, a young Breton seigneur,
Sir Thomas Belford, a burly thick-set Midland Englishman, Sir Thomas
Walton, whose surcoat of scarlet martlets showed that he was of the
Surrey Waltons, James Marshall and John Russell, young English squires,
and the two brothers, Richard and Hugh Le Galliard, who were of Gascon
blood. Besides these were several squires, unknown to fame, and of the
new-comers, Sir Robert Knolles, Sir Thomas Percy, Nigel Loring and
two other squires, Allington and Parsons. These were the company
who gathered in the torch-light round the table of the Seneschal of
Ploermel, and kept high revel with joyous hearts because they thought
that much honor and noble deeds lay before them.

But one sad face there was at the board, and that belonged to him at the
head of it. Sir Robert Bambro' sat with his chin leaning upon his hand
and his eyes downcast upon the cloth, whilst all round him rose the
merry clatter of voices, everyone planning some fresh enterprise which
might now be attempted. Sir Robert Knolles was for an immediate advance
upon Josselin. Calverly thought that a raid might be made into the South
where the main French power lay. Others spoke of an attack upon Vannes.

To all these eager opinions Bambro' listened in a moody silence, which
he broke at last by a fierce execration which drew a hushed attention
from the company. "Say no more, fair sirs," he cried; "for indeed your
words are like so many stabs in my heart. All this and more we might
indeed have done. But of a truth you are too late."

"Too late?'" cried Knolles. "What mean you, Richard?"

"Alas; that I should have to say it, but you and all these fair soldiers
might be back in England once more for all the profit that I am like to
have from your coming. Saw you a rider on a white horse ere you reached
the Castle?"

"Nay, I saw him not?"

"He came by the western road from Hennebon. Would that he had broken his
neck ere he came here. Not an hour ago he left his message and now
hath ridden on to warn the garrison of Malestroit. A truce has been
proclaimed for a year betwixt the French King and the English, and he
who breaks it forfeits life and estate."

"A truce!" Here was an end to all their fine dreams. They looked blankly
at each other all round the table, whilst Croquart brought his great
fist down upon the board until the glasses rattled again. Knolles sat
with clenched hands as if he were a figure of stone, while Nigel's heart
turned c