of a toilsome journey. The king, with a cry of pleasure at the
meeting, smote his two hands down on the shoulders of the other, who
seemed unconsciously to shrink from the boisterous touch.

"Talbot," he cried, "you promised to overtake me at Tours, but you did
not."

"It is not given to every man to overtake your majesty," said Talbot
hoarsely.

"Constable of Falaise, you were not honest with me that night in your
castle. I spoke to you freely from the bottom of my heart; you
answered me from your lips outward."

"I do not understand your majesty," replied the young man grimly.

"Yes, you do. You love Mary of Vendome. Why did you not tell me so?"

"To what purpose should I have made such a confession, even if it were
the fact?"

"To the purpose of truth, if for nothing else. God's sake, man, is it
thus you love in France! Cold Scotland can be in that your tutor. In
your place, there had been a quick divorce between my sword and
scabbard. Were my rival twenty times a king, I'd face him out and
say, by Cupid's bow, return or fight."

"What! This in your castle to your guest?" exclaimed Talbot.

"No, perhaps not. You are in the right, constable, you are in the
right. I had forgotten your situation for the moment. I should have
been polite to him within my own walls, but I should have followed
him across my marches and slit his gullet on the king's highway."

Notwithstanding his distraction of mind the newcomer smiled somewhat
wanly at the impetuosity of the other.

"You must remember that while your foot presses French soil, you are
still the guest of all true Frenchmen, nevertheless your majesty's
words have put new life into my veins. Did you see Mary of Vendome?"

"Yes, and there is not three months' life left to her unless she draws
vitality from your presence. Man, man, why stand you here idling?
Climb walls, force bolts, kidnap the girl and marry her in spite of
all the world."

"Alas, there is not a priest in all France would dare to marry us,
knowing her pledged to your majesty."

"Priests of France! I have priests in my own train who will, at a word
from me, link you tighter than these stones are cemented together.
God's will, Talbot, these obstacles but lend interest to the chase."

"Is it possible that you, having opportunity, care not to marry Mary
of Vendome?" cried the amazed young man, who could not comprehend
that where his preference fell another might be indifferent; for she
was, as h