ver imposed upon
her servitor. I laugh at you, and I envy you." Thus he died, about
Martinmas.

Now was Antoine Riczi a powerful baron, and got no comfort of his
lordship, since in his meditations the King of Darkness, that old
incendiary, had added a daily fuel until the ancient sorrow quickened
into vaulting flames of wrath and of disgust.

"What now avail my riches?" said the Vicomte. "Nay, how much wealthier
was I when I was loved, and was myself an eager lover! I relish no
other pleasures than those of love. Love's sot am I, drunk with a
deadly wine, poor fool, and ever I thirst. As vapor are all my
chattels and my acres, and the more my dominion and my power increase,
the more rancorously does my heart sustain its misery, being robbed of
that fair merchandise which is the King of England's. To hate her is
scant comfort and to despise her none at all, since it follows that I
who am unable to forget the wanton am even more to be despised than
she. I will go into England and execute what mischief I may against
her."

The new Vicomte de Montbrison set forth for Paris, first to do homage
for his fief, and secondly to be accredited for some plausible mission
into England. But in Paris he got disquieting news. Jehane's husband
was dead, and her stepson Henry, the fifth monarch of that name to
reign in Britain, had invaded France to support preposterous claims
which the man advanced to the very crown of that latter kingdom; and as
the earth is altered by the advent of winter was the appearance of
France transformed by his coming, and everywhere the nobles were
stirred up to arms, the castles were closed, the huddled cities were
fortified, and on either hand arose intrenchments.

Thus through this sudden turn was the new Vicomte, the dreamer and the
recluse, caught up by the career of events, as a straw is by a torrent,
when the French lords marched with their vassals to Harfleur, where
they were soundly drubbed by the King of England; as afterward at
Agincourt.

But in the year of grace 1417 there was a breathing space for
discredited France, and presently the Vicomte de Montbrison was sent
into England, as ambassador. He got in London a fruitless audience of
King Henry, whose demands were such as rendered a renewal of the war
inevitable; and afterward, in the month of April, about the day of Palm
Sunday, and within her dower-palace of Havering-Bower, an interview
with Queen Jehane.

_Nicolas omits, an