, a Provencal lady, than was yet to be found among the Normans.
The Chaplain of Montemar had begun to teach him to read and write, and he
liked learning much better than Richard, who would not have gone on with
Father Lucas's lessons at all, if Abbot Martin of Jumieges had not put
him in mind that it had been his father's especial desire.

What Richard most disliked was, however, the being obliged to sit in
council. The Count of Harcourt did in truth govern the dukedom, but
nothing could be done without the Duke's consent, and once a week at
least, there was held in the great hall of Rollo's tower, what was called
a _Parlement_, or "a talkation," where Count Bernard, the Archbishop, the
Baron de Centeville, the Abbot of Jumieges, and such other Bishops,
Nobles, or Abbots, as might chance to be at Rouen, consulted on the
affairs of Normandy; and there the little Duke always was forced to be
present, sitting up in his chair of state, and hearing rather than
listening to, questions about the repairing and guarding of Castles, the
asking of loans from the vassals, the appeals from the Barons of the
Exchequer, who were then Nobles sent through the duchy to administer
justice, and the discussions about the proceedings of his neighbours,
King Louis of France, Count Foulques of Anjou, and Count Herluin of
Montreuil, and how far the friendship of Hugh of Paris, and Alan of
Brittany might be trusted.

Very tired of all this did Richard grow, especially when he found that
the Normans had made up their minds not to attempt a war against the
wicked Count of Flanders. He sighed most wearily, yawned again and
again, and moved restlessly about in his chair; but whenever Count
Bernard saw him doing so, he received so severe a look and sign that he
grew perfectly to dread the eye of the fierce old Dane. Bernard never
spoke to him to praise him, or to enter into any of his pursuits; he only
treated him with the grave distant respect due to him as a Prince, or
else now and then spoke a few stern words to him of reproof for this
restlessness, or for some other childish folly.

Used as Richard was to be petted and made much of by the whole house of
Centeville, he resented this considerably in secret, disliked and feared
the old Count, and more than once told Alberic de Montemar, that as soon
as he was fourteen, when he would be declared of age, he should send
Count Bernard to take care of his own Castle of Harcourt, instead of
letting h