closed, and no blazonry upon his
simple white surcoat or plain black shield. The other, who was evidently
his squire and attendant, was unarmed save for the helmet upon his
head, but bore in his right hand a very long and heavy oaken spear which
belonged to his master. In his left hand the squire held not only the
reins of his own horse but those of a great black war-horse, fully
harnessed, which trotted along at his side. Thus the three horses and
their two riders rode swiftly to the lists, and it was the blare of the
trumpet sounded by the squire as his lord rode into the arena which
had broken in upon the prize-giving and drawn away the attention and
interest of the spectators.

"Ha, John!" cried the prince, craning his neck, "who is this cavalier,
and what is it that he desires?"

"On my word, sire," replied Chandos, with the utmost surprise upon his
face, "it is my opinion that he is a Frenchman."

"A Frenchman!" repeated Don Pedro. "And how can you tell that, my Lord
Chandos, when he has neither coat-armor, crest, or blazonry?"

"By his armor, sire, which is rounder at elbow and at shoulder than any
of Bordeaux or of England. Italian he might be were his bassinet more
sloped, but I will swear that those plates were welded betwixt this and
Rhine. Here comes his squire, however, and we shall hear what strange
fortune hath brought him over the marches."

As he spoke the attendant cantered up the grassy enclosure, and pulling
up his steed in front of the royal stand, blew a second fanfare upon
his bugle. He was a raw-boned, swarthy-cheeked man, with black bristling
beard and a swaggering bearing.

Having sounded his call, he thrust the bugle into his belt, and, pushing
his way betwixt the groups of English and of Gascon knights, he reined
up within a spear's length of the royal party.

"I come," he shouted in a hoarse, thick voice, with a strong Breton
accent, "as squire and herald from my master, who is a very valiant
pursuivant-of-arms, and a liegeman to the great and powerful monarch,
Charles, king of the French. My master has heard that there is jousting
here, and prospect of honorable advancement, so he has come to ask that
some English cavalier will vouchsafe for the love of his lady to run a
course with sharpened lances with him, or to meet him with sword, mace,
battle-axe, or dagger. He bade me say, however, that he would fight only
with a true Englishman, and not with any mongrel who is neither Englis