tlaw, and men do what they will till the new King is
chosen.

'"I will amend that," said the King hotly. "I will have it so that
though King, son, and grandson were all slain in one day, still the
King's peace should hold over all England! What is a man that his mere
death must upheave a people? We must have the Law."

'"Truth," said William of Exeter; but that he would have said to any
word of the King.

'The two great barons behind said nothing. This teaching was clean
against their stomachs, for when the King's peace ends, the great barons
go to war and increase their lands. At that instant we heard Rahere's
voice returning, in a scurril Saxon rhyme against William of Exeter:

'"Well wist Wal-wist where lay his fortune
When that he fawned on the King for his crozier,"

and amid our laughter he burst in, with one arm round Hugh, and one
round the old pilgrim of Netherfield.

'"Here is your knight, Brother," said he, "and for the better disport of
the company, here is my fool. Hold up, Saxon Samson, the gates of Gaza
are clean carried away!"

'Hugh broke loose, white and sick, and staggered to my side; the old man
blinked upon the company.

'We looked at the King, but he smiled.

'"Rahere promised he would show me some sport after supper to cover his
morning's offence," said he to De Aquila. "So this is thy man, Rahere?"

'"Even so," said Rahere. "My man he has been, and my protection he
has taken, ever since I found him under the gallows at Stamford Bridge
telling the kites atop of it that he was--Harold of England!"

'There was a great silence upon these last strange words, and Hugh hid
his face on my shoulder, woman-fashion.

'"It is most cruel true," he whispered to me. "The old man proved it
to me at the beat after you left, and again in our hut even now. It is
Harold, my King!"

'De Aquila crept forward. He walked about the man and swallowed.

'"Bones of the Saints!" said he, staring.

'"Many a stray shot goes too well home," said Rahere.

'The old man flinched as at an arrow. "Why do you hurt me still?" he said
in Saxon. "It was on some bones of some Saints that I promised I would
give my England to the Great Duke." He turns on us all crying, shrilly:
"Thanes, he had caught me at Rouen--a lifetime ago. If I had not
promised, I should have lain there all my life. What else could I have
done? I have lain in a strait prison all my life none the less. There is
no need to throw stones at