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THE LITTLE DUKE
MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
LONDON . BOMBAY . CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK . BOSTON . CHICAGO
ATLANTA . SAN FRANCISCO
THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD.
TORONTO
THE LITTLE DUKE
RICHARD THE FEARLESS
BY THE AUTHOR OF
;THE HEIR. OF REDCLYFFE,"
ETC.
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WITH; ILLUSTRATIONS
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MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
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RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED,
BRUNSWICK STREET, STAMFORD STREET S.E., AND
BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.
Originally published (^suher^ *Txan$fer9red.it\i%b4., First Edition printed
(S) for Macmillan 'anil, Co( N\)v& viber*?. 8^ \ fPoff 8Tw)( Reprinted 1 869, 1872,
1873, 1876, 1878, i8§K$;&fec8»0)f 1883" '-L$$S, rT8?6t 1^89. TV^-w Edition 1891
(CrownKvd), 1892, 1894, 189^ 18(57, 1,89,8, ,'899, ipipo, 1901,^903, 1905, 1906, 1908,
1911. Shiilirig'£.dili.6n.\y£>.\ Reprinted 1909.
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
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THE LITTLE DUKE
CHAPTER I
ON a bright autumn day, as long ago as the
year 943, there was a great bustle in the
Castle of Bayeux in Normandy.
The hall was large and low, the roof arched, and
supported on thick short columns, almost like the
crypt of a Cathedral ; the walls were thick, and
the windows, which had no glass, were very small,
set in such a depth of wall that there was a wide
deep window seat, upon which the rain might beat,
without reaching the interior of the room. And
even if it had come in, there was nothing for it to
hurt, for the walls were of rough stone, and the
floor of tiles. There was a fire at each end of this
great dark apartment, but there were no chimneys
over the ample hearths, and the smoke curled
IE B
2 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
about in thick white folds in the vaulted roof,
adding to the wreaths of soot, which made the
hall look still darker.
The fire at the lower end was by far the largest
and hottest. Great black cauldrons hung over it,
and servants, both men and women, with red faces,
bare and grimed arms, and long iron hooks, or
pots and pans, were busied around it. At the
other end, which was raised about three steps
above the floor of the hall, other servants were
engaged. Two young maidens were strewing
fresh rushes on the floor ; some men were setting
up a long table of rough boards, supported on
trestles, and then ranging upon it silver cups,
drinking horns, and wooden trenchers.
Benches were placed to receive most of the
guests, but in the middle, at the place of honour,
was 'a high chair with very thick crossing legs, and
the arms curiously carved with lions' faces and
claws ; a clumsy wooden footstool was set in front,
and the silver drinking-cup on the table was of
far more beautiful workmanship than the others,
richly chased with vine leaves and grapes, and
figures of little boys with goats' legs. If that cup
I THE LITTLE DUKE 3
could have told its story, it would have been a
strange one, for it had been made long since, in
the old Roman times, and been carried off from
Italy by some Northman pirate.
From one of these scenes of activity to the
other, there moved a stately old lady : her long
thick light hair, hardly touched with grey, was
bound round her head, under a tall white cap, with
a band passing under her chin : she wore a long
sweeping dark robe, with wide hanging sleeves,
and thick gold ear-rings and necklace, which had
possibly come from the same quarter as the cup.
She directed the servants, inspected both the
cookery and arrangements of the table, held
council with an old steward, now and then looked
rather anxiously from the window, as if expecting
some one, and began to say something about fears
that these loitering youths would not bring home
the venison in time for Duke William's supper.
Presently, she looked up rejoiced, for a few
notes of a bugle-horn were sounded ; there was a
clattering of feet, and in a few moments there
bounded into the hall, a boy of about eight years
old, his cheeks and large blue eyes bright with air
B 2
4 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
and exercise, and his long light-brown hair stream-
ing behind him, as he ran forward flourishing a bow
in his hand, and crying out, " I hit him, I hit him !
Dame Astrida, do you hear? Tis a stag of ten
branches, and I hit him in the neck."
" You ! my Lord Richard ! you killed him ? '
" Oh, no, I only struck him. It was Osmond's
shaft that took him in the eye, and — Look you,
Fru Astrida, he came thus through the wood, and
I stood here, it might be, under the great elm with
my bow thus ' -And Richard was beginning to
act over again the whole scene of the deer-hunt,
but Fru; that is to say, Lady Astrida, was too
busy to listen, and broke in with, " Have they
brought home the haunch ? '
"Yes, Walter is bringing it. I had a long
arrow — "
A stout forester was at this instant seen bring-
ing in the venison, and Dame Astrida hastened to
meet it, and gave directions, little Richard follow-
ing her all the way, and talking as eagerly as if she
was attending to him, showing how he shot, how
Osmond shot, how the deer bounded, and how it
fell, and then counting the branches of its antlers,
KICHARL- WITH DAME ASTRIDA.
I THE LITTLE DUKE 5
always ending with, " This is something to tell my
father. Do you think he will come soon ? "
In the meantime two men entered the hall, one
about fifty, the other, one or two-and-twenty, both
in hunting dresses of plain leather, crossed by
broad embroidered belts, supporting a knife, and
a bugle-horn. The elder was broad-shouldered,
sun-burnt, ruddy, and rather stern-looking ; the
younger, who was also the taller, wras slightly
made, and very active, with a bright keen grey
eye, and merry smile. These were Dame Astrida's
son, Sir Eric de Centeville, and her grandson,
Osmond ; and to their care Duke William of
Normandy had committed his only child, Richard,
to be fostered, or brought up.1
It was always the custom among the Northmen,
that young princes should thus be put under the
care of some trusty vassal, instead of being brought
up at home, and one reason why the Centevilles
had been chosen by Duke William was, that both
Sir Eric and his mother spoke only the old Nor-
wegian tongue, which he wished young Richard
to understand well, whereas, in other parts of the
Duchy, the Normans had forgotten their own
6 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
tongue, and had taken up what was then called
the Langued'oui, a language between German and
Latin, which was the beginning of French.
On this day, Duke William himself was ex-
pected at Bayeux, to pay a visit to his son before
setting out on a journey to settle the disputes
between the Counts of Flanders and Montreuil,
and this was the reason of Fru Astrida's great
•
preparations. No sooner had she seen the haunch
placed upon a spit, which a little boy was to turn
before the fire, than she turned to dress something
else, namely, the young Prince Richard himself,
whom she led off to one of the upper rooms, and
there he had full time to talk, while she, great
lady though she was, herself combed smooth his
long flowing curls, and fastened his short scarlet
cloth tunic, which just reached to his knee, leaving
his neck, arms, and legs bare. He begged hard
to be allowed to wear a short, beautifully orna-
mented dagger at his belt, but this Fru Astrida
would not allow.
" You will have enough to do with steel and
dagger before your life is at an end," said she,
" without seeking to begin over soon."
i THE LITTLE DUKE 7
" To be sure I shall," answered Richard. " I
will be called Richard of the Sharp Axe, or
the Bold Spirit, I promise you, Fru Astrida.
We are as brave in these days as the Sigurds
and Ragnars you sing of! I only wish there
were serpents and dragons to slay here in
Normandy."
" Never fear but you will find even too many of
them," said Dame Astrida ; " there be dragons of
wrong here and everywhere, quite as venomous as
any in my Sagas."
" I fear them not," said Richard, but half under-
standing her, " if you would only let me have the
dagger ! But, hark ! hark ! ' he darted to the
window. " They come, they come ! There is the
banner of Normandy."
Away ran the happy child, and never rested till
he stood at the bottom of the long, steep, stone
stair, leading to the embattled porch. Thither
came the Baron de Centeville, and his son, to
receive their Prince. Richard looked up at
Osmond, saying, " Let me hold his stirrup," and
then sprang up and shouted for joy, as under the
arched gateway there came a tall black horse,
8 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
bearing the stately form of the Duke of Nor-
mandy. His purple robe was fastened round him
by a rich belt, sustaining the mighty weapon, from
which he was called " William of the long Sword,"
his legs and feet were cased in linked steel chain-
work, his gilded spurs were on his heels, and his
short brown hair was covered by his ducal cap
of purple, turned up with fur, and a feather
fastened in by a jewelled clasp. His brow was
grave and thoughtful, and there was something
both of dignity and sorrow in his face, at the first
moment of looking at it, recalling the recollection
that he had early lost his young wife, the Duchess
Emma, and that he was beset by many cares and
toils ; but the next glance generally conveyed en-
couragement, so full of mildness were his eyes, and
so kind the expression of his lips.
And now, how bright a smile beamed upon the
little Richard, who, for the first time, paid him the
duty of a pupil in chivalry, by holding the stirrup
while he sprung from his horse. Next, Richard
knelt to receive his blessing, which was always the
custom when children met their parents. The
Duke laid his hand on his head, saying, " God of
i THE LITTLE DUKE 9
His mercy bless thee, my son," and lifting him in
his arms, held him to his breast, and let him cling
to his neck and kiss him again and again, before
setting him down, while Sir Eric came forward,
bent his knee, kissed the hand of his Prince, and
welcomed him to his Castle.
It would take too long to tell all the friendly
and courteous words that were spoken, the greeting
of the Duke and the noble old Lady Astrida, and
the reception of the Barons who had come in the
train of their Lord. Richard was bidden to greet
them, but, though he held out his hand as desired,
he shrank a little to his father's side, gazing at
them in dread and shyness.
There was Count Bernard, of Harcourt, called
the " Dane,"" with his shaggy red hair and beard,
to which a touch of grey had given a strange
unnatural tint, his eyes looking fierce and wild
under his thick eyebrows, one of them mis-shapen
in consequence of a sword cut, which had left a
broad red and purple scar across both cheek and
forehead. There, too, came tall Baron Rainulf, of
Ferrieres, cased in a linked steel hauberk, that
rang as he walked, and the men-at-arms, with
10
THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
helmets and shields, looking as if Sir Eric's armour
that hung in the hall had come to life and was
walking about.
They sat down to Fru Astrida's banquet, the
old Lady at the Duke's right hand, and the Count
of Harcourt on his left ; Osmond carved for the
Duke, and Richard handed his cup and trencher.
All through the meal, the Duke and his Lords
talked earnestly of the expedition on which they
were bound to meet Count Arnulf of Flanders, on
a little islet in the river Somme5 there to come to
some agreement, by which Arnulf might make
restitution to Count Herluin of Montreuil, for
certain wrongs which he had done him.
Some said that this would be the fittest time for
requiring Arnulf to yield up some towns on his
borders, to which Normandy had long laid claim,
but the Duke shook his head, saying that he must
seek no selfish advantage, when called to judge
between others.
Richard was rather tired of their grave talk, and
thought the supper very long ; but at last it was
over, the Grace was said, the boards which had
served for tables were removed, and as it was still
i THE LITTLE DUKE n
light, some of the guests went to see how their
steeds had been bestowed, others to look at Sir
Eric's horses and hounds, and others collected
together in groups.
The Duke had time to attend to his little boy,
and Richard sat upon his knee and talked, told
about all his pleasures, how his arrow had hit the
deer to-day, how Sir Eric let him ride out to the
chase on his little pony, how Osmond would take
him to bathe in the cool bright river, and how he
had watched the raven's nest in the top of the old
tower.
Duke William listened, and smiled, and seemed
as well pleased to hear as the boy was to tell.
" And, Richard," said he at last, " have you nought
to tell me of Father Lucas, and his great book ?
What, not a word ? Look up, Richard, and tell
me how it goes with the learning." 3
" Oh, father ! " said Richard, in a low voice,
playing with the clasp of his father's belt, and
looking down, " I don't like those crabbed letters
on the old yellow parchment."
" But you try to learn them, I hope ! " said the
Duke.
12 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" Yes, father, I do, but they are very hard, and
the words are so long, and Father Lucas will
always come when the sun is so bright, and the
wood so green, that I know not how to bear to
be kept poring over those black hooks and
strokes."
" Poor little fellow," said Duke William, smiling
and Richard, rather encouraged, went on more
boldly. " You do not know this reading, noble
father ? "
" To my sorrow, no," said the Duke.
" And Sir Eric cannot read, nor Osmond, nor
any one, and why must I read, and cramp my
fingers with writing, just as if I was a clerk, instead
of a young Duke ? " Richard looked up in his
father's face, and then hung his head, as if half-
ashamed of questioning his will, but the Duke
answered him without displeasure.
" It is hard, no doubt, my boy, to you now, but
it will be the better for you in the end. I would
give much to be able myself to read those holy
books which 1 must now only hear read to me by
a clerk, but since I have had the wish, I have had
no time to learn as you have now."
I THE LITTLE DUKE 13
" But Knights and Nobles never learn," said
Richard.
" And do you think it a reason they never
should ? But you are wrong, my boy, for the
Kings of France and England, the Counts of
Anjou, of Provence, and Paris, yes, even King
Hako of Norway,4 can all read.
" I tell you, Richard, when the treaty was
drawn up for restoring this King Louis to his
throne, I was ashamed to find myself one of the
few crown vassals who could not write his name
thereto."
"But none is so wise or so good as you,
father," said Richard, proudly. " Sir Eric often
says so."
" Sir Eric loves his Duke too well to see his
faults," said Duke William ; " but far better and
wiser might I have been, had I been taught by
such masters as you may be. And hark, Richard,
not only can all Princes here read, but in England,
King Ethelstane would have every Noble taught ,
they study in his own palace, with his brothers,
and read the good words that King Alfred the
truth-teller put into their own tongue for them."
14 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" I hate the English," said Richard, raising his
head and looking very fierce.
" Hate them ? and wherefore ? '
" Because they traitorously killed the brave Sea
King Ragnar ! Fru Astrida sings his death-song,
which he chanted when the vipers were gnawing
him to death, and he gloried to think how his sons
would bring the ravens to feast upon the Saxon.
Oh ! had I been his son, how I would have
carried on the feud ! How I would have laughed
when I cut down the false traitors, and burnt
their palaces ! ' Richard's eye kindled, and his
words, as he spoke the old Norse language, flowed
into the sort of wild verse in which the Sagas or
legendary songs were composed, and which, per-
haps, he was unconsciously repeating.
Duke William looked grave.
" Fru Astrida must sing you no more such
Sagas," said he, " if they fill your mind with these
revengeful thoughts, fit only for the worshippers
of Odin and Thor. Neither Ragnar nor his sons
knew better than to rejoice in this deadly vengeance,
but we, who are Christians, know that it is for us
to forgive."
I THE LITTLE DUKE 15
" The English had slain their father ! ' said
Richard, looking up with wondering dissatisfied
eyes.
" Yes, Richard, and I speak not against them,
for they were even as we should have been, had
not King Harold the fair-haired driven your
grandfather from Denmark. They had not been
taught the truth, but to us it has been said, ' For-
give, and ye shall be forgiven.' Listen to me, my
son, Christian as is this nation of ours, this duty
of forgiveness is too often neglected, but let it not
be so with you. Bear in mind, whenever you see
the Cross 5 marked on our banner, or carved in
stone on the Churches, that it speaks of forgive-
ness to us ; but of that pardon we shall never
taste if we forgive not our enemies. Do you mark
me, boy ? "
Richard hesitated a little, and then said, " Yes,
father, but I could never have pardoned, had I
been one of Ragnar's sons."
" It may be that you will be in their case,
Richard," said the Duke, " and should I fall, as it
may well be I shall, in some of the contests that
tear to pieces this unhappy Kingdom of France,
16 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
then, remember what I say now. I charge you,
on your duty to God and to your father, that you
keep up no feud, no hatred, but rather that you
should deem me best revenged, when you have
with heart and hand, given the fullest proof of
forgiveness to your enemy. Give me your word
that you will."
" Yes, father," said Richard, with rather a sub-
dued tone, and resting his head on his father's
shoulder. There was a silence for a little space,
during which he began to revive into playfulness,
to stroke the Duke's short curled beard, and play
with his embroidered collar.
In so doing, his fingers caught hold of a silver
chain, and pulling it out with a jerk, he saw a
silver key attached to it. " Oh, what is that ? " he
asked eagerly. " What does that key unlock ? "
" My greatest treasure," replied Duke William,
as he replaced the chain and key within his
robe.
" Your greatest treasure, father ! Is that your
coronet ? "
" You will know one day," said his father,
putting the little hand down from its too busy
I THE LITTLE DUKE 17
investigations ; and some of the Barons at that
moment returning into the hall, he had no more
leisure to bestow on his little son.
The next day, after morning service in the
Chapel, and breakfast in the hall, the Duke again
set forward on his journey, giving Richard hopes
he might return in a fortnight's time, and obtaining
from him a promise that he would be very atten-
tive to Father Lucas, and very obedient to Sir
Eric de Centeville.
CHAPTER II
ONE evening Fru Astrida sat in her tall chair in
the chimney corner, her distaff, with its load of
flax in her hand, while she twisted and drew out
the thread, and her spindle danced on the floor.
Opposite to her sat, sleeping in his chair, Sir Eric
de Centeville ; Osmond was on a low bench within
the chimney corner, trimming and shaping with
his knife some feathers of the wild goose, which
were to fly in a different fashion from their former
one, and serve, not to wing the flight of a harmless
goose, but of a sharp arrow.
The men of the household sat ranged on
benches on one side of the hall, the women on the
other ; a great red fire, together with an immense
flickering lamp which hung from the ceiling, sup-
plied the light ; the windows were closed with
wooden shutters, and the whole apartment had a
CH. ii THE LITTLE DUKE 19
cheerful appearance. Two or three large hounds
were reposing in front of the hearth, and among
them sat little Richard of Normandy, now smooth-
ing down their broad silken ears ; now tickling
the large cushions of their feet with the end of one
of Osmond's feathers ; now fairly pulling open the
eyes of one of the good-natured sleepy creatures,
which only stretched its legs, and remonstrated
with a sort of low groan, rather than a growl.
The boy's eyes were, all the time, intently fixed on
Dame Astrida, as if he would not lose one word of
the story she was telling him ; how Earl Rollo, his
grandfather, had sailed into the mouth of the
Seine, and how Archbishop Franco, of Rouen,
had come to meet him and brought him the keys
of the town, and how not one Neustrian of Rouen
had met with harm from the brave Northmen.
Then she told him of his grandfather's baptism,
and how during the seven days that he wore his
white baptismal robes, he had made large gifts
to all the chief churches in his dukedom of
Normandy.
" Oh, but tell of the paying homage ! ' said
Richard ; " and how Sigurd Bloodaxe threw down
C 2
20 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
simple King Charles ! Ah ! how would I have
laughed to see it ! '
" Nay, nay, Lord Richard," said the old lady,
" I love not that tale. That was ere the Norman
learnt courtesy, and rudeness ought rather to be
forgotten than remembered, save for the sake of
amending it. No, I will rather tell you of our
coming to Centeville, and how dreary I thought
these smooth meads, and broad soft gliding
streams, compared with mine own father's fiord in
Norway, shut in with the tall black rocks, and
dark pines above them, and far away the snowy
mountains rising into the sky. Ah ! how blue
the waters were in the long summer days when I
sat in my father's boat in the little fiord, and "
Dame Astrida was interrupted. A bugle note
rang out at the castle gate ; the dogs started to
their feet, and uttered a sudden deafening bark ;
Osmond sprung up, exclaiming, "Hark!" and
trying to silence the hounds ; and Richard run-
ning to Sir Eric, cried, " Wake, wake, Sir Eric, my
father is come ! Oh, haste to open the gate, and
admit him."
