erself, and shook her
head at the thought of the sorrows which an attachment would surely
cause to these two young creatures.

It was early in the morning that Eustace summoned his nephew from the
couch which one of the Clarenham retainers had yielded him, and,
mounting their horses, they renewed their journey towards the coast.

Without further adventure, the Lances of Lynwood, as Arthur still chose
to call their little party, safely arrived at Rennes, the capital of
Brittany, where Jean de Montford held his court. Here they met the
tidings that Charles V. had summoned the Prince of Wales to appear at
his court, to answer an appeal made against him to the sovereign by the
vassals of the Duchy of Aquitaine. Edward's answer was, that he would
appear indeed, but that it should be in full armour, with ten thousand
Knights and Squires at his back; and the war had already been renewed.

The intelligence added to Eustace's desire to be at Bordeaux, but he
could not venture through the enemy's country without exposing himself
to death or captivity; and even within the confines of Brittany itself,
Duke John, though bound by gratitude and affection to the alliance of
the King, who had won for him his ducal coronet, was unable to control
the enmity which his subjects bore to the English, and assured the
Knight that a safe-conduct from him would only occasion his being
robbed and murdered in secret, instead of being taken a prisoner in
fair fight and put to ransom.

If Eustace had been alone with his staunch followers, he would have
trusted to their good swords and swift steeds; but to place Arthur in
such perils would be but to justify Fulk's accusations; and there was
no alternative but to accept the offer made to him by Jean de Montford,
for the sake of his Duchess, a daughter of Edward III., to remain a
guest at his court until the arrival of a sufficient party of English
Knights, who were sure to be attracted by the news of the war.

No less than two months was he obliged to wait, during which both he
and Gaston chafed grievously under their forced captivity; but at
length he learnt that a band of Free Companions had arrived at Rennes,
on their way to offer their service to the Prince of Wales; accordingly
he set forth, and after some interval found himself once more in the
domains of the house of Plantagenet.

It was late in the evening when he rode through the gates of Bordeaux,
and sought the abode of the good old G