shall be but where we were
before as to Mistress Agnes of Mineshull, unless of your good-will you
would be pleased to let us fight out the wager of the heriard in all
peace and amity.'

Henry burst out laughing, with all his old merriment, as he said, 'For no
Mistress Agnes living can I have honest men's lives wasted, specially of
such as have that gift of standing still. If she does not knew her own
mind, one of you must get himself killed by the Frenchmen, not by one
another. So kneel down, and we'll make your knighthood's feast fall in
with that of my son.'

Thus Sir Christopher Kitson and Sir William Trenton rose up knights; and
bore their honours with a certain bluntness that made them butts, even
while they were the heroes of the day; and Henry, who had resumed his gay
temper, made much diversion out of their mingled shrewdness and
gruffness.

'So,' muttered Malcolm to Ralf Percy, 'we are passed over in the self-
same matter for which these fellows are knighted.'

'Tush!' answered Percy; 'I'd scorn to be confounded with a couple of
clowns like them! Moreover,' he added, with better reason, 'their valour
was more exercised than ours, inasmuch as they thought there was
treachery, and we did not. No, no; when my spurs are won, it shall be
for some prowess, better than standing stock-still.'

Malcolm held his tongue, unwilling that Percy should see that he did feel
this an achievement; but he was vexed at the lack of reward, fancying
that knighthood would be no small step in the favour of that imaginary
Esclairmonde whom he had made for himself.

'Light of the world' he loved to call her still, but it was in the
commonplace romance of his time, the mere light of beauty and grace
illuminating the world of chivalry.

CHAPTER VIII: THE CAPTURE

The seven months' siege ended at last, but it was not until the
brightness of May was on the fields outside, and the deadly blight of
famine on all within, that a haggard, wasted-looking deputation came down
from the upper city to treat with the King.

Henry was never severe with the inhabitants of French cities, and exacted
no harsh terms, save that he insisted that Vaurus, the robber captain,
and his two chief lieutenants, should be given up to him to suffer
condign punishment. The warriors who had shut themselves up to hold out
the place by honourable warfare for the Dauphin must be put to ransom as
prisoners of war; but the burghers were to be unmoleste