ttle. He is, as I
guess, your companion in this quest; is it not so?"

"It is," Cuthbert replied frankly. "I am, like yourself, a disinherited
knight, and my history resembles yours. Upon my return to England I
found another in possession of the land and titles that belonged to the
noble I followed, and which King Richard bestowed upon me. The Earl of
Evesham was doubtless known to you, and before his death King Richard,
at his request, bestowed upon me as his adopted son--although but a
distant connection--his title and lands and the hand of his daughter.
Prince John, who now rules in England, had however granted these things
to one of his favorites, and he having taken possession of the land and
title, though not, happily, of the lady, closed his door somewhat
roughly in my face. I found means, however, to make my mark upon him;
but as our quarrel could not be fought out to the end, and as the false
knight had the aid of Prince John, I am forced for awhile to postpone
our settlement, and meeting my good friend the minstrel, agreed to join
him in his enterprise to discover our lord the king."

The knight warmly grasped Cuthbert's hand.

"I am glad," he said, "to meet so true and valiant a knight. I have
often wondered at the valor with which you, although so young, bore
yourself; and there were tales afloat of strange adventures which you
had undergone in captivity for a time among the infidels."

At Sir Adelbert's request Cuthbert related the story of his adventures
among the Saracens; and then Blondel, tuning his lute, sang several
canzonets which he had composed in the Holy Land, of feats of arms and
adventure.

"How far are you," Cuthbert asked presently, when Blondel laid his lute
aside, "from the estates which were wrongfully wrested from you?"

"But twenty leagues," the knight said. "My castle was on the Rhine,
between Coblentz and Mannheim."

"Does the baron know that you are so near?" Cuthbert asked.

"Methinks that he does not," the knight replied, "but that he deems me
to have gone to the court of the emperor to seek for redress--which, he
guesses, I shall certainly fail to obtain."

"How many men have you with you?" Cuthbert asked.

"Fifty men, all good and true," the knight said.

"Has it never entered your thoughts to attempt a surprise upon his
castle?" Cuthbert said.

The knight was silent for a minute.

"At times," he said at length, "thoughts of so doing have occurred to
me; but the ca