re were lemon-trees and a fountain, and above
the old white walls, and above the strutting pigeons, a square of blue,
he began to speak of his affairs, of what he had done and of what was to
do.

Bertran's was a grudging spirit: you shall hear the Abbot Milo upon that
matter anon, than whom there are few better qualified to speak. He
grudged Richard everything--his beauty, his knit and graceful body, his
brain like a sword, his past exploits, his present content. What it was
contented him he knew not altogether, though a letter from Saint-Pol had
in part advised him; but he was sure he had wherewithal to discontent
him. 'Foh! a juicy orange indeed,' he said to himself, 'but I can wring
him dry.' If Richard hugged one thought, Bertran hugged another, and
took it to bed with him o' nights. Now, therefore, when Richard spoke of
Jehane, Bertran said nothing, waiting his time; but when he went on to
Madame Alois and his duty (which really coloured all the former thought)
Bertran made a grimace.

'Rascal,' says Richard, shamming rough, 'why do you make faces at me?'

Bertran began jerking about like the lid of a boiling pot, and presently
sends a boy for his viol. At this, when it came, he snatched, and set to
plucking a chord here and a chord there, grinning fearfully all the
time.

'A _tenzon!_ A _tenzon!_ beau sire!' cries he. 'Now a _tenzon_ between
you and me!'

'Let it be so,' says Richard; 'have at you. I sing of the calm day, of
the sweets of true love.'

'Accorded,' says the other. 'And I sing of the sours of false love. Do
you set the mode, prince of blood royal as you are.'

Richard took the viol without after-thought and struck a few chords. A
great tenderness was in his heart; he saw Duty and himself hand in hand
walking a long road by night; two large stars beaconed the way; these
were Jehane's eyes. A watcher or two stole into the upper gallery,
leaned on the parapet and listened, for both men were renowned singers.
Richard began to sing of green-eyed Jehane, who wore the gold girdle,
whose hair was red gold. His song was--

Li dous consire
Quem don' Amors soven--

but I English it thus--

'That gentle thought which love will give sometimes is like a plait of
silk and gold, and so is this song of mine to be; wherein you shall find
a red deep cry which cometh from the heart, and a thin blue cry which is
the cry of what is virgin in my soul, and a golden long cry, the cry of
the King, and