eturned Bernard the Dane, solemnly, "and as thou keepest that
oath to the fatherless child, so may the Lord do unto thine house!"

Then followed the ceremony, which had been interrupted the night before,
of the homage and oath of allegiance which Richard owed to the King, and,
on the other hand, the King's formal reception of him as a vassal,
holding, under him, the two dukedoms of Normandy and Brittany. "And,"
said the King, raising him in his arms and kissing him, "no dearer vassal
do I hold in all my realm than this fair child, son of my murdered friend
and benefactor--precious to me as my own children, as so on my Queen and
I hope to testify."

Richard did not much like all this embracing; but he was sure the King
really meant him no ill, and he wondered at all the distrust the
Centevilles had shown.

"Now, brave Normans," said the King, "be ye ready speedily, for an onset
on the traitor Fleming. The cause of my ward is my own cause. Soon
shall the trumpet be sounded, the ban and arriere ban of the realm be
called forth, and Arnulf, in the flames of his cities, and the blood of
his vassals, shall learn to rue the day when his foot trod the Isle of
Pecquigny! How many Normans can you bring to the muster, Sir Count?"

"I cannot say, within a few hundreds of lances," replied the old Dane,
cautiously; "it depends on the numbers that may be engaged in the Italian
war with the Saracens, but of this be sure, Sir King, that every man in
Normandy and Brittany who can draw a sword or bend a bow, will stand
forth in the cause of our little Duke; ay, and that his blessed father's
memory is held so dear in our northern home, that it needs but a message
to King Harold Blue-tooth to bring a fleet of long keels into the Seine,
with stout Danes enough to carry fire and sword, not merely through
Flanders, but through all France. We of the North are not apt to forget
old friendships and favours, Sir King."

"Yes, yes, I know the Norman faith of old," returned Louis, uneasily,
"but we should scarcely need such wild allies as you propose; the Count
of Paris, and Hubert of Senlis may be reckoned on, I suppose."

"No truer friend to Normandy than gallant and wise old Hugh the White!"
said Bernard, "and as to Senlis, he is uncle to the boy, and doubly bound
to us."

"I rejoice to see your confidence," said Louis. "You shall soon hear
from me. In the meantime I must return to gather my force together, and
summon my great vassa