" Peace, dogs ! " said Sir Eric, slowly rising, as
ii THE LITTLE DUKE 21
the blast of the horn was repeated. " Go, Osmond,
with the porter, and see whether he who comes
at such an hour be friend or foe. Stay you here,
my Lord," he added, as Richard was running after
Osmond ; and the little boy obeyed, and stood
still, though quivering all over with impatience.
" Tidings from the Duke, I should guess," said
Fru Astrida. " It can scarce be himself at such
an hour."
"Oh, it must be, dear Fru Astrida!" said
Richard. " He said he would come again. Hark,
there are horses' feet in the court ! I am sure that
is his black charger's tread ! And I shall net be
there to hold his stirrup ! Oh ! Sir Eric, let me
go."
Sir Eric, always a man of few words, only shook
his head, and at that moment steps were heard on
the stone stairs. Again Richard was about to
spring forward, when Osmond returned, his face
showing, at a glance, that something was amiss ;
but all that he said was, " Count Bernard of
Harcourt, and Sir Rainulf de Ferrieres," and he
aside to let them pass.
Richard stood still in the midst of the hall,
22 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
disappointed. Without greeting to Sir Eric, or
to any within the hall, the Count of Harcourt
came forward to Richard, bent his knee before
him, took his hand, and said with a broken voice
and heaving breast, " Richard, Duke of Nor-
mandy, I am thy liegeman and true vassal ; '
then rising from his knees while Rainulf de
Ferrieres went through the same form, the old
man covered his face with his hands and wept
aloud.
" Is it even so ? " said the Baron de Centeville ;
and being answered by a mournful look and sigh
from Ferrieres, he too bent before the boy, and
repeated the words, " I am thy liegeman and true
vassal, and swear fealty to thee for my castle and
barony of Centeville."
" Oh, no, no ! " cried Richard, drawing back his
hand in a sort of agony, feeling as if he was in a
frightful dream from which he could not awake.
" What means it ? Oh ! Fru Astrida, tell me what
means it ? Where is my father ? '
" Alas, my child ! ' said the old lady, putting
her arm round him, and drawing him close to her,
whilst her tears flowed fast, and Richard stood,
THE OATH OK THK VASSAI.S.
ii THE LITTLE DUKE 23
reassured by her embrace, listening with eyes
open wide, and deep oppressed breathing, to what
was passing between the four nobles, who spoke
earnestly among themselves, without much heed
of him.
" The Duke dead ! ): repeated Sir Eric de
Centeville, like one stunned and stupefied.
" Even so," said Rainulf, slowly and sadly, and
the silence was only broken by the long-drawn
sobs of old Count Bernard.
" But how ? when ? where ? ' broke forth Sir
Eric, presently. " There was no note of battle
when you went forth. Oh, why was not I at his
side ? "
" He fell not in battle," gloomily replied Sir
Rainulf.
" Ha ! could sickness cut him down so quickly ?"
" It was not sickness," answered Ferrieres. " It
was treachery. He fell in the Isle of Pecquigny,
by the hand of the false Fleming ! '
" Lives the traitor yet ? " cried the Baron de
Centeville, grasping his good sword.
" He lives and rejoices in his crime/' said
Ferrieres, " safe in his own merchant towns,"
24 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" I can scarce credit you, my Lords ! ' said Sir
Eric. " Our Duke slain, and his enemy safe, and
you here to tell the tale ! "
" I would I were stark and stiff by my Lord's
side ! " said Count Bernard, " but for the sake of
Normandy, and of that poor child, who is like
to need all that ever were friends to his house. I
would that mine eyes had been blinded for ever,
ere they had seen that sight ! And not a sword
lifted in his defence ! Tell you how it passed,
Rainulf! My tongue will not speak it !"
He threw himself on a bench and covered his
face with his mantle, while Rainulf de Ferrieres
proceeded : " You know how in an evil hour our
good Duke appointed to meet this caitiff, Count
of Flanders, in the Isle of Pecquigny, the Duke
and Count each bringing twelve men with them,
all unarmed. Duke Alan of Brittany was one
on our side, Count Bernard here another, old
Count Bothon and myself; we bore no weapon —
would that we had — but not so the false Flemings.
Ah me ! I shall never forget Duke William's
lordly presence when he stepped ashore, and doffed
his bonnet to the knave Arnulf."
II THE LITTLE DUKE 25
" Yes," interposed Bernard. " And marked you
not the words of the traitor, as they met ? ' My
Lord,' quoth he, 'you are my shield and defence.' (
Would that I could cleave his treason-hatching
skull with my battle-axe."
" So," continued Rainulf, " they conferred to-
gether, and as words cost nothing to Arnulf, he
not only promised all restitution to the paltry
Montreuil, but even was for offering to pay
homage to our Duke for Flanders itself; but this
our William refused, saying it were foul wrong to
both King Louis of France, and Kaiser Otho of
Germany, to take from them their vassal. They
took leave of each other in all courtesy, and we
embarked again. It was Duke William's pleasure
to go alone in a small boat, while we twelve were
together in another. Just as we had nearly reached
our own bank, there was a shout from the Flemings
that their Count had somewhat further to say to
the Duke, and forbidding us to follow him, the
Duke turned his boat and went back again. No
sooner had he set foot on the isle," proceeded the
Norman, clenching his hands, and speaking be-
tween his teeth, " than we saw one Fleming strike
26 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
him on the head with an oar ; he fell senseless, the
rest threw themselves upon him, and the next
moment held up their bloody daggers in scorn at
us ! You may well think how we shouted and
yelled at them, and plied our oars like men
distracted, but all in vain, they were already in
their boats, and ere we could even reach the isle,
they were on the other side of the river, mounted
their horses, fled with coward speed, and were out
of reach of a Norman's vengeance."
" But they shall not be so long ! ' cried Richard,
starting forward ; for to his childish fancy this
dreadful history was more like one of Dame
Astrida's legends than a reality, and at the moment
his thought was only of the blackness of the
treason. " Oh, that I were a man to chastise them !
One day they shall feel-
He broke off short, for he remembered how
his father had forbidden his denunciations of
vengeance, but his words were eagerly caught up
by the Barons, who, as Duke William had said,
were far from possessing any temper of forgiveness,
thought revenge a duty, and were only glad to see
a warlike spirit in their new Prince.
H
THE LITTLE DUKE 27
" Ha ! say you so, my young Lord ? " exclaimed
old Count Bernard, rising. "Yes, and I see a
sparkle in your eye that tells me you will one day
avenge him nobly ! '
Richard drew up his head, and his heart
throbbed high as Sir Eric made answer, ;'Ay,
truly, that will he ! You might search. Normandy
through, yea, and Norway likewise, ere you would
find a temper more bold and free. Trust my
word, Count Bernard, our young Duke will be
famed as widely as ever were his forefathers ! '
" I believe it well ! " said Bernard. " He hath
the port of his grandfather, Duke Rollo, and much,
too, of his noble father! How say you, Lord
Richard, will you be a valiant leader of the
Norman race against our foes ? '
" That I will ! 5) said Richard, carried away by
the applause excited by those few words of his.
" I will ride at your head this very night if you
will but go to chastise the false Flemings."
" You shall ride with us to-morrow, my Lord,"
answered Bernard, " but it must be to Rouen, there
to be invested with your ducal sword and mantle,
and to receive the homage of your vassals."
28 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Richard drooped his head without replying, for
this seemed to bring to him the perception that
his father was really gone, and that he should
never see him again. He thought of all his pro-
jects for the day of his return, how he had almost
counted the hours, and had looked forward to
telling him that Father Lucas was well pleased
with him ! And now he should never nestle into
his breast again, never hear his voice, never see
those kind eyes beam upon him. Large tears
gathered in his eyes, and ashamed that they should
be seen, he sat down on a footstool at Fru Astrida's
feet, leant his forehead on his hands, and thought
over all that his father had done and said the last
time they were together. He fancied the return
that had been promised, going over the meeting
and the greeting, till he had almost persuaded him-
self that this dreadful story was but a dream.
But when he looked up, there were the Barons,
with their grave mournful faces, speaking of the
corpse, which Duke Alan of Brittany was escorting
to Rouen, there to be buried beside the old Duke
Rollo, and the Duchess Emma, Richard's mother.
Then he lost himself in wonder how that stiff
n THE LITTLE DUKE 29
bleeding body could be the same as the father
whose arm was so lately around him, and whether
his father's spirit knew how he was thinking of
him ; and in these dreamy thoughts, the young
orphan Duke of Normandy, forgotten by his
vassals in their grave councils, fell asleep, and
scarce wakened enough to attend to his prayers,
when Fru Astrida at length remembered him, and
led him away to bed.
When Richard awoke the next morning, he
could hardly believe that all that had passed in
the evening was true, but soon he found that it
was but too real, and all was prepared for him to
go to Rouen with the vassals ; indeed, it was for
no other purpose than to fetch him that the
Count of Harcourt had come to Bayeux. Fru
Astrida was quite unhappy that "the child," as
she called him, should go alone with the warriors ;
but Sir Eric laughed at her, and said that it would
never do for the Duke of Normandy to bring his
nurse with him in his first entry into Rouen, and
she must be content to follow at some space
behind under the escort of Walter the huntsman.
So she took leave of Richard, charging both
30 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Sir Eric and Osmond to have the utmost care
of him, and shedding tears as if the parting was
to be for a much longer space ; then he bade
farewell to the servants of the castle, received
the blessing of Father Lucas, and mounting his
pony, rode off between Sir Eric and Count
Bernard. Richard was but a little boy, and he
did not think so much of his loss, as he rode
along in the free morning air, feeling himself a
Prince at the head of his vassals, his banner dis-
played before him, and the people coming out
wherever he passed to gaze on him, and call for
blessings on his name. Rainulf de Ferrieres
carried a large heavy purse filled with silver and
gold, and whenever they came to these gazing
crowds, Richard was well pleased to thrust his
hands deep into it, and scatter handfuls of coins
among the gazers, especially where he saw little
children.
They stopped to dine and rest in the middle
of the day, at the castle of a Baron, who, as soon
as the meal was over, mounted his horse, and
joined them in their ride to Rouen. So far it
had not been very different from Richard's last
II THE LITTLE DUKE 31
journey, when he went to keep Christmas there
with his father ; but now they were beginning
to come nearer the town, he knew the broad
river Seine again, and saw the square tower of
the Cathedral, and he remembered how at that
very place his father had met him, and how he
had ridden by his side into the town, and had
been led by his hand up to the hall.
His heart was very heavy, as he recollected
there was no one now to meet and welcome
him ; scarcely any one to whom he could even
tell his thoughts, for those tall grave Barons
had nothing to say to such a little boy, and
the very respect and formality with which they
treated him, made him shrink from them still
more, especially from the grim-faced Bernard ;
and Osmond, his own friend and playfellow, was
obliged to ride far behind, as inferior in rank.
They entered the town just as it was growing
dark. Count Bernard looked back and arrayed
the procession ; Eric de Centeville bade Richard
sit upright and not look weary, and then all the
Knights held back while the little Duke rode
alone a little in advance of them through the
32 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
gateway. There was a loud shout of "Long
live the little Duke ! " and crowds of people
were standing round to gaze upon his entry, so
many that the bag of coins was soon emptied
by his largesses. The whole city was like one
great castle, shut in by a wall and moat, and with
Rollo's Tower rising at one end like the keep of a
castle, and it was thither that Richard was turning
o
his horse, when the Count of Harcourt said, " Nay,
my Lord, to the Church of our Lady." 7
It was then considered a duty to be paid to the
deceased, that their relatives and friends should
visit them as they lay in state, and sprinkle them
with drops of holy water, and Richard was now to
pay this token of respect. He trembled a little,
and yet it did not seem quite so dreary, since he
should once more look on his father's face, and he
accordingly rode towards the Cathedral. It was
then very unlike what it is now ; the walls were
very thick, the windows small and almost buried
in heavy carved arches, the columns within were
low, clumsy, and circular, and it was usually so
dark that the vaulting of the roof could scarcely
be seen.
ii THE LITTLE DUKE 33
Now, however, a whole flood of light poured
forth from every window, and when Richard came
to the door, he saw not only the two -tall thick
candles that always burnt on each side of the
Altar, but in the Chancel stood a double row
ranged in a square, shedding a pure, quiet
brilliancy throughout the building, and chiefly
on the silver and gold ornaments of the Altar.
Outside these lights knelt a row of priests in
dark garments, their heads bowed over their
clasped hands, and their chanted psalms sound-
ing sweet, and full of soothing music. Within
that guarded space was a bier, and a form lay
on it.
Richard trembled still more with awe, and would
have paused, but he was obliged to proceed. He
dipped his hand in the water of the font, crossed
his brow, and came slowly on, sprinkled the re-
maining drops on the lifeless figure, and then
stood still. There was an oppression on his
breast as if he could neither breathe nor
move.
There lay William of the Long Sword, like a
good and true Christian warrior, arrayed in his
D
34
THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
shining armour, his sword by his side, his shield
on his arm, and a cross between his hands, clasped
upon his breast. His ducal mantle of crimson
velvet, lined with ermine, was round his shoulders,
and, instead of a helmet, his coronet was on his
head ; but, in contrast with this rich array, over
the collar of the hauberk, was folded the edge of
a rough hair shirt, which the Duke had worn
beneath his robes, unknown to all, until his corpse
was disrobed of his blood-stained garments. His
face looked full of calm, solemn peace, as if he
had gently fallen asleep, and was only awaiting
the great call to awaken. There was not a single
token of violence visible about him, save that one
side of his forehead bore a deep purple mark,
where he had first been struck by the blow of the
oar which had deprived him of sense.
" See you that, my Lord ? " said Count Bernard,
first breaking the silence, in a low, deep, stern
voice.
Richard had heard little for many hours past
save counsels against the Flemings, and plans of
bitter enmity against them ; and the sight of his
murdered father, with that look and tone of the
IT THE LITTLE DUKE 35
old Dane, fired his spirit, and breaking from his
trance of silent awe and grief, he exclaimed, " I
see it, and dearly shall the traitor Fleming abye
it ! ' Then, encouraged by the applauding looks
of the nobles, he proceeded, feeling like one of the
young champions of Fru Astrida's songs. His
cheek was coloured, his eye lighted up, and he
lifted his head, so that the hair fell back from his
forehead ; he laid his hand on the hilt of his
father's sword, and spoke on in words, perhaps,
suggested by some sage. " Yes, Arnulf of Flanders,
know that Duke William of Normandy shall not
rest unavenged ! On this good sword I vow, that,
as soon as my arm shall have strength "
The rest was left unspoken, for a hand was laid
on his arm. A priest, who had hitherto been
kneeling near the head of the corpse, had risen,
and stood tall and dark over him, and, looking up,
he recognized the pale, grave countenance of
Martin, Abbot of Jumieges, his father's chief
friend and councillor.
" Richard of Normandy, what sayest thou ? "
said he, sternly. " Yes, hang thy head, and
reply not, rather than repeat those words. Dost
D 2
36 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
thou come here to disturb the peace of the dead
with clamours for vengeance ? Dost thou vow
strife and anger on that sword which was never
drawn, save in the cause of the poor and dis-
tressed ? Wouldst thou rob Him, to whose service
thy life has been pledged, and devote thyself to
that of His foe ? Is this what thou hast learnt
from thy blessed father ? '
Richard made no answer, but he covered his
face with his hands, to hide the tears which were
fast streaming.
" Lord Abbot, Lord Abbot, this passes ! " ex-
claimed Bernard the Dane. " Our young Lord is
no monk, and we will not see each spark of noble
and knightly spirit quenched as soon as it shows
itself."
" Count of Harcourt," said Abbot Martin, " are
these the words of a savage Pagan, or of one who
has been washed in yonder blessed font ? Never,
while I have power, shalt thou darken the child's
soul with thy foul thirst of revenge, insult the
presence of thy master with the crime he so
abhorred, nor the temple of Him who came to
pardon, with thy hatred. Well do I know, ye
II THE LITTLE DUKE 37
Barons of Normandy, that each drop of your blood
would willingly be given, could it bring back our
departed Duke, or guard his orphan child ; but, if
ye have loved the father, do his bidding — lay aside
that accursed spirit of hatred and vengeance ; if ye
love the child, seek not to injure his soul more
deeply than even his bitterest foe, were it Arnulf
himself, hath power to hurt him."
The Barons were silenced, whatever their
thoughts might be, and Abbot Martin turned to
Richard, whose tears were still dropping fast
through his fingers, as the thought of those last
words of his father returned more clearly upon
him. The Abbot laid his hand on his head, and
spoke gently to him. " These are tears of a
softened heart, I trust," said he. " I well believe
that thou didst scarce know what thou wert
saying."
" Forgive me ! " said Richard, as \vell as he could
speak.
" See there," said the priest, pointing to the
large Cross over the Altar, "thou knowest the
meaning of that sacred sign ?
> '
Richard bowed his head in assent and reverence.
38 THE LITTLE DUKE CH. n
" It speaks of forgiveness," continued the Abbot.
" And knowest thou who gave that pardon ? The
Son forgave His murderers ; the Father them who
slew His Son. And shalt thou call for vengeance ? "
" But oh ! ' said Richard, looking up, " must
that cruel, murderous traitor glory unpunished in
his crime, while there lies- ' and again his voice
was cut off by tears.
"Vengeance shall surely overtake the sinner,"
said Martin, " the vengeance of the Lord, and in
His own good time, but it must not be of thy
seeking. Nay, Richard, thou art of all men the
most bound to show love and mercy to Arnulf of
Flanders. Yes, when the hand of the Lord hath
touched him, and bowed him down in punishment
for his crime, it is then, that thou, whom he hath
most deeply injured, shouldst stretch out thine
hand to aid him, and receive him with pardon and
peace. If thou dost vow aught on the sword of
thy blessed father, in the sanctuary of thy Re-
deemer, let it be a Christian vow."
Richard wept too bitterly to speak, and Bernard
de Harcourt, taking his hand, led him away from
the Church.
CHAPTER III
DUKE WILLIAM of the Long Sword was buried
the next morning in high pomp and state, with
many a prayer and psalm chanted over his grave.
When this was over, little Richard, who had all
the time stood or knelt nearest the corpse, in one
dull heavy dream of wonder and sorrow, was led
back to the palace, and there his long, heavy, black
garments were taken off, and he was dressed in his
short scarlet tunic, his hair was carefully arranged,
and then he came down again into the hall, where
there was a great assembly of Barons, some in
armour, some in long furred gowns, who had all
been attending his father's burial. Richard, as he
was desired by Sir Eric de Centeville, took off his
cap, and bowed low in reply to the reverences with
which they all greeted his entrance, and he then
slowly crossed the hall, and descended the steps
40 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
from the door, while they formed into a procession
behind him, according to their ranks — the Duke
of Brittany first, and then all the rest, down to the
poorest knight who held his manor immediately
from the Duke of Normandy.
Thus, they proceeded, in slow and solemn
order, till they came to the church of our Lady.
The clergy were there already, ranged in ranks
on each side of the Choir; and the Bishops,
in their mitres and rich robes, each with his
pastoral staff in his hand, were standing round
the Altar. As the little Duke entered, there
arose from all the voices in the Chancel the
full, loud, clear chant of Te Deuin Laudavms^
echoing among the dark vaults of the roof. To
that sound, Richard walked up the Choir, to a
large, heavy, crossed-legged, carved chair, raised
on two steps, just before the steps of the Altar
began, and there he stood, Bernard de Harcourt
and Eric de Centeville on each side of him, and
all his other vassals in due order, in the Choir.
