nd
him--The Frank means mischief! I know from a sure hand that Arnulf of
Flanders was in council with him just before he came hither, with his
false tongue, wiling and coaxing the poor child!"

"Ungrateful traitor!" murmured Osmond. "Do you guess his purpose?"

"Yes, surely, to carry the boy off with him, and so he trusts doubtless
to cut off all the race of Rollo! I know his purpose is to bear off the
Duke, as a ward of the Crown forsooth. Did you not hear him luring the
child with his promises of friendship with the Princes? I could not
understand all his French words, but I saw it plain enough."

"You will never allow it?"

"If he does, it must be across our dead bodies; but taken as we are by
surprise, our resistance will little avail. The Castle is full of
French, the hall and court swarm with them. Even if we could draw our
Normans together, we should not be more than a dozen men, and what could
we do but die? That we are ready for, if it may not be otherwise, rather
than let our charge be thus borne off without a pledge for his safety,
and without the knowledge of the states."

"The king could not have come at a worse time," said Osmond.

"No, just when Bernard the Dane is absent. If he only knew what has
befallen, he could raise the country, and come to the rescue."

"Could we not send some one to bear the tidings to-night?"

"I know not," said Sir Eric, musingly. "The French have taken the
keeping of the doors; indeed they are so thick through the Castle that I
can hardly reach one of our men, nor could I spare one hand that may
avail to guard the boy to-morrow."

"Sir Eric;" a bare little foot was heard on the floor, and Alberic de
Montemar stood before him. "I did not mean to listen, but I could not
help hearing you. I cannot fight for the Duke yet, but I could carry a
message."

"How would that be?" said Osmond, eagerly. "Once out of the Castle, and
in Rouen, he could easily find means of sending to the Count. He might
go either to the Convent of St. Ouen, or, which would be better, to the
trusty armourer, Thibault, who would soon find man and horse to send
after the Count."

"Ha! let me see," said Sir Eric. "It might be. But how is he to get
out?"

"I know a way," said Alberic. "I scrambled down that wide buttress by
the east wall last week, when our ball was caught in a branch of the ivy,
and the drawbridge is down."

"If Bernard knew, it would be off my mind, at least!" sa