they were led through various passages to a chamber,
at the door of which the officer wished to take away Dick's bow. But he
would not give it up.

"The bow and I do not part," he said, in his croaking voice, "for we are
husband and wife, and live and sleep together as the married should."

As Dick spoke the door was opened, and Prince Edward appeared.

"And do you eat together also, good fellow?" he asked, having overheard
the talk.

"Ay, sir, we feed full together," replied Dick grimly; "or so thought
some on Blythburgh Marsh a few days gone."

"I should like to hear that tale," said the Prince. "Meanwhile, since
both my father and I love archers, let him pass with his bow. Only keep
his arrows lest it should happen to grow hungry here."

Then they entered the chamber, led by the Prince. It was a fine place,
with a vaulted stone roof and windows of coloured glass, that looked
like the chancel of a church. Only at the head of it, where the altar
should have been, was a kind of dais. On this dais were set some
high-backed oaken chairs with many lanterns behind them in which burned
tapers that, together with a great wood fire, gave light to the chamber.

In one of these chairs sat a gracious lady, who was embroidering
something silken in a frame. This was Queen Philippa, and talking to
her stood the tall King, clad in a velvet robe lined with fur. Behind,
seated at a little table on which lay parchments, was a man in a
priest's robe, writing. There was no one else in the room.

Hugh and Dick advanced to the foot of the dais, and stood there bowing.

"Who are these?" asked the King of the Prince. "Oh, I remember, the man
who overthrew Sir Ambrose and said he had a message!"

"Ay, Sire," answered the Prince; "and this dust-coloured fellow is his
servant, who will not part with his bow, which he calls his wife and
says he sleeps with."

"I would all Englishmen did the same," broke in the King. "Say, man, can
you shoot straight?"

"I know not, Sire," replied Grey Dick, "but perhaps straighter than
most, for God, Who withheld all else from me, gave me this gift. At
least, if I be not made drunk overnight, I'll match myself against any
man at this Court, noble or simple, and stake twenty angels on it."

"Twenty angels! Have you so much, fellow?"

"Nay, Sire, nor more than one; but as I know I shall win, what does that
matter?"

"Son," said the King, "see that this man is kept sober to-night, and
to-morrow we