After the beautiful chant of the hymn was
ended, the service for the Holy Communion
began. When the time came for the offering,
in THE LITTLE DUKE 41
each noble gave gold or silver ; and, lastly,
Rainulf of Ferrieres came up to the step of the
Altar with a cushion, on which was placed a circlet
of Gold, the ducal coronet ; and another Baron,
following him closely, carried a long, heavy sword,
with a cross handle. The Archbishop of Rouen
received both coronet and sword, and laid them
on the Altar. Then the service proceeded. At
that time the rite of Confirmation was adminis-
tered in infancy, and Richard, who had been
confirmed by his godfather, the Archbishop of
Rouen, immediately after his baptism, knelt in
solemn awe to receive the other Holy Sacrament
from his hands, as soon as all the clergy had
communicated.8
When the administration was over, Richard
was led forward to the step of the Altar by
Count Bernard, and Sir Eric, and the Archbishop,
laying one hand upon both his, as he held them
clasped together, demanded of him, in the name
of God, and of the people of Normandy, whether
he would be their good and true ruler, guard them
from their foes, maintain truth, punish iniquity,
and protect the Church.
42 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" I will ! ' answered Richard's young, trembling
voice, " So help me God ! ' and he knelt, and
kissed the book of the Holy Gospels, which the
Archbishop offered him.
It was a great and awful oath, and he dreaded
to think that he had taken it. He still knelt, put
both hands over his face, and whispered, " O God,
my Father, help me to keep it."
The Archbishop waited till he rose, and then,
turning him with his face to the people, said,
" Richard, by the grace of God, I invest thee with
the ducal mantle of Normandy ! "
Two of the Bishops then hung round his
shoulders a crimson velvet mantle, furred with
ermine, which, made as it was for a grown man,
hung heavily on the poor child's shoulders, and lay
in heaps on the ground. The Archbishop then
set the golden coronet on his long, flowing hair,
where it hung so loosely on the little head, that
Sir Eric was obliged to put his hand to it to hold
it safe ; and, lastly, the long, straight, two-handed
sword was brought and placed in his hand, with
another solemn bidding to use it ever in main-
taining the right. It should have been girded to
in THE LITTLE DUKE 43
his side, but the great sword was so much taller
than the little Duke, that, as it stood upright by
him, he was obliged to raise his arm to put it
round the handle.
He then had to return to his throne, which
was not done without some difficulty, encum-
bered as he was, but Osmond held up the train
of his mantle, Sir Eric kept the coronet on his
head, and he himself held fast and lovingly the
sword, though the Count of Harcourt offered to
o
carry it for him. He was lifted up to his throne,
and then came the paying him homage ; Alan,
Duke of Brittany, was the first to kneel before him,
and with his hand between those of the Duke, he
swore to be his man, to obey him, and pay him
feudal service for his dukedom of Brittany. In
return, Richard swore to be his good Lord, and to
protect him from all his foes. Then followed
Bernard the Dane, and many another, each
repeating the same formulary, as their large
rugged hands were clasped within those little
soft fingers. Many a kind and loving eye was
bent in compassion on the orphan child ; many
a strong voice faltered with earnestness as it
44 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
pronounced the vow, and many a brave, stalwart
heart heaved with grief for the murdered father,
and tears flowed down the war-worn cheeks which
had met the fiercest storms of the northern ocean,
as they bent before the young fatherless boy,
whom they loved for the sake of his conquering
grandfather, and his brave and pious father. Few
Normans were there whose hearts did not glow at
the touch of those small hands, with a love almost
of a parent, for their young Duke.
The ceremony of receiving homage lasted long
and Richard, though interested and touched at
first, grew very weary ; the crown and mantle
were so heavy, the faces succeeded each other
like figures in an endless dream, and the constant
repetition of the same words was very tedious.
He grew sleepy, he longed to jump up, to lean to
the right or left, or to speak something besides
that regular form. He gave one great yawn, but
it brought him such a frown from the stern face of
Bernard, as quite to wake him for a few minutes,
and make him sit upright, and receive the next
vassal with as much attention as he had shown
the first, but he looked imploringly at Sir Eric, as
in THE LITTLE DUKE 45
if to ask if it ever would be over. At last, far
down among the Barons, came one at whose sight
Richard revived a little. It was a boy only a few
years older than himself, perhaps about ten, with
a pleasant brown face, black hair, and quick black
eyes which glanced, with a look between friend-
liness and respect, up into the little Duke's gazing
face. Richard listened eagerly for his name, and
was refreshed at the sound of the boyish voice
which pronounced, " I, Alberic de Montemar, am
thy liegeman and vassal for my castle and barony
of Montemar sur Epte."
When Alberic moved away, Richard followed
him with his eye as far as he could to his place in
the Cathedral, and was taken by surprise when he
found the next Baron kneeling before him.
The ceremony of homage came to an end at
last, and Richard would fain have run all the way
to the palace to shake off his weariness, but he
was obliged to head the procession again ; and
even when he reached the castle hall his toils were
not over, for there was a great state banquet spread
out, and he had to sit in the high chair where he
remembered climbing on his father's knee last
46 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Christmas-day, all the time that the Barons feasted
round, and held grave converse. Richard's best
comfort all this time was in watching Osmond de
Centeville and Alberic de Montemar, who, with
the other youths who were not yet knighted, were
waiting on those who sat at the table. At last he
grew so very weary, that he fell fast asleep in the
corner of his chair, and did not wake till he was
startled by the rough voice of Bernard de Har-
court, calling him to rouse up, and bid the Duke
of Brittany farewell.
" Poor child ! " said Duke Alan, as Richard rose
up, startled, " he is over-wearied with this day's
work. Take care of him, Count Bernard ; thou
art a kindly nurse, but a rough one for such a
babe. Ha ! my young Lord, your colour mantles
at being called a babe ! I crave your pardon, for
you are a fine spirit. And hark you, Lord Richard
of Normandy, I have little cause to love your race,
and little right, I trow, had King Charles the
Simple to call us free Bretons liegemen to a race
of plundering Northern pirates. To Duke Rollo's
might, my father never gave his homage ; nay,
nor did I yield it for all Duke William's long
in THE LITTLE DUKE 47
sword, but I did pay it to his generosity and
forbearance, and now I grant it to thy weakness
and to his noble memory. I doubt not that the
recreant Frank, Louis, whom he restored to his
throne, will strive to profit by thy youth and help-
lessness, and should that be, remember that thou
hast no surer friend than Alan of Brittany. Fare
thee well, my young Duke."
" Farewell, Sir," said Richard, willingly giving
his hand to be shaken by his kind vassal, and
watching him as Sir Eric attended him from the
hall.
" Fair words, but I trust not the Breton," mut-
tered Bernard ; " hatred is deeply ingrained in
them."
" He should know what the Frank King is made
of," said Rainulf de Ferrieres ; " he was bred up
with him in the days that they were both exiles at
the court of King Ethelstane of England."
" Ay, and thanks to Duke William that either
Louis or Alan are not exiles still. Now we shall
see whose gratitude is worth most, the Frank's or
the Breton's. I suspect the Norman valour will
be the best to trust to."
48 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
j
" Yes, and how will Norman valour prosper
without treasure ? Who knows what gold is in
the Duke's coffers ? "
There was some consultation here in a low voice,
and the next thing Richard heard distinctly was,
that one of the Nobles held up a silver chain and
key,9 saying that they had been found on the
Duke's neck, and that he had kept them, think-
ing that they doubtless led to something of
importance.
^
" Oh, yes ! ' said Richard, eagerly, " I know
it. He told me it was the key to his greatest
treasure."
The Normans heard this with great interest, and
it was resolved that several of the most trusted per-
sons, among whom were the Archbishop of Rouen,
Abbot Martin of Jumieges, and the Count of
Harcourt, should go immediately in search of this
precious hoard. Richard accompanied them up
the narrow rough stone stairs, to the large dark
apartment, where his father had slept. Though a
Prince's chamber, it had little furniture ; a low
uncurtained bed, a Cross on a ledge near its head,
a rude table, a few chairs, and two large chests,
in THE LITTLE DUKE 49
were all it contained. Harcourt tried the lid of
one of the chests : it opened, and proved to be full
of wearing apparel ; he went to the other, which
was smaller, much more carved, and ornamented
with very handsome iron-work. It was locked,
and putting in the key, it fitted, the lock
turned, and the chest was opened. The Nor-
mans pressed eagerly to see their Duke's greatest
treasure.
It was a robe of serge, and a pair of sandals,
such as were worn in the Abbey of Jumieges.
"Ha! is this all? What didst say, child?"
cried Bernard the Dane, hastily.
" He told me it was his greatest treasure ! ''
repeated Richard.
"And it was ! " said Abbot Martin.
Then the good Abbot told them the history,
part of which was already known to some of them.
About five or six years before, Duke William had
been hunting in the forest of Jumieges, when he
had suddenly come on the ruins of the Abbey,
which had been wasted thirty or forty years
previously by the Sea-King, Hasting. Two old
monks, of the original brotherhood, still survived,
E
50 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
and came forth to greet the Duke, and offer him
their hospitality.
" Ay ! JJ said Bernard, " well do I remember
their bread ; we asked if it was made of fir-bark,
like that of our brethren of Norway."
William, then an eager, thoughtless young man,
turned with disgust from this wretched fare, and
throwing the old men some gold, galloped on to
enjoy his hunting. In the course of the sport, he
was left alone, and encountered a wild boar, which
threw him down, trampled on him, and left him
stretched senseless on the ground, severely injured.
His companions coming up, carried him, as the
nearest place of shelter, to the ruins of Jumieges,
where the two old monks gladly received him in
the remaining portion of their house. As soon as
he recovered his senses, he earnestly asked their
pardon for his pride, and the scorn he had shown
to the poverty and patient suffering which he
should have reverenced.
William had always been a man who chose the
good and refused the evil, but this accident, and
the long illness that followed it, made him far
more thoughtful and serious than he had ever been
in THE LITTLE DUKE 51
before ; he made preparing for death and eternity
his first object, and thought less of his worldly
affairs, his wars, and his ducal state. He rebuilt
the old Abbey, endowed it richly, and sent for
Martin himself from France, to become the Abbot;
he delighted in nothing so much as praying there,
conversing with the Abbot, and hearing him read
holy books ; and he felt his temporal affairs, and
the state and splendour of his rank, so great a
temptation, that he had one day come to the
Abbot, and entreated to be allowed to lay them
aside, and become a brother of the order. But
Martin had refused to receive his vows. He had
told him that he had no right to neglect or forsake
the duties of the station which God had appointed
him ; that it would be a sin to leave the post
which had been given him to defend ; and that the
way marked out for him to serve God was by
doing justice among his people, and using his
power to defend the right. Not till he had done
his allotted work, and his son was old enough to
take his place as ruler of the Normans, might he
cease from his active duties, quit the turmoil of the
world, and seek the repose of the cloister. It was
E 2
52 THE LITTLE DUKE CH. in
in this hope of peaceful retirement, that William
had delighted to treasure up the humble garments
that he hoped one day to wear in peace and
holiness.
"And oh! my noble Duke!' exclaimed Abbot
Martin, bursting into tears, as he finished his
narration, " the Lord hath been very gracious unto
thee ! He has taken thee home to thy rest, long
before thou didst dare to hope for it."
Slowly, and with subdued feelings, the Norman
Barons left the chamber ; Richard, whom they
seemed to have almost forgotten, wandered to the
stairs, to find his way to the room where he had
slept last night. He had not made many steps
before he heard Osmond's voice say, " Here, my
Lord ;" he looked up, saw a white cap at a door-
way a little above him, he bounded up and flew
into Dame Astrida's outstretched arms.
How glad he was to sit in her lap, and lay his
wearied head on her bosom, while, with a worn-out
voice, he exclaimed, " Oh, Fru Astrida ! I am very,
very tired of being Duke of Normandy ! "
CHAPTER IV
RICHARD of Normandy was very anxious to
know more of the little boy whom he had seen
among his vassals.
" Ah ! the young Baron de Montemar," said
Sir Eric. " I knew his father well, and a brave
man he was, though not of northern blood. He
was warden of the marches of the Epte, and was
killed by your father's side in the inroad of the
Viscount du Cotentin,10 at the time when you were
born, Lord Richard."
" But where does he live ? Shall I not see him
again ? '
" Montemar is on the bank of the Epte, in the
domain that the French wrongfully claim from us.
He lives there with his mother, and if he be not
yet returned, you shall see him presently. Osmond,
go you and seek out the lodgings of the young
54 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Montemar, and tell him the Duke would see
him."
Richard had never had a playfellow of his own
age, and his eagerness to see Alberic de Montemar
was great. He watched from the window, and at
length beheld Osmond entering the court with a
boy of ten years old by his side, and an old grey-
headed Squire, with a golden chain to mark him
as a Seneschal or Steward of the Castle, walking
behind.
Richard ran to the door to meet them, holding
out his hand eagerly. Alberic uncovered his bright
dark hair, bowed low and gracefully, but stood
as if he did not exactly know what to do next.
Richard grew shy at the same moment, and the
two boys stood looking at each other somewhat
awkwardly. It was easy to see that they were of
different races, so unlike were the blue eyes, flaxen
hair, and fair face of the young Duke, to the black
flashing eyes and olive cheek of his French vassal,
who, though two years older, was scarcely above
him in height ; and his slight figure, well-pro-
portioned, active and agile as it was, did not give
the same promise of strength as the round limbs
IV THE LITTLE DUKE 55
and large-boned frame of Richard, which even now
seemed likely to rival the gigantic stature of his
grandfather, Earl Rollo, the Ganger.
For some minutes the little Duke and the young
Baron stood surveying each other without a word,
and old Sir Eric did not improve matters by
saying, " Well, Lord Duke, here he is. Have you
no better greeting for him ? '
"The children are shame-faced," said Fru
Astrida, seeing how they both coloured. " Is
your Lady mother in good health, my young
sir ? "
Alberic blushed more deeply, bowed to the old
northern lady, and answered fast and low in
French, " I cannot speak the Norman tongue."
Richard, glad to say something, interpreted
Fru Astrida's speech, and Alberic readily made
courteous reply that his mother was well, and he
thanked the Dame de Centeville, a French title
which sounded new to Fru Astrida's ears. Then
came the embarrassment again, and Fru Astrida
at last said, " Take him out, Lord Richard ; take
him to see the horses in the stables, or the hounds,
or what not."
56 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Richard was not sorry to obey, so out they went
into the court of Rollo's tower, and in the open
air the shyness went off. Richard showed his
own pony, and Alberic asked if he could leap
into the saddle without putting his foot in the
stirrup. No, Richard could not ; indeed, even
Osmond had never seen it done, for the feats
of French chivalry had scarcely yet spread into
Normandy.
" Can you ? " said Richard ; " will you show us ? "
" I know I can with my own pony," said Alberic,
" for Bertrand will not let me mount in any other
way ; but I will try with yours, if you desire it,
my Lord."
So the pony was led out. Alberic laid one
hand on its mane, and vaulted on its back in a
moment. Both Osmond and Richard broke out
loudly into admiration. " Oh, this is nothing ! '
said Alberic. " Bertrand says it is nothing. Be-
fore he grew old and stiff he could spring into the
saddle in this manner fully armed. I ought to do
this much better."
Richard begged to be shown how to perform
the exploit, and Alberic repeated it ; then Richard
iv THE LITTLE DUKE 57
wanted to try, but the pony's patience would not
endure any longer, and Alberic said he had learnt
on a block of wood, and practised on the great
wolf-hound. They wandered about a little longer
in the court, and then climbed up the spiral stone
stairs to the battlements at the top of the tower,
where they looked at the house-tops of Rouen
close beneath, and the river Seine, broadening and
glittering on one side in its course to the sea, and
on the other narrowing to a blue ribbon, winding
through the green expanse of fertile Normandy.
They threw the pebbles and bits of mortar down
that they might hear them fall, and tried which
could stand nearest to the edge of the battlement
without being giddy. Richard was pleased to find
that he could go the nearest, and began to tell
some of Fru Astrida's stories about the precipices
of Norway, among which when she was a young
girl she used to climb about and tend the cattle in
the long light summer time. When the two boys
came down again into the hall to dinner, they felt
as if they had known each other all their lives.
The dinner was laid out in full state, and Richard
had, as before, to sit in the great throne-like chair
58 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
with the old Count of Harcourt on one side, but,
to his comfort, Fru Astrida was on the other.
After the dinner, Alberic de Montemar rose to
take his leave, as he was to ride half way to his
home that afternoon. Count Bernard, who all
dinner time had been watching him intently from
under his shaggy eye-brows, at this moment turned
to Richard, whom he hardly ever addressed, and
said to him, " Hark ye, my Lord, what should you
say to have him yonder for a comrade ? "
" To stay with me ? >! cried Richard, eagerly.
" Oh, thanks, Sir Count ; and may he stay ? ':
" You are Lord here."
" Oh, Alberic ! ' cried Richard, jumping out of
his chair of state, and running up to him, "will
you not stay with me, and be my brother and
comrade ? '
Alberic looked down hesitating.
" Oh, say that you will ! I will give you horses,
and hawks, and hounds, and I will love you —
almost as well as Osmond. Oh, stay with me,
Alberic.''
" I must obey you, my Lord," said Alberic,
" but—"
1V THE LITTLE DUKE 59
" Come, young Frenchman, out with it," said
Bernard, — " no buts ! Speak honestly, and at
once, like a Norman, if you can."
This rough speech seemed to restore the little
Baron's self-possession, and he looked up bright
and bold at the rugged face of the old Dane, while
he said, " I had rather not stay here."
" Ha ! not do service to your Lord ? '
" I would serve him with all my heart, but I
do not want to stay here. I love the Castle of
Montemar better, and my mother has no one
but me."
" Brave and true, Sir Frenchman," said the old
Count, laying his great hand on Alberic's head,
and looking better pleased than Richard thought
his grim features could have appeared. Then
turning to Bertrand, Alberic's Seneschal, he said,
"Bear the Count de Harcourt's greetings to the
noble Dame de Montemar, and say to her that her
son is of a free bold spirit, and if she would have
him bred up with my Lord Duke, as his comrade
and brother in arms, he will find a ready welcome."
" So, Alberic, you will come back, perhaps ? '
said Richard.
60 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" That must be as my mother pleases," answered
Alberic bluntly, and with all due civilities he and
his Seneschal departed.
Four or five times a day did Richard ask
Osmond and Fru Astrida if they thought Alberic
would return, and it was a great satisfaction to
him to find that every one agreed that it would
be very foolish in the Dame de Montemar to
refuse so good an offer, only Fru Astrida could
not quite believe she would part with her son.
Still no Baron de Montemar arrived, and the
little Duke was beginning to think less about his
hopes, when one evening, as he was returning
from a ride with Sir Eric and Osmond, he saw
four horsemen coming towards them, and a little
boy in front.
"It is Alberic himself, I am sure of it!" he
exclaimed, and so it proved ; and while the
Seneschal delivered his Lady's message to Sir
Eric, Richard rode up and greeted the welcome
guest.
" Oh, I am very glad your mother has sent you!"
" She said she was not fit to bring up a young
warrior of the marches," said Alberic.
iv THE LITTLE DUKE 6l
" Were you very sorry to come ? "
" I dare say I shall not mind it soon ; and
Bertrand is to come and fetch me home to visit
her every three months, if you will let me go,
my Lord."
