trusty Baron of Gilsland. "Art thou sure this
Scottish man is a tall man and true?"

"I cannot say, my lord," replied the jealous Borderer. "I live a little
too near the Scots to gather much truth among them, having found them
ever fair and false. But this man's bearing is that of a true man,
were he a devil as well as a Scot; that I must needs say for him in
conscience."

"And for his carriage as a knight, how sayest thou, De Vaux?" demanded
the King.

"It is your Majesty's business more than mine to note men's bearings;
and I warrant you have noted the manner in which this man of the Leopard
hath borne himself. He hath been full well spoken of."

"And justly, Thomas," said the King. "We have ourselves witnessed him.
It is indeed our purpose in placing ourselves ever in the front of
battle, to see how our liegemen and followers acquit themselves, and
not from a desire to accumulate vainglory to ourselves, as some have
supposed. We know the vanity of the praise of man, which is but a
vapour, and buckle on our armour for other purposes than to win it."

De Vaux was alarmed when he heard the King make a declaration so
inconsistent with his nature, and believed at first that nothing short
of the approach of death could have brought him to speak in depreciating
terms of military renown, which was the very breath of his nostrils. But
recollecting he had met the royal confessor in the outer pavilion, he
was shrewd enough to place this temporary self-abasement to the effect
of the reverend man's lesson, and suffered the King to proceed without
reply.

"Yes," continued Richard, "I have indeed marked the manner in which this
knight does his devoir. My leading-staff were not worth a fool's bauble
had he escaped my notice; and he had ere now tasted of our bounty, but
that I have also marked his overweening and audacious presumption."

"My liege," said the Baron of Gilsland, observing the King's countenance
change, "I fear I have transgressed your pleasure in lending some
countenance to his transgression."

"How, De Multon, thou?" said the King, contracting his brows, and
speaking in a tone of angry surprise. "Thou countenance his insolence?
It cannot be."

"Nay, your Majesty will pardon me to remind you that I have by mine
office right to grant liberty to men of gentle blood to keep them a
hound or two within camp, just to cherish the noble art of venerie; and
besides, it were a sin to have maimed or harmed a thing so n