t, with the help of God, to see you very soon restored
to those thrones from which you have been so traitorously thrust."

"When that happy day comes," said Pedro, "then Spain shall be to you as
Aquitaine, and, be your project what it may, you may ever count on every
troop and every ship over which flies the banner of Castile."

"And," added the other, "upon every aid which the wealth and power of
Majorca can bestow."

"Touching the hundred thousand crowns in which I stand your debtor,"
continued Pedro carelessly, "it can no doubt----"

"Not a word, sire, not a word!" cried the prince. "It is not now when
you are in grief that I would vex your mind with such base and sordid
matters. I have said once and forever that I am yours with every
bow-string of my army and every florin in my coffers."

"Ah! here is indeed a mirror of chivalry," said Don Pedro. "I think,
Sir Fernando, since the prince's bounty is stretched so far, that we
may make further use of his gracious goodness to the extent of fifty
thousand crowns. Good Sir William Felton, here, will doubtless settle
the matter with you."

The stout old English counsellor looked somewhat blank at this prompt
acceptance of his master's bounty.

"If it please you, sire," he said, "the public funds are at their
lowest, seeing that I have paid twelve thousand men of the companies,
and the new taxes--the hearth-tax and the wine-tax--not yet come in. If
you could wait until the promised help from England comes----"

"Nay, nay, my sweet cousin," cried Don Pedro. "Had we known that your
own coffers were so low, or that this sorry sum could have weighed one
way or the other, we had been loth indeed----"

"Enough, sire, enough!" said the prince, flushing with vexation. "If
the public funds be, indeed, so backward, Sir William, there is still,
I trust, my own private credit, which hath never been drawn upon for my
own uses, but is now ready in the cause of a friend in adversity. Go,
raise this money upon our own jewels, if nought else may serve, and see
that it be paid over to Don Fernando."

"In security I offer----" cried Don Pedro.

"Tush! tush!" said the prince. "I am not a Lombard, sire. Your kingly
pledge is my security, without bond or seal. But I have tidings for you,
my lords and lieges, that our brother of Lancaster is on his way for our
capital with four hundred lances and as many archers to aid us in our
venture. When he hath come, and when our fair consort is