tart. 'Very soon--but _he_ said it was two full hours
later--De Aquila rode to the door, with his shield new scoured (Hugh had
cleansed it), and demanded entertainment, and called me a false knight,
that would starve his overlord to death. Then Hugh cried out that no man
should work in the valley that day, and our Saxons blew horns, and set
about feasting and drinking, and running of races, and dancing and
singing; and De Aquila climbed upon a horse-block and spoke to them in
what he swore was good Saxon, but no man understood it. At night we
feasted in the Great Hall, and when the harpers and the singers were
gone we four sat late at the high table. As I remember, it was a warm
night with a full moon, and De Aquila bade Hugh take down his sword from
the wall again, for the honour of the Manor of Dallington, and Hugh took
it gladly enough. Dust lay on the hilt, for I saw him blow it off.

'She and I sat talking a little apart, and at first we thought the
harpers had come back, for the Great Hall was filled with a rushing
noise of music. De Aquila leaped up; but there was only the moonlight
fretty on the floor.

'"Hearken!" said Hugh. "It is my sword," and as he belted it on the
music ceased.

'"Over Gods, forbid that I should ever belt blade like that," said De
Aquila. "What does it foretell?"

'"The Gods that made it may know. Last time it spoke was at Hastings,
when I lost all my lands. Belike it sings now that I have new lands and
am a man again," said Hugh.

'He loosed the blade a little and drove it back happily into the sheath,
and the sword answered him low and crooningly, as--as a woman would
speak to a man, her head on his shoulder.

'Now that was the second time in all my life I heard this Sword
sing.'...

'Look!' said Una. 'There's Mother coming down the Long Slip. What will
she say to Sir Richard? She can't help seeing him.'

'And Puck can't magic us this time,' said Dan.

'Are you sure?' said Puck; and he leaned forward and whispered to Sir
Richard, who, smiling, bowed his head.

'But what befell the sword and my brother Hugh I will tell on another
time,' said he, rising. 'Ohe, Swallow!'

The great horse cantered up from the far end of the meadow, close to
Mother.

They heard Mother say: 'Children, Gleason's old horse has broken into
the meadow again. Where did he get through?'

'Just below Stone Bay,' said Dan. 'He tore down simple flobs of the
bank! We noticed it just now. And we've c