vent to it might only make matters worse.

"Life and honour?--Umph!" said again the Count Crevecoeur, "methinks it
would have been as well, my cousin, if you had not put yourself in the
way of lying under such obligations to this very young gentleman.--But
let it pass. The young gentleman may wait on us, if his quality permit,
and I will see he has no injury--only I will myself take in future the
office of protecting your life and honour, and may perhaps find for him
some fitter duty than that of being a squire of the body to damosels
errant."

"My Lord Count," said Durward, unable to keep silence any longer,
"lest you should talk of a stranger in slighter terms than you might
afterwards think becoming, I take leave to tell you, that I am Quentin
Durward, an Archer of the Scottish Bodyguard, in which, as you well
know, none but gentlemen and men of honour are enrolled."

"I thank you for your information, and I kiss your hands, Seignior
Archer," said Crevecoeur, in the same tone of raillery. "Have the
goodness to ride with me to the front of the party."

As Quentin moved onward at the command of the Count, who had now the
power, if not the right, to dictate his motions, he observed that the
Lady Isabelle followed his motions with a look of anxious and timid
interest, which amounted almost to tenderness, and the sight of which
brought water into his eyes. But he remembered that he had a man's part
to sustain before Crevecoeur, who, perhaps of all the chivalry in France
or Burgundy, was the least likely to be moved to anything but laughter
by a tale of true love sorrow. He determined, therefore, not to wait
his addressing him, but to open the conversation in a tone which should
assert his claim to fair treatment, and to more respect than the Count,
offended perhaps at finding a person of such inferior note placed so
near the confidence of his high born and wealthy cousin, seemed disposed
to entertain for him.

"My Lord Count of Crevecoeur," he said, in a temperate but firm tone of
voice, "may I request of you, before our interview goes farther, to tell
me if I am at liberty, or am to account myself your prisoner?"

"A shrewd question," replied the Count, "which at present I can only
answer by another.--Are France and Burgundy, think you, at peace or war
with each other?"

"That," replied the Scot, "you, my lord, should certainly know better
than I. I have been absent from the Court of France, and have heard no
new