brothers, who for the past six months seemed to have vanished from the
face of the earth. But for the moment Gaston was too intent upon asking
questions to have leisure to answer any.

"How?" he questioned; "what mean you, reverend Sir? Everybody asking
news of her? How comes that about?"

"Marry, for the reason that the lady hath disappeared these last three
weeks from her father's house, and none can tell whither she has fled,
or whether she has been spirited away, or what hath befallen her. Sir
Hugh is in a mighty taking, for he had just arranged a marriage betwixt
her and Peter Sanghurst, and the lady had given her consent (or so it is
said, albeit there be some who doubt the truth of that), and he is
sorely vexed to know what can have become of her."

"Peter Sanghurst! that arch-villain!" cried Gaston, involuntarily laying
his hand on the hilt of his dagger. "Mine uncle, I have come to ask
counsel of thee about that same miscreant. I am glad that he at least
has not fled the country. He shall not escape the fate he so richly merits."

And then, with flashing eyes and words eloquent through excess of
feeling, Gaston related the whole story of the past months: the
appearance on board the vessel of the Black Visor; the concerted action
against Raymond carried out by Sanghurst, thus disguised, and the Sieur
de Navailles; and the cruelty devised against him, from which he had
escaped only by something of a miracle.

And as Master Bernard de Brocas listened to this tale of treachery,
planned and carried out against one of his own name and race, an
answering light shone in his eyes, and he smote his palms together,
crying out in sudden wrath:

"Gaston, the King shall hear of this! Thou shalt tell to him the tale as
thou hast told it to me. He will not hear patiently of such indignities
offered to a subject of his, not though the King of France himself had
done it! That Sieur de Navailles is no friend to England. I know him
well, and his false, treacherous ways. I have heard much of him ere now,
and the King has his eye upon him. Gaston, this hollow truce cannot long
continue. The nobles and the King are alike weary of a peace which is no
peace, and which the King of France or his lords are continually
breaking. A very little, and the flame of war will burst out anew. It
may be that even this tale of thine may put the spark to the train (as
they say of these new artillery engines that are so astonishing men by
thei