Presently, as Cuthbert was about to serve his master with a cup of wine,
the tall page pushed suddenly against him, spilling a portion of the
wine over his dress.

"What a clumsy child!" he said scoffingly.

"You are a rough and ill-mannered loon," Cuthbert said angrily. "Were
you in any other presence I would chastise you as you deserve."

The tall page burst into a mocking laugh.

"Chastise me!" he said. "Why, I could put you in my pocket for a little
hop-of-my-thumb as you are."

"I think," said Sir Jacquelin--for the boys' voices both rose loud--to
the earl, "you had better send that brat home and order him to be
whipped."

"Sir count," said the earl, "your manners are insolent, and were we not
engaged upon a Crusade, it would please me much to give you a lesson on
that score."

Higher and higher the dispute rose, until some angry word caught the ear
of the king.

Amid the general buzz of voices King Philip rose, and speaking a word
to King Richard, moved from the table, thus giving the sign for the
breaking up of the feast.

Immediately afterward a page touched the earl and Sir Jacquelin upon the
shoulder, and told them that the kings desired to speak with them in the
tent of the King of France.

The two nobles strode through the crowd, regarding each other with eyes
much like those of two dogs eager to fly at each other's throat.

"My lords, my lords," said King Philip when they entered, "this is
against all law and reason. For shame, to be brawling at my table. I
would not say aught openly, but methinks it is early indeed for the
knights and nobles engaged in a common work to fall to words."

"Your majesty," said the Earl of Evesham, "I regret deeply what has
happened. But it seemed from the time we sat down to the meal that this
lord sought to pass a quarrel upon me, and I now beseech your majesty
that you will permit us to settle our differences in the lists."

King Richard gave a sound of assent, but the King of France shook his
head gravely.

"Do you forget," he said, "the mission upon which you are assembled
here? Has not every knight and noble in these armies taken a solemn oath
to put aside private quarrels and feuds until the holy sepulcher is
taken? Shall we at this very going off show that the oath is a mere form
of words? Shall we show before the face of Christendom that the knights
of the cross are unable to avoid flying at each other's throats, even
while on their way to wrest the