e he tossed about restlessly, too tired to
sleep.

"Alas! alas!" said Osmond, "I have been too hasty. I have but saved him
from the Franks to be his death by my own imprudence."

"Hush! Sieur de Centeville," said the Seneschal's wife, coming into the
room. "To talk in that manner is the way to be his death, indeed. Leave
the child to me--he is only over-weary."

Osmond was sure his Duke was among friends, and would have been glad to
trust him to a woman; but Richard had but one instinct left in all his
weakness and exhaustion--to cling close to Osmond, as if he felt him his
only friend and protector; for he was, as yet, too much worn out to
understand that he was in Normandy and safe. For two or three hours,
therefore, Osmond and the Seneschal's wife watched on each side of his
bed, soothing his restlessness, until at length he became quiet, and at
last dropped sound asleep.

The sun was high in the heavens when Richard awoke. He turned on his
straw-filled crib, and looked up. It was not the tapestried walls of his
chamber at Laon that met his opening eyes, but the rugged stone and tall
loop-hole window of a turret chamber. Osmond de Centeville lay on the
floor by his side, in the sound sleep of one overcome by long watching
and weariness. And what more did Richard see?

It was the bright face and sparkling eyes of Alberic de Montemar, who was
leaning against the foot of his bed, gazing earnestly, as he watched for
his waking. There was a cry--"Alberic! Alberic!" "My Lord! my Lord!"
Richard sat up and held out both arms, and Alberic flung himself into
them. They hugged each other, and uttered broken exclamations and
screams of joy, enough to have awakened any sleeper but one so wearied
out as Osmond.

"And is it true? Oh, am I really in Normandy again?" cried Richard.

"Yes, yes!--oh, yes, my Lord! You are at Montemar. Everything here is
yours. The bar-tailed hawk is quite well, and my mother will be here
this evening; she let me ride on the instant we heard the news."

"We rode long and late, and I was very weary," said Richard! "but I don't
care, now we are at home. But I can hardly believe it! Oh, Alberic, it
has been very dreary!"

"See here, my Lord!" said Alberic, standing by the window. "Look here,
and you will know you are at home again!"

Richard bounded to the window, and what a sight met his eyes! The Castle
court was thronged with men-at-arms and horses, the morning sun sparklin