d it chance to be your lot to die, whether
your people or this Frenchman will set on me, or raise a blood-feud
against me. Tell me now, Sir John Clavering."

"If you kill my son in combat _a outrance_, he being the challenger,"
answered the knight, "none shall lift hand against you for that deed
if I can hold them back. But know that I have other cause of quarrel
against you"--and he pointed to his daughter--"and that if you meddle
more with her, who is not for you, certainly you shall die."

"And, young sir," broke in Sir Edmund, "I pray you to understand that
this Lady Eve to-morrow becomes my wife with the will of her father and
her kin; and that if you try to stand between us, although I may not
fight you, seeing what I am and what you are, I'll kill you like a rat
when and where I get the chance! Yes," he added, in a savage snarl, "I
pledge my knightly honour that I will kill you like a rat, if I must
follow you across the world to do so!"

"You will not have need to travel far if I have my will," answered the
young man sternly, "since Red Eve is mine, not yours, and, living or
dead, mine she will remain. As for your fine knightly honour, Sir Edmund
Acour, Count de Noyon, Seigneur of Cattrina, what has a traitor to his
King to do with honour, one who is here as a spy of Philip of France, as
the poor merchant's lad knows well? Oh, take you hand from your sword,
of which you say I am not worthy, and, since you say also that I have so
many enemies, let me begin with a squire of my own degree."

Now at these bold words arose a clamour of voices speaking in French and
English.

"What say you to this, Sir Edmund?" shouted Sir John Clavering above
them all. "You are a great lord and a wealthy, beloved by me also as the
affianced of my daughter, but I am a loyal Englishman who have no truck
with traitors to my King."

"What say I?" asked Sir Edmund calmly. "I say that if this fellow can
fight as well as he can lie, your son has but a poor chance with him.
As you know well, I came hither from France to visit my estates, not to
learn what strength his Grace of England, my liege lord, gathers for the
new war with Philip."

"Enough," said Sir John; "though this is the first I have heard of such
a war, for it would seem that you know more of King Edward's mind than
I do. The light begins to fail, there is no time for talk. Stand clear,
all men, and let these two settle it."

"Ay," croaked Grey Dick, "stand clear, all m