Hall is too cold for old
bones."

'As soon as he was off-horse Fulke went to the chapel with Gilbert to give
thanks for his safe coming, and when he had eaten--he was a fat man, and
rolled his eyes greedily at our good roast Sussex wheatears--we led him to
the little upper chamber, whither Gilbert had already gone with the
Manor-roll. I remember when Fulke heard the tide blow and whistle in the
shaft he leaped back, and his long down-turned stirrup-shoes caught in the
rushes and he stumbled, so that Jehan behind him found it easy to knock
his head against the wall.'

'Did you know it was going to happen?' said Dan.

'Assuredly,' said Sir Richard, with a sweet smile. 'I put my foot on his
sword and plucked away his dagger, but he knew not whether it was day or
night for a while. He lay rolling his eyes and bubbling with his mouth,
and Jehan roped him like a calf. He was cased all in that new-fangled
armour which we call lizard-mail. Not rings like my hauberk here'--Sir
Richard tapped his chest--'but little pieces of dagger-proof steel
overlapping on stout leather. We stripped it off (no need to spoil good
harness by wetting it), and in the neck-piece De Aquila found the same
folden piece of parchment which we had put back under the hearthstone.

'At this Gilbert would have run out. I laid my hand on his shoulder. It
sufficed. He fell to trembling and praying on his beads.

'"Gilbert," said De Aquila, "here be more notable sayings and doings of
our Lord of Pevensey for thee to write down. Take penner and inkhorn,
Gilbert. We cannot all be Sacristans of Battle."

'Said Fulke from the floor, "Ye have bound a King's messenger. Pevensey
shall burn for this!"

'"Maybe. I have seen it besieged once," said De Aquila, "but heart up,
Fulke. I promise thee that thou shalt be hanged in the middle of the
flames at the end of that siege, if I have to share my last loaf with
thee; and that is more than Odo would have done when we starved out him
and Mortain."

'Then Fulke sat up and looked long and cunningly at De Aquila.

'"By the Saints," said he, "why didst thou not say thou wast on the Duke's
side at the first?"

'"Am I?" said De Aquila.

'Fulke laughed and said, "No man who serves King Henry dare do this much
to his messenger. When didst thou come over to the Duke? Let me up and we
can smooth it out together." And he smiled and becked and winked.

'"Yes, we will smooth it out," said De Aquila. He nodded to me, and J