Richard was extremely delighted, and thought
he could never do enough to make Rouen pleasant
to Alberic, who after the first day or two cheered
up, missed his mother less, managed to talk some-
thing between French and Norman to Sir Eric
and Fru Astrida, and became a very animated
companion and friend. In one respect Alberic
was a better playfellow for the Duke than Osmond
de Centeville, for Osmond, playing as a grown up
man, not for his own amusement, but the child's,
had left all the advantages of the game to
Richard, who was growing not a little inclined to
domineer. This Alberic did not like, unless, as
he said, " it was to be always Lord and vassal,
and then he did not care for the game," and he
played with so little animation that Richard grew
vexed.
" I can't help it," said Alberic ; " if you take all
the best chances to yourself, 'tis no sport for me.
52 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
I will do your bidding, as you are the Duke, but I
cannot like it."
" Never mind my being Duke, but play as we
used to do."
" Then let us play as I did with Bertrand's sons
at Montemar. I was their Baron, as you are my
Duke, but my mother said there would be no sport
unless we forgot all that at play."
'•' Then so we will. Come, begin again, Alberic,
and you shall have the first turn."
However, Alberic was quite as courteous and
respectful to the Duke when they were not at
play, as the difference of their rank required ;
indeed, he had learnt much more of grace and
courtliness of demeanour from his mother, a
Provencal lady, than was yet to be found among
the Normans. The Chaplain of Montemar had
begun to teach him to read and write, and he
liked learning much better than Richard, who
would not have gone on with Father Lucas's
lessons at all, if Abbot Martin of Jumieges had
not put him in mind that it had been his father's
especial desire.
What Richard most disliked was, however, the
iv THE LITTLE DUKE 63
being obliged to sit in council. The Count of
Harcourt did in truth govern the dukedom, but
nothing could be done without the Duke's consent,
and once a week at least, there was held in the
great hall of Rollo's tower, what was called a
Parlement, or " a talkation," where Count Bernard,
the Archbishop, the Baron de Centeville, the Abbot
of Jumieges, and such other Bishops, Nobles, or
Abbots, as might chance to be at Rouen, consulted
on the affairs of Normandy ; and there the little
Duke always was forced to be present, sitting up
in his chair of state, and hearing rather than
listening to, questions about the repairing and
guarding of Castles, the asking of loans from the
vassals, the appeals from the Barons of the Ex-
chequer, who were then Nobles sent through the
duchy to administer justice, and the discussions
about the proceedings of his neighbours, King
Louis of France, Count Foulques of Anjou, and
Count Herluin of Montreuil, and how far the
friendship of Hugh of Paris, and Alan of Brittany
might be trusted.
Very tired of all this did Richard grow, es-
pecially when he found that the Normans had
64 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
made up their minds not to attempt a war against
the wicked Count of Flanders. He sighed most
wearily, yawned again and again, and moved
restlessly about in his chair ; but whenever Count
Bernard saw him doing so, he received so severe a
look and sign that he grew perfectly to dread the
eye of the fierce old Dane. Bernard never spoke
to him to praise him, or to enter into any of his
pursuits ; he only treated him with the grave
distant respect due to him as a Prince, or else now
and then spoke a few stern words to him of re-
proof for this restlessness, or for some other
childish folly.
Used as Richard was to be petted and made
much of by the whole house of Centeville, he
resented this considerably in secret, disliked and
feared the old Count, and more than once told
Alberic de Montemar, that as soon as he was
fourteen, when he would be declared of age, he
should send Count Bernard to take care of his
own Castle of Harcourt, instead of letting him sit
gloomy and grim in the Castle hall in the evening,
spoiling all their sport.
Winter had set in, and Osmond used daily to
iv THE LITTLE DUKE 65
take the little Duke and Alberic to the nearest
sheet of ice, for the Normans still prided them-
selves on excelling in skating, though they had
long since left the frost-bound streams and lakes
of Norway.
One day, as they were returning from the ice,
they were surprised, even before they entered the
Castle court, by hearing the trampling of horses'
feet, and a sound of voices.
" What may this mean ? " said Osmond. " There
must surely be a great arrival of the vassals. The
Duke of Brittany, perhaps."
" Oh," said Richard, piteously, " we have had
one council already this week. I hope another is
not coming ! '
" It must import something extraordinary/' pro-
ceeded Osmond. " It is a mischance that the
Count of Harcourt is not at Rouen just now."
Richard thought this no mischance at all, and
just then, Alberic, who had run on a little before,
came back exclaiming, " They are French. It
is the Frank tongue, not the Norman, that they
speak."
" So please you, my Lord." said Osmond,
F
66 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
stopping short, " we go not rashly into the
midst of them. I would I knew what were best
to do."
Osmond rubbed his forehead and stood con-
sidering, while the two boys looked at him anx-
iously. In a few seconds, before he had come to
any conclusion, there came forth from the gate a
Norman Squire, accompanied by two strangers.
" My Lord Duke," said he to Richard, in French,
" Sir Eric has sent me to bring you tidings that
the King of France has arrived to receive your
homage."
"The King!" exclaimed Osmond.
" Ay ! ' proceeded the Norman, in his own
tongue, " Louis himself, and with a train looking
bent on mischief. I wish it may portend good to
my Lord here. You see I am accompanied. I
believe from my heart that Louis meant to prevent
you from receiving a warning, and taking the boy
out of his clutches."
" Ha ! what ? " said Richard, anxiously. " Why
is the King come ? What must I do ? '
" Go on now, since there is no help for it," said
Osmond.
IV THE LITTLE DUKE 67
" Greet the king as becomes you, bend the knee,
and pay him homage."
Richard repeated over to himself the form of
homage that he might be perfect in it, and walked
on into the court ; Alberic, Osmond, and the rest
falling back as he entered. The court was crowded
with horses and men, and it was only by calling
out loudly, " The Duke, the Duke," that Osmond
could get space enough made for them to pass.
In a few moments Richard had mounted the steps
and stood in the great hall.
In the chair of state, at the upper end of the
room, sat a small spare man, of about eight or
nine-and-twenty, pale, and of a light complexion,
with a rich dress of blue and gold. Sir Eric and
several other persons stood respectfully round him,
and he was conversing with the Archbishop, who,
as well as Sir Eric, cast several anxious glances at
the little Duke as he advanced up the hall. He
came up to the King, put his knee to the ground,
and was just beginning, " Louis, King of France,
I " when he found himself suddenly lifted from
the ground in the King's arms, and kissed on both
cheeks. Then setting him on his knee, the King
F 2
68 THE LITTLE DUKE CH. iv
exclaimed, " And is this the son of my brave and
noble friend, Duke William ? Ah ! I should have
known it from his likeness. Let me embrace you
again, dear child, for your father's sake."
Richard was rather overwhelmed, but he thought
the King very kind, especially when Louis began
to admire his height and free-spirited bearing, and
to lament that his own sons, Lothaire and Carlo-
man, were so much smaller and more backward.
He caressed Richard again and again, praised
every word he said — Fru Astrida was nothing to
him ; and Richard began to say to himself how
strange and unkind it was of Bernard de Harcourt
to like to find fault with him, when, on the con-
trary, he deserved all this praise from the King
himself.
LOL'In OK I'KANCE AND THii LITTLE Dl/KE.
CHAPTER V
DUKE RICHARD of Normandy slept in the room
which had been his father's ; Alberic de Montemar,
as his page, slept at his feet, and Osmond de
Centeville had a bed on the floor, across the door,
where he lay with his sword close at hand, as his
young Lord's guard and protector.
All had been asleep for some little time, when
Osmond was startled by a slight movement of
the door, which could not be pushed open with-
out awakening him. In an instant he had grasped
his sword, while he pressed his shoulder to the
door to keep it close ; but it was his father's voice
that answered him with a few whispered words in
the Norse tongue, " It is I, open." He made way
instantly, and old Sir Eric entered, treading
cautiously with bare feet, and sat down on the
bed motioning him to do the same, so that they
70 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
might be able to speak lower. " Right, Osmond,"
he said. " It is well to be on the alert, for peril
enough is around him — The Frank means mischief!
I know from a sure hand that Arnulf of Flanders
was in council with him just before he came hither,
with his false tongue, wiling and coaxing the
poor child ! "
" Ungrateful traitor ! ' murmured Osmond.
" Do you guess his purpose ? '
"Yes, surely, to carry the boy off with him,
and so he trusts doubtless to cut off all the race
of Rollo ! I know his purpose is to bear off the
Duke, as a ward of the Crown forsooth. Did you
not hear him luring the child with his promises
of friendship with the Princes ? I could not under-
stand all his French words, but I saw it plain
enough."
" You will never allow it ? '
" If he does, it must be across our dead bodies ;
but taken as we are by surprise, our resistance
will little avail. The Castle is full of French, the
hall and court swarm with them. Even if we
could draw our Normans together, we should not
be more than a dozen men, and what could we do
V THE LITTLE DUKE 7i
but die ? That we are ready for, if it may not be
otherwise, rather than let our charge be thus borne
off without a pledge for his safety, and without the
knowledge of the states."
" The king could not have come at a worse
time," said Osmond.
"No, just when Bernard the Dane is absent.
If he only knew what has befallen, he could raise
the country, and come to the rescue."
" Could we not send some one to bear the
tidings to-night ? '
" I know not," said Sir Eric, musingly. " The
French have taken the keeping of the doors ;
indeed they are so thick through the Castle
that I can hardly reach one of our men, nor
could I spare one hand that may avail to guard
the boy to-morrow."
" Sir Eric ; " a bare little foot was heard on the
floor, and Alberic de Montemar stood before him.
" I did not mean to listen, but I could not- help
hearing you. I cannot fight for the Duke yet, but
I could carry a message."
" How would that be ? " said Osmond, eagerly.
" Once out of the Castle, and in Rouen, he could
72 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
easily find means of sending to the Count. He
might go cither to the Convent of St. Ouen, or,
which would be better, to the trusty armourer,
Thibault, who would soon find man and horse to
send after the Count."
" Ha ! let me see," said Sir Eric. " It might be.
But how is he to get out ? '
" I know a way," said Alberic. " I scrambled
down that wide buttress by the east wall last
week, when our ball was caught in a branch of
the ivy, and the drawbridge is down."
" If Bernard knew, it would be off my mind, at
least ! " said Sir Eric. " Well, my young French-
man, you may do good service."
" Osmond," whispered Alberic, as he began
hastily to dress himself, " only ask one thing of
Sir Eric — never to call me young Frenchman
• i "
again !
Sir Eric smiled, saying, " Prove yourself Norman,
my boy."
" Then," added Osmond, " if it were possible to
get the Duke himself out of the castle to-morrow
morning. If I could take him forth by the postern,
and once bring him into the town, he would be
v THE LITTLE DUKE 73
safe. It would be only to raise the burghers, or
else to take refuge in the Church of Our Lady till
the Count came up, and then Louis would find
his prey out of his hands when he awoke and
sought him."
" That might be," replied Sir Eric ; " but I
doubt your success. The French are too eager to
hold him fast, to let him slip out of their hands.
You will find every door guarded."
"Yes, but all the French have not seen the
Duke, and the sight of a squire and a little page
going forth, will scarcely excite their suspicion."
" Ay, if the Duke would bear himself like a
little page ; but that you need not hope for.
Besides, he is so taken with this King's flatteries,
that I doubt whether he would consent to leave
him for the sake of Count Bernard. Poor child,
he is like to be soon taught to know his true
friends."
" I am ready," said Alberic, coming forward.
The Baron de Centeville repeated his instructions,
and then undertook to guard the door, while his
son saw Alberic set off on his expedition. Osmond
went with him softly down the stairs, then avoid-
74 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
ing the hall, which was filled with French, they
crept silently to a narrow window, guarded by iron
bars, placed at such short intervals apart that only
so small and slim a form as Alberic's could have
squeezed out between them. The distance to the
ground was not much more than twice his own
height, and the wall was so covered with ivy, that
it was not a very dangerous feat for an active boy,
so that Alberic was soon safe on the ground, then
looking up to wave his cap, he ran on along the
side of the moat, and was soon lost to Osmond's
sight in the darkness.
Osmond returned to the Duke's chamber, and
relieved his father's guard, while Richard slept
soundly on, little guessing at the plots of his
enemies, or at the schemes of his faithful subjects
for his protection.
Osmond thought this all the better, for he had
small trust in Richard's patience and self-command,
and thought there was much more chance of
getting him unnoticed out of the Castle, if he did
not know how much depended on it, and how
dangerous his situation was.
When Richard awoke, he was much surprised
v THE LITTLE DUKE 75
at missing Alberic, but Osmond said he was gone
into the town to Thibault the armourer, and this
was a message on which he was so likely to be
employed that Richard's suspicion was not ex-
cited. All the time he was dressing he talked
about the King, and everything he meant to show
him that day ; then, when he was ready, the first
thing was as usual to go to attend morning mass.
" Not by that way, to-day, my Lord," said
Osmond, as Richard was about to enter the great
hall. " It is crowded with the French who have
been sleeping there all night ; come to the
postern."
Osmond turned, as he spoke, along the passage,
walking fast, and not sorry that Richard was lin-
gering a little, as it was safer for him to be first.
The postern was, as he expected, guarded by two
tall steel-cased figures, who immediately held their
lances across the door-way, saying, " None passes
without warrant."
" You will surely let us of the Castle attend to
our daily business," said Osmond. " You will
hardly break your fast this morning if you stop
all communication with the town.'
76 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" You must bring warrant," repeated one of the
men-at-arms. Osmond was beginning to say that
he was the son of the Seneschal of the Castle,
when Richard came hastily up. " What ? Do
these men want to stop us ? ' he exclaimed in the
imperious manner he had begun to take up since
his accession. " Let us go on, sirs."
The men-at-arms looked at each other, and
guarded the door more closely. Osmond saw it
was hopeless, and only wanted to draw his young
charge back without being recognised, but Richard
exclaimed loudly, " What means this ? '
" The King has given orders that none should
pass without warrant," was Osmond's answer.
" We must wait."
" I will pass ! " said Richard, impatient at oppo-
sition, to which he was little accustomed. " What
mean you, Osmond ? This is my Castle, and no
one has a right to stop me. Do you hear,
grooms ? let me go. I am the Duke ! "
The sentinels bowed, but all they said was, " Our
orders are express."
" I tell you I am Duke of Normandy, and I will
go where I please in my own city ! ': exclaimed
v THE LITTLE DUKE 77
Richard, passionately pressing against the crossed
staves of the weapons, to force his way between
them, but he was caught and held fast in the
powerful gauntlet of one of the men-at-arms.
" Let me go, villain ! " cried he, struggling with all
his might. " Osmond, Osmond, help ! '
Even as he spoke Osmond had disengaged him
from the grasp of the Frenchman, and putting his
hand on his arm, said, " Nay, my Lord, it is not
for you to strive with such as these."
" I will strive ! " cried the boy. " I will not have
my way barred in my own Castle. I will tell the
King how these rogues of his use me. I will have
them in the dungeon. Sir Eric ! where is Sir
Eric ? "
Away he rushed to the stairs, Osmond hurrying
after him, lest he should throw himself into some
fresh danger, or by his loud calls attract the
French, who might then easily make him prisoner.
However, on the very first step of the stairs stood
Sir Eric, who was too anxious for the success of
the attempt to escape, to be very far off. Richard,
too angry to heed where he was going, dashed up
against him without seeing him, and as the old
78 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Baron took hold of him, began, " Sir Eric, Sir
Eric, those French are villains ! they will not let
me pass-
" Hush, hush ! my Lord," said Sir Eric. " Silence !
come here."
However imperious with others, Richard from
force of habit always obeyed Sir Eric, and now
allowed himself to be dragged hastily and silently
by him, Osmond following closely, up the stairs,
up a second and a third winding flight, still nar-
rower, and with broken steps, to a small round,
thick-walled turret chamber, with an extremely
small door, and loop-holes of windows high up
in the tower. Here, to his great surprise, he
found Dame Astrida, kneeling and telling her
beads, two or three of her maidens, and about four
of the Norman Squires and men-at-arms.
" So you have failed, Osmond ? " said the Baron.
" But what is all this ? How did Fru Astrida
come up here ? May I not go to the King and
have those insolent Franks punished ? r
" Listen to me, Lord Richard," said Sir Eric :
" that smooth-spoken King whose words so
charmed you last night is an ungrateful deceiver.
V THE LITTLE DUKE 79
•
The Franks have always hated and feared the
Normans, and not being able to conquer us fairly,
they now take to foul means. Louis came hither
from Flanders, he has brought this great troop ot
French to surprise us, claim you as a ward of the
crown, and carry you away with him to some
prison of his own."
" You will not let me go ? " said Richard.
"Not while I live," said Sir Eric. " Alberic is
gone to warn the Count ol Harcourt, to call the
Normans together, and here we are ready to
defend this chamber to our last breath, but we
are few, the French are many, and succour may
be far off."
"Then you meant to have taken me out of
their reach this morning, Osmond ? '
" Yes, my Lord."
" And if I had not flown into a passion and
told who I was, I might have been safe ! O Sir
Eric ! Sir Eric ! you will not let me be carried
off to a French prison ! >:
" Here, my child," said Dame Astrida, holding
out her arms, " Sir Eric will do all he can for you,
but we are in God's hands ! "
8o THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Richard came and leant against her. " I wish
I had not been in a passion ! " said he, sadly, after
a silence ; then looking at her in wonder — " But
how came you up all this way ? ''
" It is a long way for my old limbs," said Fru
Astrida, smiling, " but my son helped me, and he
deems it the only safe place in the Castle."
" The safest," said Sir Eric, " and that is not
saying much for it."
" Hark ! " said Osmond, " what a tramping the
Franks are making. They are beginning to
wonder where the Duke is."
" To the stairs, Osmond," said Sir Eric. " On
that narrow step one man may keep them at
bay a long time. You can speak their jargon too,
and hold parley with them."
" Perhaps they will think I am gone," whispered
Richard, "if they cannot find me, and go away."
Osmond and two of the Normans were, as he
spoke, taking their stand on the narrow spiral
stair, where there was just room for one man on
the step. Osmond was the lowest, the other two
above him, and it would have been very hard for
an enemy to force his way past them.
v THE LITTLE DUKE Si
Osmond could plainly hear the sounds of the
steps and voices of the French as they consulted
together, and sought for the Duke. A man at
length was heard clanking up these very stairs,
till winding round, he suddenly found himself
close upon young de Centeville.
" Ha ! Norman ! " he cried, starting back in
amazement, ' ' what are you doing here ? "
" My duty," answered Osmond, shortly. " I
am here to guard this stair ; " and his drawn
sword expressed the same intention.
The Frenchman drew back, and presently a whis-
pering below was heard, and soon after a voice came
up the stairs, saying, " Norman — good Norman-
" What would you say ? ' replied Osmond, and
the head of another Frank appeared. " What
means all this, my friend ? ' was the address.
" Our King comes as a guest to you, and you re-
ceived him last evening as loyal vassals. Where-
fore have you now drawn out of the way, and
striven to bear off your young Duke into secret
places ? Truly it looks not well that you should
thus strive to keep him apart, and therefore the
King requires to see him instantly."
G
82 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" Sir Frenchman," replied Osmond, " your King
claims the Duke as his ward. How that may be
my father knows not, but as he was committed to
his charge by the states of Normandy, he holds
himself bound to keep him in his own hands until
further orders from them."
