name in Poitiers, and had we known your race and quality we
had not been so ready with our shield-rapping."

"At that time," said James Douglas, "I had not the right to add 'of
Douglas' to my titles. But during this year my father hath succeeded
to the Earldom and estates."

"What--then is your father Duke of Touraine?" cried the Duke of
Brittany, much astonished.

"Nay, my lord," said James Douglas, with some little bitterness. "The
King of France hath caused that to revert to himself by the success
which attended a certain mission executed for him in Scotland by his
Chamberlain, the Marshal de Retz, concerning whom we have come from
far to speak with you."

"Ah, my cousin Gilles!" cried Duke John. "He is not a beauty to look
at, but he is a brave man, our Gilles. I heard he had gone to
Scotland. I wonder if he contrived to make himself as popular in your
land as he has done in ours."

With a certain grave severity to which Pierre de l'Hopital nodded
approval, the Lord James replied: "At the instigation of the King of
France and Louis the Dauphin he succeeded in murdering my two cousins
William and David of Douglas, and in carrying over hither with him to
his own country their only sister, the little Countess of
Galloway--thus rooting out the greatest house in Scotland to the hurt
of the whole realm."

"But to your profit, my Lord James of Avondale," commented the hollow
voice of Pierre de l'Hopital, speaking over his master's head.

The face of James Douglas flushed quickly.

"No, messire," he answered with a swift heat. "Not to my profit--to my
infinite loss. For I loved my cousin. I honoured him, and for his sake
would have fought to the death. For his sake have I renounced my own
father that begat me. And for his sake I stand here to ask for justice
to the little maiden, the last of his race, to whom by right belongs
the fairest province of his dominions. No, messire, you are wrong. In
all this have I had no profit but only infinite hurt."

Pierre de l'Hopital bowed low. There was a pleased look on his face
that almost amounted to a smile.

"I crave your pardon, my lord," he said; "that is well said indeed,
and he is a gentleman who speaks it."

"Aye, it is indeed well said, and he had you shrewdly on the hip that
time, Pierre," cried Duke John. "I wish he could teach me thus
cleverly to answer you when you croak."

"If you had as good a cause, my lord," said the President of Brittany
to the Duke, "