t," said the prior, himself of the
kindred of the "lords of the eagle."

"He is the son of a brother crusader."

"The father is not living?"

"No, he fell in Palestine, within sight of the earthly Jerusalem,
and I trust has found admittance into the Jerusalem which is above;
he committed the boy to my care--

"But let them bring young Hubert hither."

The prior tinkled a silver bell, which lay upon the table, and a
lay brother appeared, to whom he gave the necessary order. A knock
at the door was soon heard, and a lad of some fourteen years
entered in obedience to the prior's summons, and stood at first
abashed before the great earl.

Yet he was not a lad wanting in self confidence; he was tall and
slender, his features were regular, his hair and eyes light, his
face a shapely oval; there was a winning expression on the
features, and altogether it was a persuasive face.

"Dost thou remember me, my son?" asked the earl, as the boy knelt
on one knee, and kissed his hand gracefully.

"It seems many years since thou didst leave me here, my lord."

"Ah! thy memory is good--hast thou been happy here? hast thou done
thy duty?"

"It is dull for an eaglet to be brought up in a cave."

"Art thou the eaglet then, and this the cave? fie! Hubert."

"My father was a soldier of the cross."

"And wouldst thou be a soldier too, my boy? the paths of glory
often lead to the grave; thou art safer far as an acolyte here;
thou wilt perhaps be prior some day."

"I covet not safety, my lord. If my father loved thee, and thou
didst love him, take me to thy castle and let me be thy page. There
are no chivalrous exercises here, no tilt yard, only the bell which
booms all day long; matins and lauds; prime, terce and sext;
vespers and compline; and masses between whiles."

"My son, be not irreverent."

The boy lowered his eyes at the reproof.

"Thou shalt go with me. But, my boy, blame me not if some day thou
grieve over the loss of this sweet peace."

"I love not peace--it is dull."

"How wonderful it is that the son should inherit the father's
tastes with his form," said the earl to the prior. "When this lad's
sire and I were young together he had just the same ideas, the same
restless craving for excitement, and it led him at last to a
soldier's grave. Well, what is bred in the bone will out in the
flesh.

"Hubert, thou shalt go with me to Kenilworth, but it will be a hard
and stern school for thee; there are no idler