use."

"Is it even so? Well, then, my lord the duke," resumed Lord Foxham,
"with your good-will, to-morrow, before the army march, I do propose a
marriage. This young squire----"

"Young knight," interrupted Catesby.

"Say ye so, Sir William?" cried Lord Foxham.

"I did myself, and for good service, dub him knight," said Gloucester.
"He hath twice manfully served me. It is not valour of hands, it is a
man's mind of iron, that he lacks. He will not rise, Lord Foxham. 'Tis a
fellow that will fight indeed bravely in a mellay, but hath a capon's
heart. Howbeit, if he is to marry, marry him in the name of Mary, and be
done!"

"Nay, he is a brave lad--I know it," said Lord Foxham. "Content ye,
then, Sir Richard. I have compounded this affair with Master Hamley, and
to-morrow ye shall wed."

Whereupon Dick judged it prudent to withdraw; but he was not yet clear
of the refectory, when a man, but newly alighted at the gate, came
running four stairs at a bound, and, brushing through the abbey
servants, threw himself on one knee before the duke.

"Victory, my lord," he cried.

And before Dick had got to the chamber set apart for him as Lord
Foxham's guest, the troops in the holm were cheering around their fires;
for upon that same day, not twenty miles away, a second crushing blow
had been dealt to the power of Lancaster.

CHAPTER VII

DICK'S REVENGE

The next morning Dick was afoot before the sun, and having dressed
himself to the best advantage with the aid of the Lord Foxham's baggage,
and got good reports of Joan, he set forth on foot to walk away his
impatience.

For some while he made rounds among the soldiery, who were getting to
arms in the wintry twilight of the dawn and by the red glow of torches;
but gradually he strolled farther afield, and at length passed clean
beyond the outposts, and walked alone in the frozen forest, waiting for
the sun.

His thoughts were both quiet and happy. His brief favour with the duke
he could not find it in his heart to mourn; with Joan to wife, and my
Lord Foxham for a faithful patron, he looked most happily upon the
future; and in the past he found but little to regret.

As he thus strolled and pondered, the solemn light of the morning grew
more clear, the east was already coloured by the sun, and a little
scathing wind blew up the frozen snow. He turned to go home; but even as
he turned, his eye lit upon a figure behind a tree.

"Stand!" he cried. "Who goes?