rward, kneel on one knee, and kiss her hand.

"There he is," said the King.

"One thing secure!" said the Queen; "but what makes that northern giant
keep close to his heels?"

Louis answered something in a low voice, and, in the meantime, Osmond
tried in a whisper to induce his young Lord to go forward and perform his
obeisance.

"I tell you I will not," said Richard. "She looks cross, and I do not
like her."

Luckily he spoke his own language; but his look and air expressed a good
deal of what he said, and Gerberge looked all the more unattractive.

"A thorough little Norwegian bear," said the King; "fierce and unruly as
the rest. Come, and perform your courtesy--do you forget where you are?"
he added, sternly.

Richard bowed, partly because Osmond forced down his shoulder; but he
thought of old Rollo and Charles the Simple, and his proud heart resolved
that he would never kiss the hand of that sour-looking Queen. It was a
determination made in pride and defiance, and he suffered for it
afterwards; but no more passed now, for the Queen only saw in his
behaviour that of an unmannerly young Northman: and though she disliked
and despised him, she did not care enough about his courtesy to insist on
its being paid. She sat down, and so did the King, and they went on
talking; the King probably telling her his adventures at Rouen, while
Richard stood on the step of the dais, swelling with sullen pride.

Nearly a quarter of an hour had passed in this manner when the servants
came to set the table for supper, and Richard, in spite of his indignant
looks, was forced to stand aside. He wondered that all this time he had
not seen the two Princes, thinking how strange he should have thought it,
to let his own dear father be in the house so long without coming to
welcome him. At last, just as the supper had been served up, a side door
opened, and the Seneschal called, "Place for the high and mighty Princes,
my Lord Lothaire and my Lord Carloman!" and in walked two boys, one about
the same age as Richard, the other rather less than a year younger. They
were both thin, pale, sharp-featured children, and Richard drew himself
up to his full height, with great satisfaction at being so much taller
than Lothaire.

They came up ceremoniously to their father and kissed his hand, while he
kissed their foreheads, and then said to them, "There is a new
play-fellow for you."

"Is that the little Northman?" said Carloman, turni