I am here to-day. I accuse this lord of the three names of
black treachery to his august liege, Edward, all details of which
treason I am prepared to furnish, and on behalf of that most puissant
monarch I challenge him to single combat, as I am empowered and
commissioned to do."

"Why should I fight the King of England's bravoes?" inquired Acour in
a languid voice of those who stood about him, a question at which they
laughed.

"If the charge of treason is not sufficient," went on Hugh, "I'll add to
it one of cowardice. At the battle of Crecy, as a man here will bear me
witness," and he pointed to Dick, "I overcame in single combat a knight
who wore upon his shield the cognizance of a wolf and on his helm a
wolf's head, which were the arms of Sir Pierre de la Roche. At this
knight's prayer I spared his life, for that day we took no prisoners,
and let him go. Afterward I fought with another knight carrying the
cognizance of a white swan, the arms of the Count de Noyon, and slew
him in fair and single fight. But before he died he told me that he bore
that armour by command of his lord, the Count de Noyon, and that the
said Count fought that day in his mail because he feared the vengeance
of the King of England and my own. Thus it came about that the Wolf who
fought paid the price for the Swan who fled away, hid in the armour of
his friend, whom he left to die for him."

There followed a great silence, for all those noble lords and ladies
who thought little of treason, which to most of them was a very familiar
thing, were not a little stirred by this tale of cowardice and false
arms. The Doge said:

"Noble Cattrina, you have heard the story of the English knight. What do
you answer to it?"

"Only that it is a lie, Illustrious, like everything else that he has
told us," replied Acour with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

"You said that you had a witness, Cavalier de Cressi," said the Doge.
"Where is he?"

"Here," answered Hugh. "Stand forward, Dick, and tell what you saw."

Dick obeyed, and in his low, rasping voice, with more detail than Hugh
had given, set out the story of those two combats at Crecy, of the
sparing of the wolf knight and the slaying of the swan knight.

"What say you now, noble Cattrina?" asked the Doge.

"I say that the man lies even better than his master," answered Acour
coolly, and all the Court laughed.

"Illustrious," said Hugh, "doubtless you have some herald at your Court.
I pray tha