and beckoned behind him, and, before all the Normans,
my Hugh bore away the empty cup, Saxon fashion, upon the knee.

'"It is Harold!" said De Aquila. "His own stiff-necked blood kneels to
serve him."

'"Be it so," said Henry. "Sit, then, thou that hast been Harold of
England."

'The madman sat, and hard, dark Henry looked at him between half-shut
eyes. We others stared like oxen, all but De Aquila, who watched Rahere
as I have seen him watch a far sail on the sea.

'The wine and the warmth cast the old man into a dream. His white head
bowed; his hands hung. His eye indeed was opened, but the mind was
shut. When he stretched his feet, they were scurfed and road-cut like a
slave's.

'"Ah, Rahere," cried Hugh, "why hast thou shown him thus? Better have
let him die than shame him--and me!"

'"Shame thee?" said the King. "Would any baron of mine kneel to me if I
were witless, discrowned, and alone, and Harold had my throne?"

'"No," said Rahere. "I am the sole fool that might do it, Brother,
unless"--he pointed at De Aquila, whom he had only met that day--"yonder
tough Norman crab kept me company. But, Sir Hugh, I did not mean to
shame him. He hath been somewhat punished through, maybe, little fault
of his own."

'"Yet he lied to my Father, the Conqueror," said the King, and the old
man flinched in his sleep.

'"Maybe," said Rahere, "but thy Brother Robert, whose throat we purpose
soon to slit with our own hands----"

'"Hutt!" said the King, laughing. "I'll keep Robert at my table for a
life's guest when I catch him. Robert means no harm. It is all his
cursed barons."

'"None the less," said Rahere, "Robert may say that thou hast not always
spoken the stark truth to him about England. I should not hang too many
men on _that_ bough, Brother."

'"And it is certain," said Hugh, "that"--he pointed to the old
man--"Harold was forced to make his promise to the Great Duke."

'"Very strongly forced," said De Aquila. He had never any pride in the
Duke William's dealings with Harold before Hastings. Yet, as he said,
one cannot build a house all of straight sticks.

'"No matter how he was forced," said Henry, "England was promised to my
Father William by Edward the Confessor. Is it not so?" William of Exeter
nodded. "Harold confirmed that promise to my Father on the bones of the
Saints. Afterwards he broke his oath and would have taken England by the
strong hand."

'"Oh! La! La!" Rahere rolled up his eyes like a gi