" That means, insolent Norman, that you intend
to shut the boy up and keep him in your own
rebel hands. You had best yield — it will be the
better for you and for him. The child is the King's
ward, and he shall not be left to be nurtured in
rebellion by northern pirates."
At this moment a cry from without arose, so
loud as almost to drown the voices of the speakers
on the turret stair, a cry welcome to the ears of
Osmond, repeated by a multitude of voices, " Haro !
Haro ! our little Duke ! "
It was well known as a Norman shout. So just
and so ready to redress all grievances had the old
Duke Rollo been, that his very name was an
appeal against injustice, and whenever wrong was
done, the Norman outcry against the injury was
always " Ha Rollo ! " or as it had become shortened,
" Haro." And now Osmond knew that those,
v THE LITTLE DUKE 83
whose affection had been won by the uprightness
of Rollo, were gathering to protect his helpless
grandchild.
The cry was likewise heard by the little garrison
in the turret chamber, bringing hope and joy.
Richard thought himself already rescued, and
springing from Fru Astrida, danced about in
ecstasy, only longing to see the faithful Normans,
whose voices he heard ringing out again and again,
in calls for their little Duke, and outcries against
the Franks. The windows were, however, so high,
that nothing could be seen from them but the sky;
and, like Richard, the old Baron de Centeville was
almost beside himself with anxiety to know what
force was gathered together, and what measures
were being taken. He opened the door, called to
his son, and asked if he could tell what was pass-
ing, but Osmond knew as little — he could see
nothing but the black, cobwebbed, dusty steps
winding above his head, while the clamours out-
side, waxing fiercer and louder, drowned all the
sounds which might otherwise have come up to
him from the French within the Castle. At last,
however, Osmond called out to his father, in Norse,
G 2
84 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" There is a Frank Baron come to entreat, and this
time very humbly, that the Duke may come to
the King."
" Tell him," replied Sir Eric, " that save with
consent of the council of Normandy, the child
leaves not my hands."
" He says," called back Osmond, after a moment,
" that you shall guard him yourself, with as many
as you choose to bring with you. He declares on
the faith of a free Baron, that the King has no
thought of ill — he wants to show him to the
Rouennais without, who are calling for him, and
threaten to tear down the tower rather than not
see their little Duke. Shall I bid him send a
hostage ? "
" Answer him," returned the Baron, " that the
Duke leaves not this chamber unless a pledge is
put into our hands for his safety. There was an
oily-tongued Count, who sat next the King at
supper — let him come hither, and then perchance
I may trust the Duke among them."
Osmond gave the desired reply, which was
carried to the King. Meantime the uproar out-
side grew louder than ever, and there were new
v THE LITTLE DUKE 85
sounds, a horn was winded, and there was a shout
of " Dieu aide !r the Norman war-cry, joined with
" Notre Dame de Harcourt ! "
" There, there ! ' cried Sir Eric, with a long
breath, as if relieved of half his anxieties, "the
boy has sped well. Bernard is here at last ! Now
his head and hand are there, I doubt no longer."
" Here comes the Count," said Osmond, opening
the door, and admitting a stout, burly man, who
seemed sorely out of breath with the ascent of the
steep, broken stair, and very little pleased to find
himself in such a situation. The Baron de Cente-
ville augured well from the speed with which he
had been sent, thinking it proved great perplexity
and distress on the part of Louis. Without wait-
ing to hear his hostage speak, he pointed to a
chest on which he had been sitting, and bade two
of his men-at-arms stand on each side of the
Count, saying at the same time to Fru Astrida,
" Now, mother, if aught of evil befals the child,
you know your part. Come, Lord Richard."
Richard moved forward. Sir Eric held his
hand. Osmond kept close behind him, and
with as many of the men-at-arms as could be
86 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
spared from guarding Fru Astrida and her
hostage, he descended the stairs, not by any
means sorry to go, for he was weary of being
besieged in that turret chamber, whence he could
see nothing, and with those friendly cries in his
ears, he could not be afraid.
He was conducted to the large council-room
which was above the hall. There, the King was
walking up and down anxiously, looking paler
than his wont, and no wonder, for the uproar
sounded tremendous there — and now and then
a stone dashed against the sides of the deep
window.
Nearly at the same moment as Richard
entered by one door, Count Bernard de Harcourt
came in from the other, and there was a slight
lull in the tumult.
" What means this, my Lords ? " exclaimed
the King. " Here am I come in all good will,
in memory of my warm friendship with Duke
William, to take on me the care of his orphan,
and hold council with you for avenging his death,
and is this the greeting you afford me ? You
steal away the child, and stir up the rascaille
v THE LITTLE DUKE 87
of Rouen against me. Is this the reception for
your King ? '
" Sir King," replied Bernard, " what your
intentions may be, I know not. All I do know
is, that the burghers of Rouen are fiercely in-
censed against you — so much so, that they were
almost ready to tear me to pieces for being
absent at this juncture. They say that you are
keeping the child prisoner in his own Castle and
that they will have him restored if they tear it
down to the foundations."
"You are a true man, a loyal man — you
understand my good intentions," said Louis,
trembling, for the Normans were extremely
dreaded. " You would not bring the shame of
rebellion on your town and people. Advise me
— I will do just as you counsel me — how shall
I appease them ? '
" Take the child, lead him to the window,
swear that you mean him no evil, that you will
not take him from us," said Bernard. "Swear
it on the faith of a King."
" As a King — as a Christian, it is true ! ' said
Louis. " Here, my boy ! Wherefore shrink from
88 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
me ? What have I done, that you should fear
me ? You have been listening to evil tales of
me, my child. Come hither."
At a sign from the Count de Harcourt, Sir
Eric led Richard forward, and put his hand into
the King's. Louis took him to the window, lifted
him upon the sill, and stood there with his arm
round him, upon which the shout, " Long live
Richard, our little Duke ! ' arose again. Mean-
time, the two Centevilles looked in wonder at
the old Harcourt, who shook his head and mut-
tered in his own tongue, " I will do all I may, but
our force is small, and the King has the best of it.
We must not yet bring a war on ourselves."
" Hark ! he is going to speak," said Osmond.
" Fair Sirs ! — excellent burgesses ! " began the
King, as the cries lulled a little.11 " I rejoice to
see the love ye bear to our young Prince ! I
would all my subjects were equally loyal ! But
wherefore dread me, as if I were come to injure
him ? I, who came but to take counsel how to
avenge the death of his father, who brought me
back from England when I was a friendless exile.
Know ye not how deep is the debt of gratitude I
v THE LITTLE DUKE 89
owe to Duke William ? He it was who made me
King — it was he who gained me the love of the
King of Germany ; he stood godfather for my
son — to him I owe all my wealth and state, and all
my care is to render guerdon for it to his child,
since, alas! I may not to himself. Duke William
rests in his bloody grave ! It is for me to call his
murderers to account, and to cherish his son, even
as mine own !
So saying, Louis tenderly embraced the little
boy, and the Rouennais below broke out into
another cry, in which " Long live King Louis,"
was joined with " Long live Richard ! ':
" You will not let the child go ? ' said Eric,
meanwhile, to Harcourt.
" Not without provision for his safety, but we
are not fit for war as yet, and to let him go is
the only means of warding it off."
Eric groaned and shook his head ; but the
Count de Harcourt's judgment was of such weight
with him, that he never dreamt of disputing it
" Bring me here," said the King, " all that you
deem most holy, and you shall see me pledge
myself to be your Duke's most faithful friend."
90 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
There was some delay, during which the Norman
Nobles had time for further counsel together, and
Richard looked wistfully at them, wondering what
was to happen to him, and wishing he could
venture to ask for Alberic.
Several of the Clergy of the Cathedral presently
appeared in procession, bringing with them the
book of the Gospels on which Richard had taken
his installation oath, with others of the sacred
treasures of the Church, preserved in gold cases.
The Priests were followed by a few of the Norman
Knights and Nobles, some of the burgesses of
Rouen, and, to Richard's great joy, by Alberic de
Montemar himself. The two boys stood looking
eagerly at each other, while preparation was made
for the ceremony of the King's oath.
The stone table in the middle of the room was
cleared, and arranged so as in some degree to
resemble the Altar in the Cathedral ; then the
Count de Harcourt, standing before it, and holding
the King's hand, demanded of him whether he
would undertake to be the friend, protector, and
good Lord of Richard, Duke of Normandy, guard-
ing him from all his enemies, and ever seeking his
v THE LITTLE DUKE 91
welfare. Louis, with his hand on the Gospels,
" swore that so he would."
" Amen ! " returned Bernard the Dane, solemnly,
" and as thou keepest that oath to the fatherless
child, so may the Lord do unto thine house ! '
Then followed the ceremony, which had been
interrupted the night before, of the homage and
oath of allegiance which Richard owed to the
King, and, on the other hand, the King's formal
reception of him as a vassal, holding, under him,
the two dukedoms of Normandy and Brittany.
"And," said the King, raising him in his arms
and kissing him, " no dearer vassal do I hold in
all my realm than this fair child, son of my
murdered friend and benefactor — precious to me
as my own children, as soon my Queen and I
hope to testify."
Richard did not much like all this embracing ;
but he was sure the King really meant him no ill,
and he wondered at all the distrust the Centevilles
had shown.
" Now, brave Normans, said the King, " be ye
ready speedily, for an onset on the traitor Fleming.
The cause of my ward is my own cause. Soon
92 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
shall the trumpet be sounded, the ban and arriere
ban of the realm be called forth, and Arnulf, in
the flames of his cities, and the blood of his
vassals, shall learn to rue the day when his foot
trod the Isle of Pecquigny ! How many Normans
can you bring to the muster, Sir Count ? '
" I cannot say, within a few hundreds of lances,"
replied the old Dane, cautiously ; " it depends on
the numbers that may be engaged in the Italian
war with the Saracens, but of this be sure, Sir
King, that every man in Normandy and Brittany
who can draw a sword or bend a bow, will stand
forth in the cause of our little Duke ; ay, and
that his blessed father's memory is held so dear in
our northern home, that it needs but a message to
King Harold Blue-tooth to bring a fleet of long
keels into the Seine, with stout Danes enough to
carry fire and sword, not merely through Flanders,
but through all France. We of the North are not
apt to forget old friendships and favours, Sir
King."
"Yes, yes, I know the Norman faith of old,"
returned Louis, uneasily, " but we should scarcely
need such wild allies as you propose ; the Count
v THE LITTLE DUKE 93
of Paris, and Hubert of Senlis may be reckoned
on, I suppose."
" No truer friend to Normandy than gallant and
wise old Hugh the White ! ' said Bernard, " and
as to Senlis, he is uncle to the boy, and doubly
bound to us."
" I rejoice to see your confidence," said Louis.
"You shall soon hear from me. In the meantime
I must return to gather my force together, and
summon my great vassals, and I will, with your
leave, brave Normans, take with me my dear
young ward. His presence will plead better in his
cause than the finest words ; moreover, he will
grow up in love and friendship with my two boys,
and shall be nurtured with them in all good learn-
ing and chivalry, nor shall he ever be reminded
that he is an orphan while under the care of Queen
Gerberge and myself."
" Let the child come to me, so please you, my
Lord the King," answered Harcourt, bluntly. " I
must hold some converse with him, ere I can reply."
" Go then, Richard," said Louis, " go to your
trusty vassal — happy are you in possessing such a
friend ; I hope you know his value."
94 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" Here then, young Sir," said the Count, in his
native tongue, when Richard had crossed from the
King's side, and stood beside him, " what say you
to this proposal ? '
" The King is very kind," said Richard. " I am
sure he is kind ; but I do not like to go from
Rouen, or from Dame Astrida."
" Listen, my Lord," said the Dane, stooping
down and speaking low. " The King is resolved
to have you away ; he has with him the best of his
Franks, and has so taken us at unawares, that
though I might yet rescue you from his hands, it
would not be without a fierce struggle, wherein
you might be harmed, and this castle and town
certainly burnt, and wrested from us. A few
weeks or months, and we shall have time to draw
our force together, so that Normandy need fear
no man, and for that time you must tarry with
him."
" Must I — and all alone ?"
" No, not alone, not without the most trusty
guardian that can be found for you. Friend Eric,
what say you ? " and he laid his hand on the old
Baron's shoulder. " Yet, I know not ; true thou
v THE LITTLE DUKE 95
art, as a Norwegian mountain, but I doubt me if
thy brains are not too dull to see through the
French wiles and disguises, sharp as thou didst
show thyself last night."
"That was Osmond, not I," said Sir Eric.
" He knows their mincing tongue better than I.
He were the best to go with the poor child, if go
he must."
"Bethink vou, Eric/' said the Count, in an
under tone, " Osmond is the only hope of your
good old house — if there is foul play, the guardian
will be the first to suffer."
" Since you think fit to peril the only hope of
all Normandy, I am not the man to hold back my
son where he may aid him," said old Eric, sadly.
: The poor child will be lonely and uncared-for
there, and it were hard he should not have one
faithful comrade and friend with him."
"It is well," said Bernard: "young as he is, I
had rather trust Osmond with the child than any
one else, for he is ready of counsel, and quick
of hand."
;< Ay, and a pretty pass it is come to," muttered
old Centeville, "that we, whose business it is to
96 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
guard the boy, should send him where you scarcely
like to trust my son."
Bernard paid no further attention to him, but,
coming forward, required another oath from the
King, that Richard should be as safe and free at
his court as at Rouen, and that on no pretence
whatsoever should he be taken from under the
immediate care of his Esquire, Osmond Fitz Eric,
heir of Centeville.
After this, the King was impatient to depart,
and all was preparation. Bernard called Osmond
aside to give full instructions on his conduct, and
the means of communicating with Normandy, and
Richard was taking leave of Fru Astrida, who had
now descended from her turret, bringing her
hostage with her. She wept much over her little
Duke, praying that he might safely be restored tc
Normandy, even though she might not live to see
it ; she exhorted him not to forget the good and
holy learning in which he had been brought up, to
rule his temper, and, above all, to say his prayers
constantly, never leaving out one, as the beads of
his rosary reminded him of their order. As to
her own grandson, anxiety for him seemed almost
v THE LITTLE DUKE 97
lost in her fears for Richard, and the chief things
she said to him, when he came to take leave of
her, were directions as to the care he was to take
of the child, telling him the honour he now
received was one which would make his name for
ever esteemed if he did but fulfil his trust, the
most precious that Norman had ever yet received.
" I will, grandmother, to the very best of my
power," said Osmond ; " I may die in his cause,
but never will I be faithless ! '
" Alberic ! ' said Richard, "are you glad to be
going back to Montemar ? '
"Yes, my Lord," answered Alberic, sturdily,
" as glad as you will be to come back to
Rouen."
" Then I shall send for you directly, Alberic, for
I shall never love the Princes Carloman and
Lothaire half as well as you ! '
" My Lord the King is waiting for the Duke,
said a Frenchman, coming forward.
" Farewell then, Fru Astrida. Do not weep.
I shall soon come back. Farewell, Alberic.
Take the bar-tailed falcon back to Montemar,
and keep him for my sake. Farewell, Sir Eric —
H
98 THE LITTLE DUKE CH. v
Farewell, Count Bernard. When the Normans
come to conquer Arnulf you will lead them. O
dear, dear Fru Astrida, farewell again."
" Farewell, my own darling. The blessing of
Heaven go with you, and bring you safe home !
Farewell, Osmond. Heaven guard you and
strengthen you to be his shield and his de-
fence ! "
CHAPTER VI
A\VAY from the tall narrow gateway of Rollo's
Tower, with the cluster of friendly, sorrowful faces
looking forth from it, away from the booth-like
shops of Rouen, and the stout burghers shouting
with all the power of their lungs, " Long live Duke
Richard ! Lon^ live Kin^ Louis ! Death to the
o o
Fleming ! " — away from the broad Seine — away
from home and friends, rode the young Duke of
Normandy, by the side of the palfrey of the King
of France.
The King took much notice of him, kept him by
his side, talked to him, admired the beautiful cattle
grazing in security in the green pastures, and, as he
looked at the rich dark brown earth of the fields,
the Castles towering above the woods, the Con-
vents looking like great farms, the many villages
round the rude Churches, and the numerous popu-
H 2
ioo THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
lation who came out to gaze at the party, and
repeat the cry of " Long live the King ! Blessings
on the little Duke ! ' he told Richard, again and
again, that his was the most goodly duchy in
France and Germany to boot.
When they crossed the Epte, the King would
have Richard in the same boat with him, and
sitting close to Louis, and talking eagerly about
falcons and hounds, the little Duke passed the
boundary of his own dukedom.
The country beyond was not like Normandy.
First they came to a great forest, which seemed to
have no path through it. The King ordered that
one of the men, who had rowed them across,
should be made to serve as guide, and two of the
men-at-arms took him between them, and forced
him to lead the way, while others, with their
swords and battle-axes, cut down and cleared away
the tangled branches and briars that nearly choked
the path. All the time, every one was sharply on
the look-out for robbers, and the weapons were all
held ready for use at a moment's notice. On
getting beyond the forest a Castle rose before them,
and, though it was not yet late in the day, they
vi THE LITTLE DUKE 101
resolved to rest there, as a marsh lay not far
before them, which it would not have been safe to
traverse in the evening twilight.
The Baron of the Castle received them with
great respect to the King, but without paying
much attention to the Duke of Normandy, and
Richard did not find the second place left for him
at the board. He coloured violently, and looked
first at the King, and then at Osmond, but Osmond
held up his finger in warning ; he remembered
how he had lost his temper before, and what had
come of it, and resolved to try to bear it better ;
and just then the Baron's daughter, a gentle-
looking maiden of fifteen or sixteen, came and
spoke to him, and entertained him so well, that he
did not think much more of his offended dignity. —
When they set off on their journey again, the
Baron and several of his followers came with them
to show the only safe way across the morass, and
a very slippery, treacherous, quaking road it was,
where the horses' feet left pools of water wherever
they trod. The King and the Baron rode together,
and the other French Nobles closed round them ;
Richard was left quite in the background, and
102 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
though the French men-at-arms took care not to
lose sight of him, no one offered him any assistance,
excepting Osmond, who, giving his own horse
to Sybald, one of the two Norman grooms who
accompanied him, led Richard's horse by the
bridle along the whole distance of the marshy
path, a business that could scarcely have been
pleasant, as Osmond wore his heavy hauberk, and
his pointed, iron-guarded boots sunk deep at every
step into the bog. He spoke little, but seemed to
be taking good heed of every stump of willow or
stepping-stone that might serve as a note of
remembrance of the path.
At the other end of the morass began a long
tract of dreary-looking, heathy waste, without a
sign of life. The Baron took leave of the King,
only sending three men-at-arms, to show him the
way to a monastery, which was to be the next
halting-place. He sent three, because it was not
safe for one, even fully armed, to ride alone, for
fear of the attacks of the followers of a certain
marauding Baron, who was at deadly feud with
him, and made all that border a most perilous
region. Richard might well observe that he did
VI THE LITTLE DUKE 103
not like the Vexin half as well as Normandy, and
that the people ought to learn Fru Astrida's story
of the golden bracelets, which, in his grandfather's
time, had hung untouched for a year, in a tree
in a forest.
