ask of another thing: when
thou hast been so pushed to it that thou must needs burn men in their
house, has it been the wont of thee and thine to let the old men and
women and children come out safe, or to burn them in with the rest?"

The Knight looked grimly on him, and said: "Friend of the Dale, if
thou comest to be my man, and thou dost such evil deeds as to burn in
them that may make no defence, then if thou escapest hanging at my
hands thou mayst call me thy dastard thenceforward."

Quoth Osberne: "One more thing I would ask yet: if these gilds of
craft aforesaid should rise up against their King and the tyrants of
the Porte, and they sent to thee for help, wouldst thou give them so
much help as not to be against them, but let them fight it out and the
mightiest to prevail? Or how much more wouldst thou give?"

Stood up Sir Godrick therewith and was very wroth. Said he: "If these
good fellows of the Lesser Crafts rise against their lords and send to
me, then if they have gotten to them so much as the littlest of the
city gates, of if it be but a dromond on the river, then will I go to
them with all mine and leave house and lands behind, that we may
battle it out side by side to live or die together. Or if they may not
do so much as that, yet if all or any of them may win out a-gates and
turn their heads toward Longshaw, then will I ride to meet them with
everything that may bear spear or axe, and I will have them home with
me and arm them and clothe them and feed them and house them, and my
lands shall be their lands, and bite and drop shall we share together,
so long as it holds out: and a noble host shall we gather, and harry
the King and his dastards till we prevail at last, and we will have a
new rule of the City and a new Porte, and I will be the captain
thereof if they will have it so: or else to die in the pain. Now I say
this is the least that I shall do. And if any man be so bold as to
tell me to my face that I will do less, I say that he lies in his
throat; and that shall I prove on him, body to body."

Now Sir Medard fell a-laughing, and he said: "There there! here is no
champion so hardy as to gainsay thee; for I know thee well, old
friend, that thou art preux above all men. And as for the Dalesman,
look on him and see how his eyes are glittering and his cheeks
flushing. Trust me, thou shalt have a man after thine own heart, young
though he be."

Sir Godrick sat down and passed his hand over his b