CHAPTER XXV. HOW SIR NIGEL WROTE TO TWYNHAM CASTLE.

deforthefirstthreehalf-grownladswhohavelearnedthetrickofthetilt-yard?Butharkye,coz,Ithinkofsendingmycartelalsototheprince.” “Oliver!Oliver!Youaremad!” “NotI,i'faith!Icarenotadenierwhetherhebeprinceorno.BySaintJames!Iseethatyoursquire'seyesarestartingfromhisheadlikeatrussedcrab.Well,friend,weareallthreemenofHampshire,andnotlightlytobejeeredat.” “Hashejeeredatyouthan?” “Pardieu!yes,'OldSirOliver'sheartisstillstout,'saidoneofhiscourt.'Elsehaditbeenoutofkeepingwiththerestofhim,'quoththeprince.'Andhisarmisstrong,'saidanother.'Soisthebackboneofhishorse,'quoththeprince.ThisverydayIwillsendhimmycartelanddefiance.” “Nay,nay,mydearOliver,”saidSirNigel,layinghishanduponhisangryfriend'sarm.“Thereisnaughtinthis,foritwasbutsayingthatyouwereastrongandrobustman,whohadneedofagooddestrier.AndastoChandosandFelton,bethinkyouthatifwhenyouyourselfwereyoungtheolderlanceshadeverbeenpreferred,howwouldyouthenhavehadthechancetoearnthegoodnameandfamewhichyounowbear?Youdonotrideaslightasyoudid,Oliver,andIridelighterbytheweightofmyhair,butitwouldbeanillthingifintheeveningofourlivesweshowedthatourheartswerelesstrueandloyalthanofold.IfsuchaknightasSirOliverButtesthornmayturnagainsthisownprinceforthesakeofalightword,thenwherearewetolookforsteadfastfaithandconstancy?” “Ah!mydearlittlecoz,itiseasytositinthesunshineandpreachtothemanintheshadow.Yetyoucouldeverwinmeovertoyoursidewiththatsoftvoiceofyours.Letusthinknomoreofitthen.But,holyMother!Ihadforgotthepasty,anditwillbeasscorchedasJudasIscariot!Come,Nigel,lestthefoulfiendgetthebetterofmeagain.” “Foronehour,thenforwemarchatmid-day.TellAylward,Alleyne,thatheistocomewithmetoMontaubon,andtochooseonearcherforhiscomrade.TherestwilltoDaxwhentheprincestarts,whichwillbebeforethefeastoftheEpiphany.HavePommersreadyatmid-daywithmysycamorelance,andplacemyharnessonthesumptermule.” Withthesebriefdirections,thetwooldsoldiersstrodeofftogether,whileAlleynehastenedtogetallinorderfortheirjourney.