an old shrunken man, in a
furred gown, very stately and noble, holding the paper in his hand.
Robert did obeisance, but the Duke raised him, and spoke courteously
to him in the English tongue, and desired to see his tokens.

Then Robert brought forth the crown and th