he right thou hast, in the
name of God in Trinity and of our Lady.' The Bishop of Tours blessed
them both and the issue, they wheeled apart, and the battle began. It
was short, three careers long. At the first shock Richard unhorsed his
man; at the second he unhelmed him with a deep flesh-furrow in the
cheek; at the third he drove down horse and man together and broke the
Count's back. Saint-Pol never moved again.

The moment it was over, in the silence of all, Prince John came down
from the tribune and fell upon Richard's neck. 'Oh, dearest brother,'
cried he, 'what should I have done if the worst had befallen you? I
cannot bear to think of it.'

'Oh, brother,' Richard said very quietly, 'I think you would have borne
it very well. You would have married Madame Alois, and paid for a mass
or two for me out of the dowry.'

This raking shot was heard by everybody. John grew red as fire. 'Why,
what do you mean, Richard?' he stammered.

And Richard, 'Are my words so encumbered? Think them over, get them by
heart. So doing, be pleased to ride with me to Paris.' At this the
colour left John's face.

'Ah! To Paris?' He looked as if he saw death under a bush.

'That is where we must go,' said Richard, 'so soon as we have prayed for
that poor blind worm on the ground, who now haply sees wherein he has
offended.'

'Conrad of Montferrat, cousin of this dead, is there, Richard,' said the
other with intention; but Richard laughed.

'In a very good hour we shall find him. I have to give him news of his
cousin Saint-Pol. What is he there for?'

'It is in the matter of the kingdom of Jerusalem. He seeks Sibylla and
that crown, and is like to get them.'

'I think not, John, I think not. We will fill his head with other
thoughts; we will set it wanting mine. Your chance is a fair one yet,
brother.'

Prince John laughed, but not comfortably. 'Your tongue bites, Richard.'

'Pooh,' says Richard, 'what else are you worth? I save my teeth'; and
went his ways.

In Paris Richard repaired to the tower of his kinsman the Count of
Angoulesme, but his brother to the Abbey of Saint-Germain. The Poictevin
herald bore word to King Philip-Augustus on Richard's part; Prince John,
as I suppose, bore his own word whither he had most need for it to go.
It is believed that he contrived to see Madame Alois in private; and if
that great purple cape that held him in talk for nearly an hour by a
windy corner of the Pre-aux-Clercs did not cover t