t least do my best, if thou
but tell me where to seek the quarry and when."

"It is well," said the Marshal, "and to-morrow my squire, whom thou
seest yonder, and who hight Simon, shall tell thee where the hunt is up,
and thou shalt go with him. But hearken! thou shalt not call me king;
for to-day there is no king in Oakenrealm, and I am but Marshal, and
Earl of the king that shall be."

The lad fell a-musing for a minute, and then he said: "Yea, Lord
Marshal, I shall do thy will: but meseemeth I have heard some tale of
one who was but of late king in Oakenrealm: is it not so, Lord?"

"Stint thy talk, young man," cried the Marshal in a harsh voice, "and
abide to-morrow; who knoweth who shall be king, and whether thou or I
shall live to see him."

But as he spake the words they seemed to his heart like a foretelling
of evil, and he turned pale and trembled, and said to Christopher: "Come
hither, lad; I will give thee a gift, and then shalt thou depart till
to-morrow." So Christopher drew near to him, and the Marshal pulled off
a ring from his finger and set it on the lad's, and said to him: "Now
depart in peace;" and Christopher bent the knee to him and thanked him
for the gracious gift of the ruler of Oakenrealm, and then went his ways
out of the hall, and the folk without gave a glad cry as he came amongst
them.

But by then he was come to the door, Lord Rolf looked on his hand, and
saw that, instead of giving the youngling a finger-ring which he had
bought of a merchant for a price of five bezants, as he had meant to
do, he had given him a ring which the old King had had, whereon was the
first letter of his name (Christopher to wit), and a device of a crowned
rose, for this ring was a signet of his. Wherefore was the Marshal once
more sore troubled, and he arose, and was half minded to run down the
hall after Christopher; but he refrained him, and presently smiled
to himself, and then fell a-talking to Lord Richard, sweetly and
pleasantly.

SO wore the day to evening; but, ere he went to bed, the Lord Rolf had
a privy talk, first with Lord Richard, and after with his squire Simon.
What followed of that talk ye may hear after.

CHAPTER VII. HOW CHRISTOPHER WENT A JOURNEY INTO THE WILD-WOOD.

Next morning Christopher, who slept in the little hall of the inner
court of the Castle, arose betimes, and came to the great gate; but, for
as early as he was, there he saw the squire Simon abiding him, standing