ped within those little
soft fingers. Many a kind and loving eye was bent in compassion on the
orphan child; many a strong voice faltered with earnestness as it
pronounced the vow, and many a brave, stalwart heart heaved with grief
for the murdered father, and tears flowed down the war-worn cheeks which
had met the fiercest storms of the northern ocean, as they bent before
the young fatherless boy, whom they loved for the sake of his conquering
grandfather, and his brave and pious father. Few Normans were there
whose hearts did not glow at the touch of those small hands, with a love
almost of a parent, for their young Duke.

The ceremony of receiving homage lasted long and Richard, though
interested and touched at first, grew very weary; the crown and mantle
were so heavy, the faces succeeded each other like figures in an endless
dream, and the constant repetition of the same words was very tedious.
He grew sleepy, he longed to jump up, to lean to the right or left, or to
speak something besides that regular form. He gave one great yawn, but
it brought him such a frown from the stern face of Bernard, as quite to
wake him for a few minutes, and make him sit upright, and receive the
next vassal with as much attention as he had shown the first, but he
looked imploringly at Sir Eric, as if to ask if it ever would be over.
At last, far down among the Barons, came one at whose sight Richard
revived a little. It was a boy only a few years older than himself,
perhaps about ten, with a pleasant brown face, black hair, and quick
black eyes which glanced, with a look between friendliness and respect,
up into the little Duke's gazing face. Richard listened eagerly for his
name, and was refreshed at the sound of the boyish voice which
pronounced, "I, Alberic de Montemar, am thy liegeman and vassal for my
castle and barony of Montemar sur Epte."

When Alberic moved away, Richard followed him with his eye as far as he
could to his place in the Cathedral, and was taken by surprise when he
found the next Baron kneeling before him.

The ceremony of homage came to an end at last, and Richard would fain
have run all the way to the palace to shake off his weariness, but he was
obliged to head the procession again; and even when he reached the castle
hall his toils were not over, for there was a great state banquet spread
out, and he had to sit in the high chair where he remembered climbing on
his father's knee last Christmas-day, all