have stamped out the
plague-spot; the robe of your honour is stainless as of yore.'

For a moment the old man kept silence, and then he looked up, his face
shining.

'Son of my heart,' he said, 'it is enough. From henceforth the seat of
honour is yours, and you shall take my place as the head of my House.'

From that day the young knights vied with each other in gaining leave to
ride in the train of Rodrigo Diaz, or 'the Cid' as he was afterwards
called, and to this name was later added the proud title of 'Campeador.'
Three hundred youths in splendid attire followed him to the court of
Fernando, when he went in his turn to do the king homage, and stood by
his side as he challenged anyone of the blood of Count Lozano to fight
and avenge his death; but no one came. Then his father and his noble
company left their horses to kiss the hand of the king, but Rodrigo
remained in his saddle.

'Get down, get down, Rodrigo!' cried his father, fearing lest the king
should resent his rudeness. 'Swear fealty to thy lord, and kiss his
hand, as a loyal subject should do.'

Now, ever since he had fought with Count Gomez, Rodrigo had felt himself
to be a man, and, more than that, to be much greater than other men, and
he was not pleased to be scolded by his father in the presence of so
many people. Still, he was wise enough to know that it would do him no
good in the eyes of the nobles gathered round, to disobey his father,
and slowly he got down from his horse to do homage with the rest. But so
clumsy was he that, as he knelt, his sword nearly fell out of its
sheath, and the king, thinking Rodrigo meant to kill him, started back,
exclaiming:

'Away, away! you devil! If you have the form of a man, your deeds are
those of a lion.'

'It is base to kiss the hand of such a craven,' answered Rodrigo in
anger, 'and I hold that my father has heaped disgrace on his family by
humbling himself in such a fashion!' And so saying, he rode away, with
his followers behind him.

A few centuries later a man might have lost his head for such words, but
in those days people were accustomed to speak their minds even to
kings, and little harm came of it. Six weeks later, Rodrigo had
forgotten all about it, and, what was more to the purpose, so had the
king, at any rate he pretended to do so, and when Don Diego sent his son
to do his business with Fernando, who was at Burgos, the young man went
willingly. The morning after he reached the city he was