It was pretty much the same through the whole
journey, waste lands, marshes, and forests alter-
nated. The Castles stood on high mounds frowning
on the country round, and villages were clustered
round them, where the people either fled away,
driving off their cattle with them at the first sight
of an armed band, or else, if they remained, proved
to be thin, wretched-looking creatures, with wasted
limbs, aguish faces, and often iron collars round
their necks. Wherever there was anything of
more prosperous appearance, such as a few corn-
fields, vineyards on the slopes of the hills, fat
cattle, and peasantry looking healthy and secure,
there was sure to be seen a range of long low stone
buildings, surmounted with crosses, with a short
square Church tower rising in the midst, and in-
terspersed with gnarled hoary old apple-trees, or
with gardens of pot-herbs spreading before them
to the meadows. If, instead of two or three men-
104 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
at-arms from a Castle, or of some trembling serf
pressed into the service, and beaten, threatened,
and watched to prevent treachery, the King asked
for a guide at a Convent, some lay brother would
take his staff, or else mount an ass, and proceed in
perfect confidence and security as to his return
homewards, sure that his poverty and his sacred
character would alike protect him from any out-
rage from the most lawless marauder of the
neighbourhood.
Thus they travelled until they reached the royal
Castle of Laon, where the Fleur-de-Lys standard
on the battlements announced the presence of
Gerberge, Queen of France, and her two sons.
The King rode first into the court with his Nobles,
and before Richard could follow him through the
narrow arched gateway, he had dismounted, en-
tered the Castle, and was out of sight. Osmond
held the Duke's stirrup, and followed him up the
steps which led to the Castle Hall. It was full of
people, but no one made way, and Richard, holding
his Squire's hand, looked up in his face, inquiring
and bewildered.
" Sir Seneschal," said Osmond, seeing a broad
I THE LITTLE DUKE 105
portly old man, with grey hair and a golden chain,
"this is the Duke of Normandy — I pray you
conduct him to the King's presence."
Richard had no longer any cause to complain
of neglect, for the Seneschal instantly made him
a very low bow, and calling " Place — place for
the high and mighty Prince, my Lord Duke of
Normandy ! " ushered him up to the dais or raised
part of the floor, where the King and Queen stood
together talking. The Oueen looked round, as
o o ^^
Richard was announced, and he saw her face, which
was sallow, and with a sharp sour expression that
did not please him, and he backed and looked
reluctant, while Osmond, with a warning hand
pressed on his shoulder, was trying to remind him
that he ought to go forward, kneel on one knee,
and kiss her hand.
" There he is," said the King.
" One thing secure ! " said the Queen ; " but what
makes that northern giant keep close to his heels?'1
Louis answered something in a low voice, and,
in the meantime, Osmond tried in a whisper to
induce his young Lord to go forward and perform
his obeisance,
io6 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
"I tell you I will not," said Richard. "She
looks cross, and I do not like her."
Luckily he spoke his own language ; but his look
and air expressed a good deal of what he said, and
Gerberge looked all the more unattractive.
" A thorough little Norwegian bear," said the
King ; " fierce and unruly as the rest. Come, and
perform your courtesy — do you forget where you
are ? " he added, sternly.
Richard bowed, partly because Osmond forced
down his shoulder ; but he thought of old Rollo
and Charles the Simple, and his proud heart re-
solved that he would never kiss the hand of that
sour-lookingr Queen. It was a determination made
o X/
in pride and defiance, and he suffered for it after-
wards ; but no more passed now, for the Queen
only saw in his behaviour that of an unmannerly
young Northman : and though she disliked and
despised him, she did not care enough about his
courtesy to insist on its being paid. She sat down,
and so did the King, and they went on talking;
the King probably telling her his adventures at
Rouen, while Richard stood on the step of the
dais, swelling with sullen pride.
VI THE LITTLE DUKE 107
Nearly a quarter of an hour had passed in this
manner when the servants came to set the table
for supper, and Richard, in spite of his indignant
looks, was forced to stand aside. He wondered
that all this time he had not seen the two Princes,
thinking how strange he should have thought it,
to let his own dear father be in the house so long
without coming to welcome him. At last, just as
the supper had been served up, a side door opened,
and the Seneschal called, " Place for the high and
mighty Princes, my Lord Lothaire and my Lord
Carloman ! " and in walked two boys, one about
the same age as Richard, the other rather less
than a year younger. They were both thin, pale,
sharp-featured children, and Richard drew himself
up to his full height, with great satisfaction at
being so much taller than Lothaire.
They came up ceremoniously to their father
and kissed his hand, while he kissed their fore-
heads, and then said to them, "There is a new
play-fellow for you."
" Is that the little Northman ? " said Carloman,
turning to stare at Richard with a look of curiosity,
while Richard in his turn felt considerably affronted
loS THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
that a boy so much less than himself should call
him little.
"Yes," said the Queen; "your father has
brought him home with him."
Carloman stepped forward, shyly holding out
his hand to the stranger, but his brother pushed
him rudely aside. "I am the eldest; it is my
business to be first. So, young Northman, you
are come here for us to play with."
Richard was too much amazed at being spoken
to in this imperious way to make any answer.
He was completely taken by surprise, and only
opened his great blue eyes to their utmost extent.
" Ha ! why don't you answer ? Don't you hear ?
Can you speak only your own heathen tongue ? "
continued Lothaire.
" The Norman is no heathen tongue ! " said
Richard, at once breaking silence in a loud voice.
" We are as good Christians as you are — ay, and
better too."
" Hush ! hush ! my Lord ! " said Osmond.
" What now, Sir Duke," again interfered the
King, in an angry tone, " are you brawling already ?
Time, indeed, I should take you from your own
vi THE LITTLE DUKE 109
savage court. Sir Squire, look to it, that you
keep your charge in better rule, or I shall send
him instantly to bed, supperless. "
" My Lord, my Lord," whispered Osmond,
11 see you not that you are bringing discredit on
all of us ? "
" I would be courteous enough, if they would
be courteous to me," returned Richard, gazing
with eyes full of defiance at Lothaire, who, re-
turning an angry look, had nevertheless shrunk
back to his mother. She meanwhile was saying,
" So strong, so rough, the young savage is, he will
surely harm our poor boys ! '
" Never fear," said Louis ; " he shall be watched.
And," he added in a lower tone, " for the present,
at least, we must keep up appearances. Hubert
of Senlis, and Hugh of Paris, have their eyes on
us, and were the boy to be missed, the grim old
Harcourt would have all the pirates of his land on
us in the twinkling of an eye. We have him, and
there we must rest content for the present. Now
to supper."
At supper, Richard sat next little Carloman,
who peeped at him every now and then from
i io THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
under his eyelashes, as if he was afraid of him ;
and presently, when there was a good deal of
talking going on, so that his voice could not be
heard, half whispered, in a very grave tone, " Do
you like salt beef or fresh ? '
" I like fresh," answered Richard, with equal
gravity, " only we eat salt all the winter."
There was another silence, and then Carloman,
with the same solemnity, asked, " How old are
you ? "
" I shall be nine on the eve of St. Boniface.
How old are you ? '
" Eight. I was eight at Martinmas, and Lo-
thaire was nine three days since."
Another silence ; then, as Osmond waited on
Richard, Carloman returned to the charge, " Is
that your Squire ? '
" Yes, that is Osmond de Centeville."
" How tall he is ! "
" We Normans are taller than you French."
" Don't say so to Lothaire, or you will make
him angry."
" Why ? it is true."
" Yes ; but — " and Carloman sunk his voice —
vi THE LITTLE DUKE in
" there are some things which Lothaire will not
hear said. Do not make him cross, or he will
make my mother displeased with you. She
caused Thierry de Lincourt to be scourged, because
his ball hit Lothaire's face."
" She cannot scourge me — I am a free Duke,"
said Richard. " But why ? Did he do it on
purpose ? "
" Oh, no ! "
" And was Lothaire hurt ? "
" Hush ! you must say Prince Lothaire. No ;
it was quite a soft ball."
" Why ? " again asked Richard — " why was he
scourged ? ':
" I told you, because he hit Lothaire."
" Well, but did he not laugh, and say it was
nothing ? Alberic quite knocked me down with
a great snowball the other day, and Sir Eric
laughed, and said I must stand firmer."
" Do you make snowballs ? "
" To be sure I do ! Do not you ? '
" Oh, no ! the snow is so cold."
"Ah! you are but a little boy," said Richard,
in a superior manner. Carloman asked how it
ii2 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
was done ; and Richard gave an animated de-
scription of the snowballing, a fortnight ago, at
Rouen, when Osmond and some of the other
young men built a snow fortress, and defended it
against Richard, Alberic, and the other Squires.
Carloman listened with delight, and declared that
next time it snowed, they would have a snow
castle ; and thus, by the time supper was over, the
two little boys were very good friends.
Bedtime came not long after supper. Richard's
was a smaller room than he had been used to at
Rouen ; but it amazed him exceedingly when he
first went into it : he stood gazing in wonder,
because, as he said, " It was as if he had been
in a church."
"Yes, truly ! " said Osmond. " No wonder these
poor creatures of French cannot stand before a
Norman lance, if they cannot sleep without glass
to their windows. Well ! what would my father
say to this ? j;
" And see ! see, Osmond ! they have put hang-
ings up all round the walls, just like our Lady's
church on a great feast-day. They treat us just
as if we were the holy saints ; and here are fresh
VI THE LITTLE DUKE 113
rushes strewn about the floor, too. This must be
a mistake — it must be an oratory, instead of my
chamber."
" No, no, my Lord ; here is our gear, which I
bade Sybald and Henry see bestowed in our
chamber. Well, these Franks are come to a pass,
indeed ! My grandmother will never believe what
we shall have to tell her. Glass windows and
hangings to sleeping chambers ! I do not like it ;
I am sure we shall never be able to sleep, closed
up from the free air of heaven in this way : I shall
be always waking, and fancying I am in the chapel
at home, hearing Father Lucas chanting his matins.
Besides, my father would blame me for letting you
be made as tender as a Frank. I'll have out this
precious window, if I can."
Luxurious as the young Norman thought the
King, the glazing of Laon was not permanent.
It consisted of casements, which could be put up
or removed at pleasure ; for, as the court possessed
only one set of glass windows, they were taken
down, and carried from place to place, as often as
Louis removed from Rheims to Soissons, Laon, or
any other of his royal castles ; so that Osmond did
H4 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
not find much difficulty in displacing them, and
letting in the sharp, cold, wintry breeze. The next
thing he did was to give his young Lord a lecture
on his want of courtesy, telling him that " no
wonder the Franks thought he had no more
culture than a Viking (or pirate), fresh caught from
Norway. A fine notion he was giving them of the
training he had at Centeville, if he could not even
show common civility to the Queen — a lady ! Was
that the way Alberic had behaved when he came
to Rouen ? "
" Fru Astrida did not make sour faces at him,
nor call him a young savage," replied Richard.
•
" No, and he gave her no reason to do so ; he
knew that the first teaching of a young Knight is
to be courteous to ladies — never mind whether
fair and young, or old and foul of favour. Till
you learn and note that, Lord Richard, you will
never be worthy of your golden spurs."
" And the King told me she would treat me as
a mother," exclaimed Richard. " Do you think
the King speaks the truth, Osmond ? '
" That we shall see by his deeds," said Osmond.
" He was very kind while we were in Normandy.
vi THE LITTLE DUKE 115
I loved him so much better than the Count de
Harcourt ; but now I think that the Count is best !
I'll tell you, Osmond, I will never call him grim
old Bernard again."
" You had best not, sir, for you will never have
a more true-hearted vassal."
" Well, I wish we were back in Normandy, with
Fru Astrida and Alberic. I cannot bear that
Lothaire. He is proud, and unknightly, and cruel.
I am sure he is, and I will never love him."
" Hush, my Lord ! — beware of speaking so loud.
You are not in your own Castle."
"And Carloman is a chicken-heart," continued
Richard, unheeding. " He does not like to touch
snow, and he cannot even slide on the ice, and he
is afraid to go near that great dog — that beautiful
wolf-hound."
" He is very little," said Osmond.
" I am sure I was not as cowardly at his age,
now was I, Osmond ? Don't you remember ? '
" Come, Lord Richard, I cannot let you wait to
remember everything ; tell your beads and pray
that we may be brought safe back to Rouen ; and
that you may not forget all the good that Father
I 2
n6 THE LITTLE DUKE CH. vi
Lucas and holy Abbot Martin have laboured to
teach you."
So Richard told the beads of his rosary — black
polished wood, with amber at certain spaces — he
repeated a prayer with every bead, and Osmond
did the same ; then the little Duke put himself
into a narrow crib of richly carved walnut ; while
Osmond, having stuck his dagger so as to form an
additional bolt to secure the door, and examined
the hangings that no secret entrance might be
concealed behind them, gathered a heap of rushes
together, and lay down on them, wrapped in his
mantle, across the doorway. The Duke was soon
asleep ; but the Squire lay long awake, musing on
the possible dangers that surrounded his charge,
and on the best way of guarding against them.
CHAPTER VII
OSMOND DE CENTEVILLE was soon convinced that
no immediate peril threatened his young Duke at
the Court of Laon. Louis seemed to intend to
fulfil his oaths to the Normans by allowing the
child to be the companion of his own sons, and to
be treated in every respect as became his rank.
Richard had his proper place at table, and all due
attendance ; he learnt, rode, and played with the
Princes, and there was noth:ng to complain of,
excepting the coldness and inattention with which
the King and Queen treated him, by no means
fulfilling the promise of being as parents to their
orphan ward. Gerberge, who had from the first
dreaded his superior strength and his roughness
with her puny boys, and who had been by no
means won by his manners at their first meeting,
was especially distant and severe with him, hardly
nS THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
ever speaking to him except with some rebuke,
which, it must be confessed, Richard often
deserved.
As to the boys, his constant companions,
Richard was on very friendly terms with Carlo-
man, a gentle, timid, weakly child. Richard
looked down upon him ; but he was kind, as a
generous-tempered boy could not fail to be, to
one younger and weaker than himself. He was
so much kinder than Lothaire, that Carloman was
fast growing very fond of him, and looked up to
his strength and courage as something noble and
marvellous.
It was very different with Lothaire, the person
from whom, above all others, Richard would have
most expected to meet with affection, as his
father's god-son, a relationship which in those times
was thought almost as near as kindred by blood.
Lothaire had been brought up by an indulgent
mother, and by courtiers who never ceased flatter-
ing him, as the heir to the crown, and he had
learnt to think that to give way to his naturally
imperious and violent disposition was the way
to prove his power and assert his rank. He had
vii THE LITTLE DUKE 119
always had his own way, and nothing had ever
been done to check his faults ; somewhat weakly
health had made him fretful and timid ; and a
latent consciousness of this fearfulness made him
all the more cruel, sometimes because he was
frightened, sometimes because he fancied it
manly.
He treated his little brother in a way which
in these times boys would call bullying ; and, as
no one ever dared to oppose the King's eldest son,
it was pretty much the same with every one else,
except now and then some dumb creature, and
then all Lothaire's cruelty was shown. When his
horse kicked, and ended by throwing him, he
stood by, and caused it to be beaten till the poor
creature's back streamed with blood ; when his
dog bit his hand in trying to seize the meat with
which he was teazing it, he insisted on having it
killed, and it was worse still when a falcon pecked
one of his fingers. It really hurt him a good deal,
and, in a furious rage, he caused two nails to be
heated red hot in the fire, intending to have them
thrust into the poor bird's eyes.
" I will not have it done ! n exclaimed Richard,
120 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP,
expecting to be obeyed as he was at home ; but
Lothaire only laughed scornfully, saying, " Do you
think you are master here, Sir pirate ? '
"I will not have it done!" repeated Richard.
" Shame on you, shame on you, for thinking of
such an unkingly deed."
"Shame on me! Do you know to whom you
speak, master savage ? ' cried Lothaire, red with
passion.
" I know who is the savage now ! ' said Richard.
" Hold ! " to the servant who was bringing the
red-hot irons in a pair of tongs.
" Hold ? " exclaimed Lothaire. " No one com-
mands here but I and my father. Go on Chariot
— where is the bird ? Keep her fast, Giles."
" Osmond. You I can command "
" Come away, my Lord," said Osmond, inter-
rupting Richard's order, before it was issued.
" We have no right to interfere here, and cannot
hinder it. Come away from such a foul sight."
" Shame on you too, Osmond, to let such a deed
be done without hindering it ! " exclaimed Richard,
breaking from him, and rushing on the man who
carried the hot irons. The French servants were
vii THE LITTLE DUKE 121
not very willing to exert their strength against the
Duke of Normandy, and Richard's onset, taking
the man by surprise, made him drop the tongs.
Lothaire, both afraid and enraged, caught them up
as a weapon of defence, and, hardly knowing what
he did, struck full at Richard's face with the hot
iron. Happily it missed his eye, and the heat had
a little abated ; but, as it touched his cheek, it
burnt him sufficiently to cause considerable pain.
With a cry of passion, he flew at Lothaire, shook
him with all his might, and ended by throwing
him at his length on the pavement. But this was
the last of Richard's exploits, for he was at the
same moment captured by his Squire, and borne
off, struggling and kicking as if Osmond had been
his greatest foe; but the young Norman's arms
were like iron round him ; and he gave over his
resistance sooner, because at that moment a
whirring flapping sound was heard, and the poor
hawk rose high, higher, over their heads in ever
lessening circles, far away from her enemies. The
servant who held her, had relaxed his grasp in
the consternation caused by Lothaire's fall, and
she was mounting up and up, spying, it might be,
122 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
her way to her native rocks in Iceland, with the
yellow eyes which Richard had saved.
"Safe! safe!': cried Richard, joyfully, ceasing
his struggles. " Oh, how glad I am ! That young
villain should never have hurt her. Put me down,
Osmond, what are you doing with me ? "
" Saving you from your no, I cannot call it
folly, — I would hardly have had you stand still to
see such but let me see your face."
" It is nothing. I don't care now the hawk is
safe," said Richard, though he could hardly keep
his lips in order, and was obliged to wink very
hard with his eyes to keep the tears out, now that
he had leisure to feel the smarting ; but it would
have been far beneath a Northman to complain,
and he stood bearing it gallantly, and pinching his
fingers tightly together, while Osmond knelt down
to examine the hurt. " Tis not much," said he,
talking to himself, " half bruise, half burn — I wish
my grandmother was here — however, it can't last
long ! 'Tis right, you bear it like a little Berserkar,
and it is no bad thing that you should have a scar
to show, that they may not be able to say you did
all the damage."
VII
THE LITTLE DUKE 123
': Will it always leave a mark ? ' said Richard.
" I am afraid they will call me Richard of the
scarred cheek, when we get back to Normandy."
<; Never mind, if they do— it will not be a mark
to be ashamed of, even if it does last, which I do
not believe it will."
" Oh, no, I am so glad the gallant falcon is out
of his reach ! ' replied Richard, in a somewhat
quivering voice.
" Does it smart much ? Well, come and bathe
it with cold water — or shall I take you to one of
the Queen's women ? '
" No — the water," said Richard, and to the
fountain in the court they went ; but Osmond had
only just begun to splash the cheek with the half-
frozen water, with a sort of rough kindness, afraid
at once of teaching the Duke to be effeminate, and
of not being as tender to him as Dame Astrida
would have wished, when a messenger came in
haste from the King, commanding the presence of
the Duke of Normandy and his Squire.
Lothaire was standing between his father and
mother on their throne-like seat, leaning against
the Queen, who had her arm round him ; his face
I24 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
was red and glazed with tears, and he still shook
with subsiding sobs. It was evident he was just
recovering from a passionate crying fit.
