lips, "a notable tale,
and one that proveth much of Sacred Truth, now lightly heeded. But,
verily, lord earl, I should have little loved a steed with such a
pedigree."

"Hear the rest," said Isabel. "King Richard ordered the destrier to be
slain forthwith; but the holy palmer who had exorcised it forbade the
sacrifice. 'Mighty shall be the service,' said the reverend man, 'which
the posterity of this steed shall render to thy royal race, and great
glory shall they give to the sons of Nevile. Let the war-horse, now duly
exorcised from infidel spells, live long to bear a Christian warrior!'"

"And so," quoth the earl, taking up the tale--"so mare and horse were
brought by Aymer's squires to his English hall; and Aymer's son, Sir
Reginald, bore the cross, and bestrode the fatal steed, without fear and
without scathe. From that hour the House of Nevile rose amain, in fame
and in puissance; and the legend further saith, that the same palmer
encountered Sir Reginald at Joppa, bade him treasure that race of
war-steeds as his dearest heritage, for with that race his own should
flourish and depart; and the sole one of the Infidel's spells which
could not be broken was that which united the gift--generation after
generation, for weal or for woe, for honour or for doom--to the fate of
Aymer and his House. 'And,' added the palmer, 'as with woman's love and
woman's craft was woven the indissoluble charm, so shall woman, whether
in craft or in love, ever shape the fortunes of thee and thine.'"

"As yet," said the prince, "the prophecy is fulfilled in a golden sense,
for nearly all thy wide baronies, I trow, have come to thee through the
female side. A woman's hand brought to the Nevile this castle and its
lands; [Middleham Castle was built by Robert Fitz Ranulph, grandson of
Ribald, younger brother of the Earl of Bretagne and Richmond, nephew to
the Conqueror. The founder's line failed in male heirs, and the heiress
married Robert Nevile, son of Lord Raby. Warwick's father held the
earldom of Salisbury in right of his wife, the heiress of Thomas de
Montacute.] from a woman came the heritage of Monthermer and Montagu,
and Salisbury's famous earldom; and the dower of thy peerless countess
was the broad domains of Beauchamp."

"And a woman's craft, young prince, wrought my king's displeasure! But
enough of these dissour's tales; behold the son of poor Malech, whom,
forgetting all such legends, I slew at Towton. Ho, Saladin, greet th