of his father, he found
a flagon of wine on the massive oaken table, and the two Saxon captives
under the guard of four of his dependants. Front-de-Boeuf took a long
drought of wine, and then addressed his prisoners;--for the manner in
which Wamba drew the cap over his face, the change of dress, the gloomy
and broken light, and the Baron's imperfect acquaintance with the
features of Cedric, (who avoided his Norman neighbours, and seldom
stirred beyond his own domains,) prevented him from discovering that the
most important of his captives had made his escape.

"Gallants of England," said Front-de-Boeuf, "how relish ye your
entertainment at Torquilstone?--Are ye yet aware what your 'surquedy'
and 'outrecuidance' [31] merit, for scoffing at the entertainment of
a prince of the House of Anjou?--Have ye forgotten how ye requited the
unmerited hospitality of the royal John? By God and St Dennis, an ye pay
not the richer ransom, I will hang ye up by the feet from the iron bars
of these windows, till the kites and hooded crows have made skeletons
of you!--Speak out, ye Saxon dogs--what bid ye for your worthless
lives?--How say you, you of Rotherwood?"

"Not a doit I," answered poor Wamba--"and for hanging up by the feet,
my brain has been topsy-turvy, they say, ever since the biggin was bound
first round my head; so turning me upside down may peradventure restore
it again."

"Saint Genevieve!" said Front-de-Boeuf, "what have we got here?"

And with the back of his hand he struck Cedric's cap from the head of
the Jester, and throwing open his collar, discovered the fatal badge of
servitude, the silver collar round his neck.

"Giles--Clement--dogs and varlets!" exclaimed the furious Norman, "what
have you brought me here?"

"I think I can tell you," said De Bracy, who just entered the apartment.
"This is Cedric's clown, who fought so manful a skirmish with Isaac of
York about a question of precedence."

"I shall settle it for them both," replied Front-de-Boeuf; "they
shall hang on the same gallows, unless his master and this boar of
Coningsburgh will pay well for their lives. Their wealth is the least
they can surrender; they must also carry off with them the swarms that
are besetting the castle, subscribe a surrender of their pretended
immunities, and live under us as serfs and vassals; too happy if, in
the new world that is about to begin, we leave them the breath of their
nostrils.--Go," said he to two of his attendan