, hast thou
ever told my Gilbert thou canst read Latin hand-of-write?"

'"No," said Hugh. "He is no friend to me, or to Odo my hound either." "No
matter," said De Aquila. "Let him never know thou canst tell one letter
from its fellow, and"--here he jerked us in the ribs with his
scabbard--"watch him both of ye. There be devils in Africa, as I have
heard, but by the Saints there be greater devils in Pevensey!" And that
was all he would say.

'It chanced, some small while afterwards, a Norman man-at-arms would wed a
Saxon wench of the Manor, and Gilbert (we had watched him well since De
Aquila spoke) doubted whether her folk were free or slave. Since De Aquila
would give them a field of good land, if she were free, the matter came up
at the justice in Great Hall before De Aquila. First the wench's father
spoke; then her mother; then all together, till the hall rang and the
hounds bayed. De Aquila held up his hands. "Write her free," he called to
Gilbert by the fireplace. "A' God's Name write her free, before she
deafens me! Yes, yes," he said to the wench that was on her knees at him;
"thou art Cerdic's sister, and own cousin to the Lady of Mercia, if thou
wilt be silent. In fifty years there will be neither Norman nor Saxon, but
all English," said he, "and _these_ are the men that do our work!" He
clapped the man-at-arms, that was Jehan's nephew, on the shoulder, and
kissed the wench, and fretted with his feet among the rushes to show it
was finished. (The Great Hall is always bitter cold.) I stood at his side;
Hugh was behind Gilbert in the fireplace making to play with wise rough
Odo. He signed to De Aquila, who bade Gilbert measure the new field for
the new couple. Out then runs our Gilbert between man and maid, his beads
clashing at his waist, and the Hall being empty, we three sit by the fire.

'Said Hugh, leaning down to the hearthstones, "I saw this stone move under
Gilbert's foot when Odo snuffed at it. Look!" De Aquila digged in the
ashes with his sword; the stone tilted; beneath it lay a parchment folden,
and the writing atop was: "Words spoken against the King by our Lord of
Pevensey--the second part."

'Here was set out (Hugh read it us whispering) every jest De Aquila had
made to us touching the King; every time he had called out to me from the
shot-window, and every time he had said what he would do if he were King
of England. Yes, day by day had his daily speech, which he never stinted,
been set down by