in no hurry, but desperately
reckless, rode close to the tower and met the hardy eyes of Saint-Pol
watching him from the top. Richard was a galliard fighter, as he had
always been.

'Come down, Saint-Pol,' he would say, 'and dance with Limoges.'

'When I come down, sire,' the answer would be, 'there will be no dancing
in your host.'

Richard took his time, and also intolerable liberties with his life.
Milo lost his hair with anxiety, not daring to speak; Gaston of Bearn
did dare, but was shaken off by his mad master. Des Barres, who loved
him, perhaps, as well as any, never left him for long together, and wore
his brain out devising shifts which might keep him away from the walls.
But Richard, for this present whim of his, chose out a companion devil
as heedless as himself, Mercadet namely, his brown Gascon captain, of
like proportions, like mettle, like foolhardiness; and with him made the
daily round, never omitting an exchange of grim banter with Saint-Pol.
It was terrible to see him, without helm on his head, or reason in it,
canter within range of the bow.

'Oh, Saint-Pol,' he said one day, 'if thou wert worth my pains, I would
have thee down and serve thee as I did thy brother Eudo. But no; thou
must be hanged, it seems.' And Saint-Pol, grinning cheerfully, answered,
'Have no fear, King, thou wilt never hang me.'

'By my soul,' said Richard back again, 'a little more of this bold gut
of thine, my man, and I let thee go free.'

'Sire,' said Saint-Pol soberly, 'that were the worst of all.'

'How so, boy?'

'Because, if you forgave me, I should be required by my knighthood to
forgive you; and that I will never do if I can help it. So I should live
and be damned.'

'Have it then as it must be,' said Richard laughing, and turned his
back. Saint-Pol could have shot him dead, but would not. 'Look, De
Gurdun,' he says, 'there goes the King unmailed. Wilt thou shoot him in
the back, and so end all?'

'By God, Eustace,' says Gilles, 'that I will not.'

'Why not, then?'

Gurdun said, 'Because I dare not. I am more afraid of him when he scorns
me thus than when his face is upon me. Let him lead an assault upon the
walls, and I will split his headpiece if I may; but I will never again
try him unarmed.'

'Pouf!' said Saint-Pol; but he was of the same mind.

* * * * *

Then came a day when Des Barres was out upon the neighbouring hills with
a company of knights, scouting. There