d by a tarnished baldric over the shoulder hung
the horn which announced his approach. He had a swarthy and sunburnt
visage, with a thin beard, and piercing dark eyes, a well formed mouth
and nose, and other features which might have been pronounced handsome,
but for the black elf locks which hung around his face, and the air of
wildness and emaciation, which rather seemed to indicate a savage than a
civilized man.

"He also is a Bohemian!" said the ladies to each other. "Holy Mary, will
the King again place confidence in these outcasts?"

"I will question the man, if it be your pleasure," said Quentin, "and
assure myself of his fidelity as I best may."

Durward, as well as the Ladies of Croye, had recognised in this man's
dress and appearance the habit and the manners of those vagrants with
whom he had nearly been confounded by the hasty proceedings of Trois
Eschelles and Petit Andre, and he, too, entertained very natural
apprehensions concerning the risk of reposing trust in one of that
vagrant race.

"Art thou come hither to seek us?" was his first question. The stranger
nodded. "And for what purpose?"

"To guide you to the Palace of Him of Liege."

"Of the Bishop?"

The Bohemian again nodded.

"What token canst thou give me that we should yield credence to thee?"

"Even the old rhyme, and no other," answered the Bohemian.

"The page slew the boar,
The peer had the gloire."

"A true token," said Quentin, "lead on, good fellow--I will speak
farther with thee presently."

Then falling back to the ladies, he said, "I am convinced this man is
the guide we are to expect, for he hath brought me a password, known,
I think, but to the King and me. But I will discourse with him farther,
and endeavour to ascertain how far he is to be trusted."

CHAPTER XVI: THE VAGRANT

I am as free as Nature first made man,
Ere the base laws of servitude began
When wild in woods the noble savage ran.

THE CONQUEST OF GRENADA

While Quentin held the brief communication with the ladies necessary
to assure them that this extraordinary addition to their party was the
guide whom they were to expect on the King's part, he noticed (for he
was as alert in observing the motions of the stranger, as the Bohemian
could be on his part) that the man not only turned his head as far back
as he could to peer at them, but that, with a singular sort of agility,
more resembling that of a monkey than o