w, and looking on the kneeling nobleman with
eyes which seemed to have recovered their flashing light to penetrate
his soul. Wrath itself appeared to have subsided before this calm yet
eloquent appeal, which in that age could scarcely have been resisted
without affecting the honor of the knight to whom it was addressed.

An expression of suffering, amounting almost to anguish, took the place
of energy and fervor on the noble countenance of Gloucester, and his
voice, which had never once quivered or failed him in the height of
Edward's wrath, now absolutely shook with the effort to master his
emotion. Twice he essayed to speak ere words came; at length--

"With Robert of Carrick Gilbert of Gloucester was allied as brother, my
liege," he said. "With Robert the rebel, Robert the would-be king, the
daring opposer of my sovereign, Gloucester can have naught in common. My
liege, as a knight and gentleman, I have done my duty fearlessly,
openly; as fearlessly, as openly, as your grace's loyal liegeman, fief,
and subject, in the camp and in the court, in victory or defeat, against
all manner or ranks of men, be they friends or foes; to my secret heart
I am thine, and thine alone. In proof of which submission, my royal
liege, lest still in your grace's judgment Gloucester be not cleared
from treachery, behold I resign alike my sword and coronet to your royal
hands, never again to be resumed, save at my sovereign's bidding."

His voice became again firm ere he concluded, and with the same
respectful deference yet manly pride which had marked his bearing
throughout, he laid his sheathed sword and golden coronet at his
sovereign's feet, and then rising steadily and unflinchingly, returned
Edward's searching glance, and calmly awaited his decision.

"By St. Edward! Baron of Gloucester," he exclaimed, in his own tone of
kingly courtesy, mingled with a species of admiration he cared not to
conceal, "thou hast fairly challenged us to run a tilt with thee, not of
sword and lance, but of all knightly and generous courtesy. I were no
true knight to condemn, nor king to mistrust thee; yet, of a truth, the
fruit of thy rash act might chafe a cooler mood than ours. Knowest thou
Sir John Comyn is murdered--murdered by the arch traitor thou hast saved
from our wrath?"

"I heard it, good my liege," calmly returned Gloucester. "Robert of
Carrick was no temper to pass by injuries, aggravated, traitorous
injuries, unavenged."

"And this is a