in him, he
answered the King as no other man in all England would have dared answer
him.

"My Lord King," he cried, "that you be my Lord King alone prevents Simon
de Montfort from demanding satisfaction for such a gross insult. That
you take advantage of your kingship to say what you would never dare say
were you not king, brands me not a traitor, though it does brand you a
coward."

Tense silence fell upon the little company of lords and courtiers as
these awful words fell from the lips of a subject, addressed to his
king. They were horrified, for De Montfort's bold challenge was to them
but little short of sacrilege.

Henry, flushing in mortification and anger, rose to advance upon De
Montfort, but suddenly recollecting the power which he represented, he
thought better of whatever action he contemplated and, with a haughty
sneer, turned to his courtiers.

"Come, my gentlemen," he said, "methought that we were to have a turn
with the foils this morning. Already it waxeth late. Come, DeFulm! Come,
Leybourn!" and the King left the apartment followed by his gentlemen,
all of whom had drawn away from the Earl of Leicester when it became
apparent that the royal displeasure was strong against him. As the
arras fell behind the departing King, De Montfort shrugged his broad
shoulders, and turning, left the apartment by another door.

When the King, with his gentlemen, entered the armory he was still
smarting from the humiliation of De Montfort's reproaches, and as he
laid aside his surcoat and plumed hat to take the foils with De Fulm,
his eyes alighted on the master of fence, Sir Jules de Vac, who was
advancing with the King's foil and helmet. Henry felt in no mood for
fencing with De Fulm, who, like the other sycophants that surrounded
him, always allowed the King easily to best him in every encounter.

De Vac he knew to be too jealous of his fame as a swordsman to permit
himself to be overcome by aught but superior skill, and this day Henry
felt that he could best the devil himself.

The armory was a great room on the main floor of the palace, off the
guard room. It was built in a small wing of the building so that it
had light from three sides. In charge of it was the lean, grizzled,
leather-skinned Sir Jules de Vac, and it was he whom Henry commanded to
face him in mimic combat with the foils, for the King wished to go with
hammer and tongs at someone to vent his suppressed rage.

So he let De Vac assume to his