"Gaston loves animals
better than his own kind. Even though you were his most hated foe,
your beast would be sacred to him."

"I am glad to hear it," replied St. Georges, as the youth, with a
smile, led the horse away. Then to himself he said, "I only hope that,
should he know I am his master's enemy, he will be equally good to
it!"

And now, as he followed the old man it was revealed to him how
inappropriate was the name of manoir to this place, it having indeed
been, if it was no longer altogether so, a strongly fortified
residence, and doubtless had served as such in bygone ages. An outer
court led into a second or inner one, which seemed to constitute a
hall, since it was roofed and more or less furnished. On the walls
hung arms of all kinds, both ancient and of the period of the day, and
ranging from battle-axes, maces and two-handled swords, boar-spears,
halberds, and crossbows to more modern rapiers, pikes, musketoons,
pistols, and blunderbusses. Also about this court or hall there was
much armour, plate, mail, both gambeson and chain, and many
headpieces, gantlets, shields, etc.

"Doubtless," thought St. Georges as he followed the old man past all
these and up a broad staircase leading to the first floor; "it was
from this choice armoury that my friend of the burganet drew his
protection. Faith! he had enough to choose from!"

Escorted along a passage on this flight, the old man showed him into a
room comfortably furnished as a sleeping apartment--vastly different
from that of Phelypeaux at Dijon--and informed him that he would
return later, in a quarter of an hour, to escort him to the presence
of madame la marquise, who would receive him for supper--after which
and having proffered his services as valet, which St. Georges said he
had no need for, he left the room.

The toilet made by the cavalier was necessarily short, since a soldier
_en route_ in those days had to depend upon any attentions to his
appearance which he might be able to pay by whatever opportunities
came in his way. There were, however, in this room all the articles
generally to be found in a country house of the time--a large metal
basin and ewer of fresh water, some brushes, and a mirror--and with
these he was able to attend to his hands, face, and hair, to remove
some of the stains of travel from his clothes and long brown boots,
and to make himself sufficiently presentable. At first, because he was
a gentleman and could not suppose t