ack of the Tofts, a free man and a
sackless, wrongfully beguilted, am the man of King Christopher of
Oakenrealm, to live and die for him as need may be. Lo, Lord, my
father's blade! Wilt thou be good to me and gird me therewith, as thy
father girt him?"

Now when Christopher heard him, at first he deemed that all this
was some sport or play done for his pastime and the pleasure of the
hall-folk in all kindness and honour. But when he looked in the eyes of
him, and saw him fierce and eager and true, he knew well it was no jest;
and as the shouts of men went up from the hall and beat against the
roof, himseemed that he remembered, as in a dream, folk talking a-nigh
him when he was too little to understand, of a king and his son, and
a mighty man turned thief and betrayer. Then his brow cleared, and his
eyes shone bright, and he leaned forward to Jack and girt him with the
sword, and kissed his mouth, and said: "Thou art indeed my man and my
thane and my earl, and I gird thee with thy sword as my father girded
thy father."

Then stood up Jack o' the Tofts and said: "Men in this hall, happy is
the hour, and happy are ye! This man is the King of Oakenrealm, and he
yonder is but a thief of kings, a dastard!"

And again great was the shouting, for carle and quean, young and old,
they loved Christopher well: and Jack of the Tofts was not only their
war-duke and alderman, but their wise man also, and none had any thought
of gainsaying him. But he spake again and said: "Is there here any old
man, or not so old, who hath of past days seen our King that was, King
Christopher to wit, who fell in battle on our behalf? If so there be,
let him come up hither."

Then arose a greybeard from a bench nigh the high-table, and came up on
to the dais; a very tall man had he been, but was now somewhat bowed by
age. He now knelt before Christopher, and took his hand, and said: "I,
William of Whittenham, a free man, a knight, sackless of the guilt which
is laid on me, would be thy man, O my lord King, to serve thee in all
wise; if so be that I may live to strike one stroke for my master's son,
whom now I see, the very living image of the King whom I served in my
youth."

Then Christopher bent down to him and kissed him, and said: "Thou art
indeed my man and my thane & my baron; and who knows but that thou mayst
have many a stroke to strike for me in the days that are nigh at hand."

And again the people shouted: and then there came anothe