r, and to the utter
amazement of the Prior, as well as of Duke Sigismund, who had just been
served with a meal of Franciscan diet, a knight in full armour, with the
crowned heart on his breast, dashed into the hall, threw a hasty bow to
the Prior, and throwing his arms round the wounded man-at-arms, cried
aloud, 'Geordie--the Master--ye daft callant! See what you have brought
yourself to! What would the Yerl your father say?'

'I trow that I have been striving to do my devoir to my liege's
sisters,' answered George. 'How does my father?--and my mother? Make
your obeisance to the Duke of the Tirol, Rab. Ye can knap the French
with him better than I. Now I can go with him as becomes a yerl's son,
for the freedom of the lady!'

Sir Robert, a veteran Scot, who knew the French world well, was soon
explaining matters to Duke Sigismund, who presently advanced to the heir
of Angus, wrung his hand, and gave him to understand that he accepted
him as a comrade in their doughty enterprise, and honoured his
proceeding as a piece of knight-errantry. He was free from any question
whether George was to be esteemed a rival by hearing it was the Lady
Joanna for whose sake he thus adventured himself, whereas it was not her
beauty, but her sister's intellect that had won the heart of Sigismund.
Perhaps Sir Robert somewhat magnified the grandeur of the house of
Douglas, for Sigismund seemed to view the young man as an equal, which
he was not, as the Hapsburgs of Alsace and the Tirol were sovereign
princes; but, on the other hand, George could count princesses among
his ancestresses, and only Jean's personal ambition had counted his as a
mesalliance.

It was determined to advance upon the Castle of Balchenburg the next
morning, the ten Scottish lances being really forty men, making the
Douglas's troop not much inferior to the Alsatian.

A night's rest greatly restored George, and equipments had been brought
for him, which made him no longer appear only the man-at-arms, but the
gallant young nobleman, though not yet entitled to the Golden Spurs.

Ringan served as their guide up the long hills, through the woods, up
steep slippery slopes, where it became expedient to leave behind the
big heavy war-horses under a guard, while the rest pushed forward, the
Master of Angus's long legs nearly touching the ground, as, not to waste
his strength, he was mounted on Ringan's sure-footed pony, which seemed
at home among mountains. Sigismund himself,