ole family
numbered twenty-two), his esquire; and on Alice's side, her father,
Esclairmonde, and a few other ladies.

At the last moment, however, the King himself came up, leaning on
Warwick's arm, looking thin, ill, and flushed, but resolved to do honour
to his faithful Salisbury, at whose request he had permitted the barony
of Montagu to be at once transferred to Nevil, who would thenceforth be
called by that title.

After the ceremony, King Henry kissed the gentle bride, placed a costly
ring upon her finger, and gave his best and warmest wishes to the newly-
married pair. Little guessed any there present what the sound of Warwick
and Salisbury would be in forty years' time to the babe cradled at
Windsor.

As the King passed Esclairmonde, he paused, and said, in an undertone,
'Dear lady, deem not that I have forgotten your holy purpose; but you
understand that there are some who are jealous of any benefit conferred
on Paris save from themselves, and whose alliance I may not risk. But if
God be pleased to grant me this battle also, then, with His good
pleasure, I shall not be forced to have such respect to persons; and when
I return, lady, whether the endowment come from your bounty or no, God
helping us, you shall begin the holy work of St. Katharine's bedeswomen
among the poor of Paris.'

But while Henry V., with all his grave sweetness, spoke these words to
Esclairmonde de Luxemburg, this was the farewell of Countess Jaqueline of
Hainault to Malcolm Stewart:

'Look here, my languishing swain; never mind her scorn, but win your
spurs in the battle that is to be, and then make some excuse to get back
again to us before the two Kings, with all their scruples. Then beshrew
me but she shall be yours! If Monseigneur de Therouenne and I cannot
manage one proud girl, I am not Countess of Hainault!'

This promise sent him away, planning the enjoyment of conquering
Esclairmonde's long resistance, and teaching her where to find happiness.
Should he punish her, by being stern and tyrannical at first? or should
his kindness teach her to repent? When he was a knight, he would be in a
condition to assert his authority, he thought; and of knighthood both he
and Ralf Percy felt almost certain, in that wholesale dubbing of knights
that was wont to be the preliminary of a battle. To be sure, they had
indulged in a good many unlicensed pleasures at Paris--Ralf from sheer
reckless love of sport, Malcolm in his endeavour to