s is _thy fault_," said the Lady AElueva to me, and she kneeled above
him and called for wine and cloths.

'"If I had known," I answered, "he should have ridden and I walked. But he
set me on my horse; he made no complaint; he walked beside me and spoke
merrily throughout. I pray I have done him no harm."

'"Thou hast need to pray," she said, catching up her underlip. "If he
dies, thou shalt hang!"

'They bore off Hugh to his chamber; but three tall men of the house bound
me and set me under the beam of the Great Hall with a rope round my neck.
The end of the rope they flung over the beam, and they sat them down by
the fire to wait word whether Hugh lived or died. They cracked nuts with
their knife-hilts the while.'

'And how did you feel?' said Dan.

'Very weary; but I did heartily pray for my schoolmate Hugh his health.
About noon I heard horses in the valley, and the three men loosed my ropes
and fled out, and De Aquila's men rode up. Gilbert de Aquila came with
them, for it was his boast that, like his father, he forgot no man that
served him. He was little, like his father, but terrible, with a nose like
an eagle's nose and yellow eyes like an eagle. He rode tall
war-horses--roans, which he bred himself--and he could never abide to be
helped into the saddle. He saw the rope hanging from the beam and laughed,
and his men laughed, for I was too stiff to rise.

'"This is poor entertainment for a Norman knight," he said, "but, such as
it is, let us be grateful. Show me, boy, to whom thou owest most, and we
will pay them out of hand."'

'What did he mean? To kill 'em?' said Dan.

'Assuredly. But I looked at the Lady AElueva where she stood among her
maids, and her brother beside her. De Aquila's men had driven them all
into the Great Hall.'

'Was she pretty?' said Una.

'In all my life I had never seen woman fit to strew rushes before my Lady
AElueva,' the knight replied, quite simply and quietly. 'As I looked at her
I thought I might save her and her house by a jest.

'"Seeing that I came somewhat hastily and without warning," said I to De
Aquila, "I have no fault to find with the courtesy that these Saxons have
shown me." But my voice shook. It is--it was not good to jest with that
little man.

'All were silent awhile, till De Aquila laughed. "Look, men--a miracle!"
said he. "The fight is scarce sped, my father is not yet buried, and here
we find our youngest knight already set down in his Manor, while h