" How is this ? " began the King, as Richard
entered. " What means this conduct, my Lord of
Normandy ? Know you what you have done in
striking the heir of France ? I might imprison you
this instant in a dungeon where you would never
see the light of day."
" Then Bernard de Harcourt would come and
set me free," fearlessly answered Richard.
" Do you bandy words with me, child ? Ask
Prince Lothaire's pardon instantly, or you shall
-. 5>
rue it.
" I have done nothing to ask his pardon for.
It would have been cruel and cowardly in me
to let him put out the poor hawk's eyes," said
Richard, with a Northman's stern contempt for
pain, disdaining to mention his own burnt cheek,
which indeed the King might have seen plainly
enough.
" Hawk's eyes ! " repeated the King. " Speak
the truth, Sir Duke ; do not add slander to your
other faults."
KALSK ACCl'SATIO.\
vii THE LITTLE DUKE 125
" I have spoken the truth — I always speak
it ! ' cried Richard. " Whoever says otherwise
lies in his throat."
Osmond here hastily interfered, and desired per-
mission to tell the whole story. The hawk was a
valuable bird, and Louis's face darkened when he
heard what Lothaire had purposed, for the Prince
had, in telling his own story, made it appear that
Richard had been the aggressor by insisting on
letting the falcon fly. Osmond finished by point-
ing to the mark on Richard's cheek, so evidently
a burn, as to be proof that hot iron had played a
part in the matter. The King looked at one of
his own Squires and asked his account, and he with
some hesitation could not but reply that it was as
the young Sieur de Centeville had said. There-
upon Louis angrily reproved his own people for
having assisted the Prince in trying to injure the
hawk, called for the chief falconer, rated him for
not better attending to his birds, and went forth
with him to see if the hawk could yet be re-
captured, leaving the two boys neither punished
nor pardoned.
" So you have escaped for this once," said
126 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Gerberge, coldly, to Richard ; " you had better
beware another time. Come with me, my poor
darling Lothaire." She led her son away to her
own apartments, and the French Squires began to
grumble to each other complaints of the impossi-
bility of pleasing their Lords, since, if they con-
tradicted Prince Lothaire, he was so spiteful that
he was sure to set the Queen against them, and
that was far worse in the end than the King's
displeasure. Osmond, in the meantime, took
Richard to re-commence bathing his face, and
presently Carloman ran out to pity him, wonder
at him for not crying, and say he was glad the
poor hawk had escaped.
The cheek continued inflamed and painful for
some time, and there was a deep scar long after
the pain had ceased, but Richard thought little of
it after the first, and would have scorned to bear
ill-will to Lothaire for the injury.
Lothaire left off taunting Richard with his
Norman accent, and calling him a young Sea-
king. He had felt his strength, and was afraid
of him ; but he did not like him the better — he
never played with him willingly — scowled, and
vii THE LITTLE DUKE 127
looked dark and jealous, if his father, or if
any of the great nobles took the least notice of
the little Duke, and whenever he was out of
hearing, talked against him with all his natural
spitefulness.
Richard liked Lothaire quite as little, contemn-
ing almost equally his cowardly ways and his
imperious disposition. Since he had been Duke,
Richard had been somewhat inclined to grow im-
perious himself, though always kept under restraint
by Fru Astrida's good training, and Count Ber-
nard's authority, and his whole generous nature
would have revolted against treating Alberic, or
indeed his meanest vassal, as Lothaire used the
unfortunate children who were his playfellows.
Perhaps this made him look on with great horror
at the tyranny which Lothaire exercised ; at any
rate he learnt to abhor it more, and to make many
resolutions against ordering people about uncivilly
when once he should be in Normandy again. He
often interfered to protect the poor boys, and
generally with success, for the Prince was afraid
of provoking such another shake as Richard had
once given him, and though he generally repaid
128 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
himself on his victim in the end, he yielded for
the time.
Carioman, whom Richard often saved from his
brother's unkindness, clung closer and closer to
him, went with him everywhere, tried to do all he
did, grew very fond of Osmond, and liked nothing
better than to sit by Richard in some wide window-
seat, in the evening, after supper, and listen to
Richard's version of some of Fru Astrida's favourite
tales, or hear the never-ending history of sports at
Centeville, or at Rollo's Tower, or settle what
great things they would both do when they were
grown up, and Richard was ruling Normandy —
perhaps go to the Holy Land together, and
slaughter an unheard-of host of giants and dragons
on the way. In the meantime, however, poor
Carlornan gave small promise of being able to
perform great exploits, for he was very small for
his age and often ailing ; soon tired, and never
able to bear much rough play. Richard, who had
never had any reason to learn to forbear, did not
at first understand this, and made Carioman cry
several times with his roughness and violence, but
this always vexed him so much that he grew
vii THE LITTLE DUKE 129
careful to avoid such things for the future, and
gradually learnt to treat his poor little weakly
friend with a gentleness and patience at which
Osmond used to marvel, and which he would
hardly have been taught in his prosperity at
home.
Between Carloman and Osmond he was thus
tolerably happy at Laon, but he missed his own
dear friends, and the loving greetings of his
vassals, and longed earnestly to be at Rouen,
asking Osmond almost .every night when they
should go back, to which Osmond could only
answer that he must pray that Heaven would be
pleased to bring them home safely.
Osmond, in the meantime, kept a vigilant watch
for anything that might seem to threaten danger
to his Lord ; but at present there was no token of
any evil being intended ; the only point in which
Louis did not seem to be fulfilling his promises to
the Normans was, that no preparations were made
for attacking the Count of Flanders.
At Easter the court was visited by Hugh the
White, the great Count of Paris, the most power-
ful man in France, and who was only prevented by
K
13o THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP:
his own loyalty and forbearance, from taking the
crown from the feeble and degenerate race of
Charlemagne. He had been a firm friend of
William Longsword, and Osmond remarked how,
on his arrival, the King took care to bring Richard
forward, talk of him affectionately, and caress him
almost as much as he had done at Rouen. The
Count himself was really kind and affectionate to
the little Duke; he kept him by his side, and
seemed to like to stroke down his long flaxen
hair, looking in his face with a grave mournful ex-
pression, as if seeking for a likeness to his father.
He soon asked about the scar which the burn had
left, and the King was obliged to answer hastily,
it was an accident, a disaster that had chanced in
a boyish quarrel. Louis, in fact, was uneasy, and
appeared to be watching the Count of Paris the
whole time of his visit, so as to prevent him from
having any conversation in private with the other
great vassals assembled at the court. Hugh did
not seem to perceive this, and acted as if he was
entirely at his ease, but at the same time he
watched his opportunity. One evening, after
supper, he came up to the window where Richard
vii THE LITTLE DUKE 131
and Carloman were, as usual, deep in story telling ;
he sat down on the stone seat, and taking Richard
on his knee, he asked if he had any greetings for
the Count de Harcourt.
How Richard's face lighted up ! " Oh, Sir," he
cried, " are you going to Normandy ? '
" Not yet, my boy, but it may be that I may
have to meet old Harcourt at the Elm of
Gisors."
" Oh, if I was but going with you."
" I wish I could take you, but it would scarcely
do for me to steal the heir of Normandy. What
shall I tell him ? "
" Tell him," whispered Richard, edging himself
close to the Count, and trying to reach his ear,
" tell him that I am sorry, now, that I was sullen
when he reproved me. I know he was right.
And, sir, if he brings with him a certain huntsman
with a long hooked nose, whose name is Walter,12
tell him I am sorry I used to order him about so
unkindly. And tell him to bear my greetings to
Fru Astrida and Sir Eric, and to Alberic."
"Shall I tell him how you have marked your
face?"
K 2
132 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP,
" No," said Richard, " he would think me a baby
to care about such a thing as that ! "
The Count asked how it happened, and Richard
told the story, for he felt as if he could tell the
kind Count anything — it was almost like that last
evening that he had sat on his father's knee.
Hugh ended by putting his arm round him, and
saying, " Well, my little Duke, I am as glad as you
are the gallant bird is safe — it will be a tale for my
own little Hugh and Eumacette13 at home — and
you must one day be friends with them as your
father has been with me. And now, do you think
your Squire could come to my chamber late this
evening when the household is at rest ? '
Richard undertook that Osmond should do so,
and the Count, setting him down again, returned
to the dais. Osmond, before going to the Count
that evening, ordered Sybald to come and guard
the Duke's door. It was a long conference, for
Hugh had come to Laon chiefly for the purpose
of seeing how it went with his friend's son, and
was anxious to know what Osmond thought of
the matter. They agreed that at present there
did not seem to be any evil intended, and that
vii THE LITTLE DUKE 133
it rather appeared as if Louis wished only to
keep him as a hostage for the tranquillity of the
borders of Normandy ; but Hugh advised that
Osmond should maintain a careful watch, and
send intelligence to him on the first token of
mischief.
The next morning the Count of Paris quitted
Laon, and everything went on in the usual course
till the feast of Whitsuntide, when there was
always a great display of splendour at the French
court. The crown vassals generally came to pay
their duty and go with the King to Church ; and
there was a state banquet, at which the King
and Queen wore their crowns, and every one
sat iii great magnificence according to their
rank.
The grand procession to Church was over.
Richard had walked with Carloman, the Prince
richly dressed in blue, embroidered with golden
fleur-de-lys, and Richard in scarlet, with a gold
Cross on his breast ; the beautiful service was over,
they had returned to the Castle, and there the
Seneschal was marshalling the goodly and noble
company to the banquet, when horses' feet were
134 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
heard at the gate announcing some fresh arrival.
The Seneschal went to receive the guests, and
presently was heard ushering in the noble Prince,
Arnulf, Count of Flanders.
Richard's face became pale — he turned from
Carloman by whose side he had been standing^
and walked straight out of the hall and up the
stairs, closely followed by Osmond. In a few
minutes there was a knock at the door of his
chamber, and a French Knight stood there saying,
" Comes not the Duke to the banquet ? '
" No," answered Osmond : " he eats not with the
slayer of his father."
" The King will take it amiss ; for the sake of
the child you had better beware," said the French-
man, hesitating.
" He had better beware himself," exclaimed
Osmond, indignantly, "how he brings the trea-
cherous murderer of William Longsword into the
presence of a free-born Norman, unless he would
see him slain where he stands. Were it not for
the boy, I would challenge the traitor this instant
to single combat."
" Well, I can scarce blame you," said the Knight,
vii THE LITTLE DUKE 135
" but you had best have a care how you tread.
Farewell."
Richard had hardly time to express his indig-
nation, and his wishes that he was a man, before
another message came through a groom of Lo-
thaire's train, that the Duke must fast, if he would
not consent to feast with the rest.
" Tell Prince Lothaire," replied Richard, " that
I am not such a glutton as he — I had rather fast
than be choked with eating with Arnulf."
All the rest of the day, Richard remained in
his own chamber, resolved not to run the risk of
meeting with Arnulf. The Squire remained with
him, in this voluntary imprisonment, and they
occupied themselves, as best they could, with
furbishing Osmond's armour, and helping each
other out in repeating some of the Sagas.
They once heard a great uproar in the court,
and both were very anxious to learn its cause,
but they did not know it till late in the after-
noon.
Carloman crept up to them — " Here I am at
last ! " he exclaimed. " Here, Richard, I have
brought you some bread, as you had no dinner :
136 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
it was all I could bring. I saved it under the
table lest Lothaire should see it."
Richard thanked Carloman with all his heart,
and being very hungry was glad to share the
bread with Osmond. He asked how long the
wicked Count was going to stay, and rejoiced to
hear he was going away the next morning, and
the King was going with him.
" What was that great noise in the court ? ':
the asked Richard.
" I scarcely like to tell you," returned Carloman.
Richard, however, begged to hear, and Carlo-
man was obliged to tell that the two Norman
grooms, Sybald and Henry, had quarrelled with
the Flemings of Arnulf s train ; there had been a
fray, which had ended in the death of three
Flemings, a Frank, and of Sybald himself-
And where was Henry ? Alas ! there was more
ill news — the King had sentenced Henry to die,
and he had been hanged immediately.
Dark with anger and sorrow grew young
Richard's face ; he had been fond of his two
Norman attendants, he trusted to their attachment,
and he would have wept for their loss even if it
vii THE LITTLE DUKE 137
had happened in any other way ; but now, when it
had been caused by their enmity to his father's
foes, the Flemings, — when one had fallen over-
whelmed by numbers, and the other been con-
demned hastily, cruelly, unjustly, it was too much,
and he almost choked with grief and indignation.
Why had he not been there, to claim Henry as his
own vassal, and if he could not save him, at least
bid him farewell ? Then he would have broken
out in angry threats, but he felt his own helpless-
ness, and was ashamed, and he could only shed
tears of passionate grief, refusing all Carloman's
attempts to comfort him. Osmond was even more
concerned ; he valued the two Normans extremely
for their courage and faithfulness, and had relied
on sending intelligence by their means to Rouen,
in case of need. It appeared to him as if the first
opportunity had been seized of removing these
protectors from the little Duke, and as if the
designs, whatever they might be, which had been
formed against him, were about to take effect.
He had little doubt that his own turn would be
the next ; but he was resolved to endure anything,
rather than give the smallest opportunity of re-
138 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
moving him, to bear even insults with patience,
and to remember that in his care rested the sole
hope of safety for his charge.
That danger was fast gathering around them
became more evident every day, especially after
the King and Arnulf had gone away together. It
was very hot weather, and Richard began to weary
after the broad cool river at Rouen, where he used
to bathe last summer ; and one evening he per-
suaded his Squire to go down with him to the
Oise, which flowed along some meadow ground
about a quarter of a mile from the Castle ; but they
had hardly set forth before three or four attendants
came running after them, with express orders from
the Queen that they should return immediately.
They obeyed, and found her standing in the Castle
hall, looking greatly incensed.
" What means this ? ' she asked, angrily.
" Knew you not that the King has left commands
that the Duke quits not the Castle in his
absence ? J;
" I was only going as far as the river- ' began
Richard, but Gerberge cut him short. " Silence,
child — I will hear no excuses. Perhaps you think,
yii THE LITTLE DUKE 139
Sieur de Centeville, that you may take liberties in
the King's absence, but I tell you that if you are
found without the walls again, it shall be at your
peril ; ay, and his ! I'll have those haughty eyes
put out, if you disobey ! '
She turned away, and Lothaire looked at them
with his air of gratified malice. " You will not
lord it over your betters much longer, young
pirate ! ' said he, as he followed his mother, afraid
to stay to meet the anger he might have excited
by the taunt he could not deny himself the pleasure
of making ; but Richard, who, six months ago
could not brook a slight disappointment or oppo-
sition, had, in his present life of restraint, danger,
and vexation, learnt to curb the first outbreak of
temper, and to bear patiently instead of breaking
out into passion and threats, and now his only
thought was of his beloved Squire.
" Oh, Osmond ! Osmond ! " he exclaimed, " they
shall not hurt you. I will never go out again.
I will never speak another hasty word. I will
never affront the Prince, if they will but leave
you with me ! "
CHAPTER VIII
IT was a fine summer evening, and Richard and
Carloman were playing at ball on the steps of the
Castle-gate, when a voice was heard from beneath,
begging for alms from the noble Princes in the
name of the blessed Virgin, and the two boys saw
a pilgrim standing at the gate, wrapt in a long
robe of serge, with a stafT in his hand, surmounted
by a Cross, a scrip at his girdle, and a broad shady
hat, which he had taken off, as he stood, making
low obeisances, and asking charity.
" Come in, holy pilgrim," said Carloman. " It
is late, and you shall sup and rest here to-
night."
" Blessings from Heaven light on you, noble
Prince," replied the pilgrim, and at that moment
Richard shouted joyfully, "A Norman, a Norman !
'tis my own dear speech ! Oh, are you not from
CH. vin THE LITTLE DUKE 141
Normandy ? Osmond, Osmond ! he comes from
home ! "
" My Lord ! my own Lord ! ' exclaimed the
pilgrim, and, kneeling on one knee at the foot of
the steps, he kissed the hand which his young Duke
held out to him — " This is joy unlocked for !"
" Walter ! — Walter, the huntsman ! ): cried
Richard. " Is it you ? Oh, how is Fru Astrida,
and all at home ? "
" Well, my Lord, and wearying to know how it
is with you — " began Walter — but a very different
tone exclaimed from behind the pilgrim, "What
is all this ? Who is stopping my way ? What !
Richard would be King, and more, would he ?
More insolence ! ' It was Lothaire, returning
with his attendants from the chase, in by no
means an amiable mood, for he had been dis-
appointed of his game.
" He is a Norman — a vassal of Richard's own,"
said Carloman.
" A Norman, is he ? I thought we had got rid
of the robbers ! We want no robbers here !
Scourge him soundly, Perron, and teach him how
to stop my way ! "
142 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" He is a pilgrim, my Lord," suggested one of
the followers.
" I care not ; I'll have no Normans here,
coming spying in disguise. Scourge him, I say,
dog that he is ! Away with him ! A spy, a spy ! "
" No Norman is scourged in my sight ! ' said
Richard, darting forwards, and throwing himself
between Walter and the woodsman, who was pre-
paring to obey Lothaire, just in time to receive on
his own bare neck the sharp, cutting leathern
thong, which raised a long red streak along its
course. Lothaire laughed.
o
" My Lord Duke ! What have you done ? Oh,
leave me — this befits you not ! ' cried Walter,
extremely distressed ; but Richard had caught
hold of the whip, and called out, " Away, away !
run ! haste, haste ! ' and the words were repeated
at once by Osmond, Carloman, and many of the
French, who, though afraid to disobey the Prince,
were unwilling to violate the sanctity of a pil-
grim's person ; and the Norman, seeing there was
no help for it, obeyed : the French made way for
him and he effected his escape; while Lothaire,
after a great deal of storming and raging, went up
viii THE LITTLE DUKE 143
to his mother to triumph in the cleverness with
which he had detected a Norman spy in disguise.
Lothaire was not far wrong ; Walter had really
come to satisfy himself as to the safety of the
little Duke, and try to gain an interview with
Osmond. In the latter purpose he failed, though
he lingered in the neighbourhood of Laon for
several days ; for Osmond never left the Duke
for an instant, and he was, as has been shown, a
close prisoner, in all but the name, within the
walls of the Castle. The pilgrim had, however,
the opportunity of picking up tidings which made
him perceive the true state of things : he learnt
the deaths of Sybald and Henry, the alliance
between the King and Arnulf, and the restraint
and harshness with which the Duke was treated ;
and with this intelligence he went in haste to
Normandy.
Soon after his arrival, a three days' fast was
observed throughout the dukedom, and in every
church, from the Cathedral of Bayeux to the
smallest and rudest village shrine, crowds of
worshippers were kneeling, imploring, many of
them with tears, that God would look on them in
144 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
His mercy, restore to them their Prince, and
deliver the child out of the hands of his enemies.-
How earnest and sorrowful were the prayers
offered at Centeville may well be imagined ; and
at Montemar sur Epte the anxiety was scarcely
less. Indeed, from the time the evil tidings
arrived, Alberic grew so restless and unhappy, and
so anxious to do something, that at last his
mother set out with him on a pilgrimage to
the Abbey of Jumieges, to pray for the rescue of
his dear little Duke.
