Palmer, "were your
antagonist near you. If Ivanhoe ever returns from Palestine, I will be
his surety that he meet you. And for pledge I proffer this reliquary,"
taking a small ivory box from his bosom, "containing a portion of the
true cross, brought from the Monastery of Mount Carmel."

The Templar took from his neck a gold chain, which he flung on the
board, saying, "Let Prior Aymer hold my pledge, and that of this
nameless vagrant, in token that when the Knight of Ivanhoe comes within
the four seas of Britain, he underlies the challenge of Brian de
Bois-Guilbert, which, if he answers not, I will proclaim him as a coward
on the walls of every Temple Court in Europe."

"It will not need," said the Lady Rowena, breaking silence; "my voice
shall be heard, if no other in this hall is raised on behalf of the
absent Ivanhoe. I affirm he will meet fairly every honourable challenge,
and I would pledge name and fame that Ivanhoe gives this proud knight
the meeting he desires."

"Lady," said Cedric, "this beseems not; were further pledge necessary, I
myself, justly offended as I am, would yet gage my honour for the honour
of Ivanhoe."

The grace-cup was shortly after served round, and the guests marshalled
to their sleeping apartment.

_II.--The Disinherited Knight_

The Passage of Arms, as it was called, which was to take place at Ashby,
attracted universal attention, as champions of the first renown were to
take the field in the presence of Prince John himself.

The laws of the tournament, proclaimed by the heralds, were briefly:

First, the five challengers were to undertake all comers.

Secondly, the general tournament in which all knights present might take
part; and being divided into two bands of equal numbers, might fight it
out manfully, until the signal was given by Prince John to cease the
combat.

The challengers, headed by Brian de Bois-Guilbert, were all Normans, and
Cedric saw, with keen feeling of dissatisfaction, the advantage they
gained. No less than four parties of knights had gone down before the
challengers, and Prince John began to talk about adjudging the prize to
Bois-Guilbert, who had, with a single spear, overthrown two knights, and
foiled a third.

But a new champion had entered the lists. His suit of armour was of
steel, and the device on his shield was a young oak-tree pulled up by
the roots, with the Spanish word _Desdichado_, signifying Disinherited.
To the astonishment of all