his brother,
he will the more easily be persuaded. Of the garrison we are
sure, and all that is now needful is, that the one-eyed Squire,
whereof you spoke to me, should receive warning before he
arrives at the Castle.

"Tell him to choose his time, and manage matters so that there
may be no putting to ransom. He will understand my meaning.

"Greeting you well, therefore,
"Fulk, Baron of Clarenham."

"What means this?" exclaimed Agnes, as a tissue of treachery opened
before her eyes.

"Ay, that you may say," said Leonard, his slow brain only fixed upon
Fulk's involved sentences, and utterly unconscious of the horror
expressed in her tone. "How is a man to understand what he would have
me to do? Send to Le Borgne Basque at Chateau Norbelle? Is that it?
Read it to me once again, Lady, for the love of the Saints. What am I
to tell Le Borgne Basque? No putting to ransom, doth he say? He might
be secure enough for that matter--Eustace Lynwood is little like to
ransom himself."

"But what mean you?" said Agnes, eagerly hoping that she had done her
brother injustice in her first horrible thought. "Sir Eustace Lynwood,
if you spake of him, is no prisoner, but is here at Bordeaux."

"He shall not long be so," said Leonard. "Heard you not this very noon
that the Prince bestows on him the government of Chateau Norbelle on
the marches of Gascony? Well, that is the matter treated of in this
letter. Let me see, let me see, how was it to be? Yes, that is it!
It is Le Borgne Basque who is Seneschal. Ay, true, that I know,--and
'twas he who was to admit Clisson's men."

"Admit Clisson's men!"

"Ay--'tis one of those Castles built by the old Paladin, Renaud de
Montauban, that Eustace used to talk about. I ween he did not know of
this trick that will be played on himself--and all of them have, they
say, certain secret passages leading through the vaults into the
Castle. Le Borgne Basque knows them all, for he has served much in
those parts, and Fulk placed him as Seneschal for the very purpose."

"For the purpose of admitting Clisson's men? Do I understand you
right, Sir Knight, or do my ears play me false?"

"Yes, I speak right. Do you not see, Lady Agnes, it is the only way to
free your house of this stumbling-block--this beggarly upstart
Eustace--who, as long as he lives, will never acknowledge Fulk's
rights, and would bring up his nephew to the same prid