nged.

"I will negotiate with Lord Holland for your pardon," said he, "either
through my father or in some other way. But, in the mean time, you
must keep yourselves closely concealed."

The Earl of Stafford, Lord Ralph Stafford's father, was a nobleman of
the very highest rank, and of great influence.

It is a curious indication of the ideas that prevailed in those days,
and of the relations that subsisted between the nobles and their
dependants, that the slaughter of a man in an affray of this kind was
a matter to be _arranged_ between the masters respectively of the men
engaged in it.

The archers went away to hide themselves until Lord Ralph could
arrange the matter.

In the mean time, the squire who had escaped in the fray hurried home
and related the matter to Lord Holland. Lord Holland was greatly
enraged. He uttered dreadful imprecations against Lord Ralph Stafford
and against Sir Miles, whom he seemed to consider responsible for the
death of his squire, and declared that he would not sleep until he had
had his revenge. So he mounted his horse, and, taking some trusty
attendants with him, rode into Beverley, and asked where Sir Miles's
lodgings were. While he was going toward the place, breathing fury and
death, suddenly, in a narrow lane, he came upon Lord Ralph, who was
then going to find him, in order to arrange about the murder. It was
now, however, late in the evening, and so dark that the parties did
not at first know each other.

"Who comes here?" said Lord Holland, when he saw Sir Ralph
approaching.

"I am Stafford," replied Sir Ralph.

"You are the very man I want to see," said Lord Holland. "One of your
servants has killed my squire--the one that I loved so much."

As he said this, he brought down so heavy a blow upon Sir Ralph's head
as to fell him from his horse to the ground. He then rode on. The
attendants hurried to the spot and raised Sir Ralph up. They found him
faint and bleeding, and in a few moments he died.

As soon as this fact was ascertained, one of the men rode on after
Lord Holland, and, coming up to him, said,

"My lord, you have killed Lord Stafford."

"Very well," said Lord Holland; "I am glad of it. I would rather it
would be a man of his rank than any body else, for so I am the more
completely revenged for the death of my squire."

As fast as the tidings of these events spread, they produced universal
excitement. The Earl of Stafford, the father of Sir Ralph, was p