In the meantime, Louis had sent notice to
Laon that he should return home in a week's
time ; and Richard rejoiced at the prospect, for
the King had always been less unkind to him
than the Queen, and he hoped to be released
from his captivity within the Castle. Just at this
time he became very unwell ; it might have been
only the effect of the life of unwonted confinement
which he had lately led that was beginning to tell
on his health ; but, after being heavy and uncom-
fortable for a day or two, without knowing what
was the matter with him, he was one night at-
tacked with high fever.
vin THE LITTLE DUKE 145
Osmond was dreadfully alarmed, knowing
nothing at all of the treatment of illness, and,
what was worse, fully persuaded that the poor
child had been poisoned, and therefore resolved
not to call any assistance ; he hung over him all
night, expecting each moment to see him expire
— ready to tear his hair with despair and fury,
and yet obliged to restrain himself to the utmost
quietness and gentleness, to soothe the suffering of
the sick child.
Through that night, Richard either tossed
about on his narrow bed, or, when his restlessness
desired the change, sat, leaning his aching head on
Osmond's breast, too oppressed and miserable to
speak or think. When the day dawned on them,
and he was still too ill to leave the room,
messengers were sent for him, and Osmond could
no longer conceal the fact of his sickness, but
parleyed at the door, keeping out every one he
could, and refusing all offers of attendance. He
would not even admit Carloman, though Richard,
hearing his voice, begged to see him ; and when a
proposal was sent from the Queen, that a skilful
old nurse should visit and prescribe for the
L
i46 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
patient, he refused with all his might, and when he
had shut the door, walked up and down, mutter-
ing, " Ay, ay, the witch ! coming to finish what
she has begun ! '
All that day and the next, Richard continued
very ill, and Osmond waited on him very assidu-
ously, never closing his eyes for a moment, but
constantly telling his beads whenever the boy did
not require his attendance. At last Richard fell
asleep, slept long and soundly for some hours,
and waked much better. Osmond was in a trans-
port of joy : " Thanks to Heaven, they shall fail for
this time and they shall never have another chance !
May Heaven be with us still ! ' Richard was too
weak and weary to ask what he meant, and for
the next few days Osmond watched him with the
utmost care. As for food, now that Richard could
eat again, Osmond would not hear of his touching
what was sent for him from the royal table, but
always went down himself to procure food in the
kitchen, where he said he had a friend among the
cooks, who would, he thought, scarcely poison him
intentionally. When Richard was able to cross
the room, he insisted on his always fastening the
viii THE LITTLE DUKE 147
door with his dagger, and never opening to any
summons but his own, not even Prince Carloman's.
Richard wondered, but he was obliged to obey;
and he knew enough of the perils around him to
perceive the reasonableness of Osmond's caution.
Thus several days had passed, the King had
returned, and Richard was so much recovered,
that he had become very anxious to be allowed to
go down stairs again, instead of remaining shut up
there ; but still Osmond would not consent, though
Richard had done nothing all day but walk round
the room, to show how strong he was.
" Now, my Lord, guard the door — take care,
said Osmond ; " you have no loss to-day, for the
King has brought home Herluin of Montrueil,
whom you would be almost as loth to meet as
the Fleming. And tell your beads while I am
gone, that the Saints may bring us out of our
peril."
Osmond was absent nearly half an hour, and,
when he returned, brought on his shoulders a huge
bundle of straw. " What is this for ? ' exclaimed
Richard. " I wanted my supper, and you have
brought straw ! "
L 2
148 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" Here is your supper," said Osmond, throwing
down the straw, and producing a bag with some
bread and meat. " What should you say, my
Lord, if we should sup in Normandy to-morrow
night ? "
" In Normandy ! ' cried Richard, springing up
and clapping his hands. " In Normandy ! Oh,
Osmond, did you say in Normandy ? Shall we,
shall we really ? Oh, joy ! joy ! Is Count Bernard
come ? Will the King let us go ? '
" Hush ! hush, sir ! It must be our own doing ; it
will all fail if you are not silent and prudent, and
we shall be undone."
" I will do anything to get home again ! '
" Eat first," said Osmond.
" But what are you going to do ? I will not be
as foolish as I was when you tried to get me safe
out of Rollo's tower. But I should like to wish
Carloman farewell."
" That must not be," said Osmond ; " we should
not have time to escape, if they did not still believe
you very ill in bed."
" I am sorry not to wish Carloman good-bye,"
repeated Richard ; " but we shall see Fru Astrida
vin THE LITTLE DUKE 149
again, and Sir Eric ; and Alberic must come
back ! Oh, do let us go ! O Normandy, dear
Normandy !';
Richard could hardly eat for excitement, while
Osmond hastily made his arrangements, girding
on his sword, and giving Richard his dagger to
put into his belt. He placed the remainder of
the provisions in his wallet, threw a thick purple
cloth mantle over the Duke, and then desired him
to lie down on the straw which he had brought in.
" I shall hide you in it," he said, " and carry you
through the hall, as if I was going to feed my
horse."
" Oh, they will never guess ! ' cried Richard,
laughing. " I will be quite still--! will make no
noise — I will hold my breath."
" Yes, mind you do not move hand or foot,
or rustle the straw. It is no play — it is life
or death," said Osmond, as he disposed the
straw round the little boy. " There, can you
breathe ? '
"Yes," said Richard's voice from the midst.
" Am I quite hidden ? "
" Entirely. Now, remember, whatever happens,
150 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
do not move. May Heaven protect us ! Now,
the Saints be with us 1 '
Richard, from the interior of the bundle heard
Osmond set open the door ; then he felt himself
raised from the ground ; Osmond was carrying
him along down the stairs, the ends of the straw
crushing and sweeping against the wall The
only way to the outer door was through the hall,
and here was the danger. Richard heard voices,
steps, loud singing and laughter, as if feasting was
going on ; then some one said, " Tending your
horse, Sieur de Centeville ? '
" Yes," Osmond made answer. " You know,
since we lost our grooms, the poor black would
come off badly, did I not attend to him."
Presently came Carloman's voice : " O Osmond
de Centeville ! is Richard better ? "
" He is better, my Lord, I thank you, but
hardly yet out of danger."
(< Oh, I wish he was well ! And when will you
let me come to him, Osmond ? Indeed, I would
sit quiet, and not disturb him."
" It may not be yet, my Lord, though the
Duke loves you well — he told me so but now."
vni THE LITTLE DUKE 151
" Did he ? Oh, tell him I love him very much
— better than any one here — and it is very dull
without him. Tell him so, Osmond."
Richard could hardly help calling out to his
dear little Carloman ; but he remembered the
peril of Osmond's eyes and the Queen's threat,
and held his peace, with some vague notion that
some day he would make Carloman King of
France. In the meantime, half stifled with the
straw, he felt himself carried on, down the steps,
across the court ; and then he knew, from the
darkness and the changed sound of Osmond's
tread, that they were in the stable. Osmond laid
him carefully down, and whispered —
" All right so far. You can breathe ? r'
" Not well. Can't you let me out ? "
" Not yet — not for worlds. Now tell me if I
put you face downwards, for I cannot see."
He laid the living heap of straw across the
saddle, bound it on, then led out the horse, gazing
round cautiously as he did so ; but the whole of
the people of the Castle were feasting, and there
was no one to watch the gates. Richard heard the
hollow sound of the hoofs, as the drawbridge was
152 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
crossed, and knew that he was free ; but still
Osmond held his arm over him, and would not let
him move, for some distance. Then, just as
Richard felt as if he could endure the stifling of
the straw, and his uncomfortable position, not a
moment longer, Osmond stopped the horse, took
him down, laid him on the grass, and released
him. He gazed around ; they were in a little
wood ; evening twilight was just coming on, and
the birds sang sweetly.
" Free ! free !— this is freedom ! " cried Richard,
leaping up in the delicious cool evening breeze ;
" the Queen and Lothaire, and that grim room,
all far behind."
" Not so far yet," said Osmond ; " you must
not call yourself safe till the Epte is between us
and them. Into the saddle, my Lord ; we must
ride for our lives."
Osmond helped the Duke to mount, and sprang
to the saddle behind him, set spurs to the horse,
and rode on at a quick rate, though not at full
speed, as he wished to spare the horse. The twi-
light faded, the stars came out, and still he rode,
his arm round the child, who, as night advanced,
yssSfi
KSCAl'K FKo.M CAPTIVITY.
vin THE LITTLE DUKE 153
grew \veary, and often sunk into a sort of half
doze, conscious all the time of the trot of the horse.
But each step was taking him further from Queen
Gerberge, and nearer to Normandy ; and what
recked he of weariness ? On — on ; the stars grew
pale again, and the first pink light of dawn showed
in the eastern sky ; the sun rose, mounted higher
and higher, and the day grew hotter ; the horse
went more slowly, stumbled, and though Osmond
halted and loosed the girth, he only mended his
pace for a little while.
Osmond looked grievously perplexed ; but they
had not gone much further before a party of
merchants came in sight, winding their way with a
long train of loaded mules, and stout men to guard
them, across the plains, like an eastern caravan in
the desert. They gazed in surprise at the tall
young Norman holding the child upon the worn-
out war-horse.
" Sir merchant," said Osmond to the first, " see
you this steed ? Better horse never was ridden ;
but he is sorely spent, and we must make
speed. Let me barter him with you for yonder
stout palfrey. He is worth twice as much,
154 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
but I cannot stop to chaffer — ay or no at
once."
The merchant, seeing the value of Osmond's
gallant black, accepted the offer ; and Osmond re-
moving his saddle, and placing Richard on his new
steed, again mounted, and on they went through
the country which Osmond's eye had marked with
the sagacity men acquire by living in wild, un-
settled places. The great marshes were now far
less dangerous than in the winter, and they safely
crossed them. There had, as yet, been no pursuit,
and Osmond's only fear \vas for his little charge,
who, not having recovered his full strength since his
illness, began to suffer greatly from fatigue in the
heat of that broiling summer day, and leant against
Osmond patiently, but very wearily, without mov-
ing or looking up. He scarcely revived when the
sun went down, and a cool breeze sprang up, which
much refreshed Osmond himself; and still more
did it refresh the Squire to see, at length, winding
through the green pastures, a blue river, on the
opposite bank of which rose a high rocky
mound, bearing a castle with many a turret and
battlement.
vin THE LITTLE DUKE 155
" The Epte ! the Epte ! There is Normandy, sir !
Look up, and see your own dukedom." " Nor-
mandy ! " cried Richard, sitting upright. " Oh, my
own home ! ' Still the Epte was wide and deep,
and the peril was not yet ended. Osmond looked
anxiously, and rejoiced to see marks of cattle, as if
it had been forded. " We must try it," he said, and
dismounting, he waded in, leading the horse, and
firmly holding Richard in the saddle. Deep they
went ; the water rose to Richard's feet, then to the
horse's neck ; then the horse was swimming, and
Osmond too, still keeping his firm hold ; then there
was ground again, the force of the current was less,
and they were gaining the bank. At that instant,
however, they perceived two men aiming at them
with cross-bows from the castle, and another
standing on the bank above them, who called out,
" Hold ! None pass the ford of Montemar without
permission of the noble Dame Yolande." " Ha !
Bertrand, the Seneschal, is that you ? " returned
Osmond. " Who calls me by my name ? " replied
the Seneschal. " It is I, Osmond de Centeville.
Open your gates quickly, Sir Seneschal ; for here is
the Duke, sorely in need of rest and refreshment."
156 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" The Duke ! )! exclaimed Bertrand, hurrying
down to the landing-place, and throwing off his
cap. " The Duke ! the Duke I " rang out the shout
from the men-at-arms on the battlements above ;
and in an instant more Osmond had led the horse
up from the water, and was exclaiming, " Look up,
my Lord, look up ! You are in your own dukedom
again, and this is Alberic's castle."
" Welcome, indeed, most noble Lord Duke !
Blessings on the day ! '; cried the Seneschal.
" What joy for my Lady and my young Lord ! '
" He is sorely weary," said Osmond, looking
anxiously at Richard, who, even [at the welcome
cries that showed so plainly that he was in his own
Normandy, scarcely raised himself or spoke. " He
had been very sick ere I brought him away. I
doubt me they sought to poison him, and I vowed
not to tarry at Laon another hour after he was fit
to move. But cheer up, my Lord ; you are safe
and free now, and here is the good Dame de
Montemar to tend you, far better than a rude
Squire like me."
" Alas, no ! " said the Seneschal ; " our Dame is
gone with young Alberic on a pilgrimage to
vni THE LITTLE DUKE 157
Jumieges to pray for the Duke's safety. What joy
for them to know that their prayers have been
granted ! '
Osmond, however, could scarcely rejoice, so
alarmed was he at the extreme weariness and
exhaustion of his charge, who, when they brought
him into the Castle hall, hardly spoke or looked,
and could not eat. They carried him up to
Alberic's bed, where he tossed about restlessly, too
tired to sleep.
" Alas ! alas ! " said Osmond, " I have been too
hasty. I have but saved him from the Franks to
be his death by my own imprudence."
" Hush ! Sieur de Centeville," said the Sene-
schal's wife, coming into the room. " To talk in
that manner is the way to be his death, indeed.
Leave the child to me — he is only over-weary."
Osmond was sure his Duke was among friends,
and would have been glad to trust him to a
woman ; but Richard had but one instinct left
in all his weakness and exhaustion — to cling close
to Osmond, as if he felt him his only friend and
protector ; for he was, as yet, too much worn out
to understand that he was in Normandy and
158 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
safe. For two or three hours, therefore, Osmond
and the Seneschal's wife watched on each side
of his bed, soothing his restlessness, until at
length he became quiet, and at last dropped
sound asleep.
The sun was high in the heavens when Richard
awoke. He turned on his straw-filled crib, and
looked up. It was not the tapestried walls
of his chamber at Laon that met his opening
eyes, but the rugged stone and tall loop-hole
window of a turret chamber. Osmond de Cen-
teville lay on the floor by his side, in the sound
sleep of one overcome by long watching and
weariness. And what more did Richard see ?
It was the bright face and sparkling eyes of
Alberic de Montemar, who was leaning against the
foot of his bed, gazing earnestly, as he watched
for his waking. There was a cry — " Alberic !
Alberic ! " " My Lord ! my Lord ! " Richard sat
up and held out both arms, and Alberic flung
himself into them. They hugged each other, and
uttered broken exclamations and screams of joy,
enough to have awakened any sleeper but one so
wearied out as Osmond.
vin THE LITTLE DUKE 159
" And is it true ? Oh, am I really in Normandy
again ? ' cried Richard.
" Yes, yes ! — oh, yes, my Lord ! You are at
Montemar. Everything here is yours. The bar-
tailed hawk is quite well, and my mother will be
here this evening ; she let me ride on the instant
we heard the news."
" We rode long and late, and I was very weary,"
said Richard ! " but I don't care, now we are at
home. But I can hardly believe it ! Oh, Alberic,
it has been very dreary ! "
" See here, my Lord ! " said Alberic, standing by
the window. " Look here, and you will know you
are at home again ! "
Richard bounded to the window, and what a
sight met his eyes ! The Castle court was thronged
with men-at-arms and horses, the morning sun
sparkling on many a burnished hauberk and tall
conical helmet, and above them waved many a
banner and pennon that Richard knew full well.
" There ! there ! " he shouted aloud with glee.
" Oh, there is the horse-shoe of Ferrieres ! and
there the chequers of Warenne ! Oh, and best of
all, there is — there is our own red pennon of
160 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Centeville ! O Alberic ! Alberic ! is Sir Eric
here ? I must go down to him ! '
" Bertrand sent out notice to them all, as soon
as you came, to come and guard our Castle,"
said Alberic, " lest the Franks should pursue you ;
but you are safe now — safe as Norman spears can
make you — thanks be to God ! '
" Yes, thanks to God ! ' said Richard, crossing
himself, and kneeling reverently for some minutes,
while he repeated his Latin prayer; then, rising
and looking at Alberic, he said, " I must thank
Him, indeed, for he has saved Osmond and me
from the cruel King and Queen, and I must try
to be a less hasty and overbearing boy than I was
when I went away ; for I vowed that so I would
be, if ever I came back. Poor Osmond, how
soundly he sleeps ! Come, Alberic, show me the
way to Sir Eric ! >!
And, holding Alberic's hand, Richard left the
room, and descended the stairs to the Castle hall.
Many of the Norman knights and barons, in full
armour, were gathered there ; but Richard looked
only for one. He knew Sir Eric's grizzled hair,
and blue inlaid armour, though his back was to-
vni THE LITTLE DUKE 161
wards him, and in a moment, before his entrance
had been perceived, he sprang towards him, and,
with outstretched arms, exclaimed : " Sir Eric — dear
Sir Eric, here I am ! Osmond is safe ! And is
Fru Astrida well ? "
The old Baron turned. " My child ! " he
exclaimed, and clasped him in his mailed arms,
while the tears flowed down his rugged cheeks.
" Blessed be God that you are safe, and that my
son has done his duty ! "
" And is Fru Astrida well ? "
"Yes, right well, since she heard of your safety.
But look round, my Lord ; it befits not a Duke to
be clinging thus round an old man's neck. See
how many of your true vassals be here, to guard
you from the villain Franks. '
Richard stood up, and held out his hand, bow-
ing courteously and acknowledging the greetings
of each bold baron, with a grace and readiness he
certainly had not when he left Normandy. He
was taller too ; and though still pale, and not
dressed with much care (since he had hurried on
his clothes with no help but Alberic's) — though
his hair was rough and- disordered, and the scar of
M
162 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
the burn had not yet faded from his cheek — yet still,
with his bright blue eyes, glad face, and upright
form, he was a princely, promising boy, and the
Norman knights looked at him with pride and joy,
more especially when, unprompted, he said : " I
thank you, gallant knights, for coming to guard
me. I do not fear the whole French host now I
am among my own true Normans."
Sir Eric led him to the door of the hall to the
top of the steps, that the men-at-arms might see
him ; and then such a shout rang out of " Long
live Duke Richard ! " -" Blessings on the little
Duke ! " — that it echoed and came back again
from the hills around- -it pealed from the old
tower — it roused Osmond from his sleep — and, if
anything more had been wanting to do so, it made
Richard feel that he was indeed in a land where
every heart glowed with loyal love for him.
Before the shout had died away, a bugle-horn
was heard winding before the gate ; and Sir Eric,
saying, " It is the Count of Harcourt's note," sent
Bertrand to open the gates in haste, while Alberic
followed, as Lord of the Castle, to receive the
Count.
vni THE LITTLE DUKE 163
The old Count rode into the court, and to the
foot of the steps, where he dismounted, Alberic
holding his stirrup. He had not taken many steps
upwards before Richard came voluntarily to meet
him (which he had never done before), held out
his hand, and said, " Welcome, Count Bernard,
welcome. Thank you for coming to guard me.
I am very glad to see you once more."
" Ah, my young Lord," said Bernard, " I am
right glad to see you out of the clutches of the
Franks ! You know friend from foe now, methinks ! "
" Yes, indeed I do, Count Bernard. I know you
meant kindly by me, and that I ought to have
thanked you, and not been angry, when you re-
proved me. Wait one moment, Sir Count ; there is
one thing that I promised myself to say if ever I
came safe to my own dear home. Walter —
Maurice — Jeannot — all you of my household, and
of Sir Eric's — I know, before I went away, I was
often no good Lord to you ; I was passionate, and
proud, and overbearing ; but God has punished me
for it, when I was far away among my enemies,
and sick and lonely. I am very sorry for it, and I
hope you will pardon me ; for I will strive, and I
M 2
1 64 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
hope God will help me, never to be proud and
passionate again."
" There, Sir Eric," said Bernard, " you hear
* what the boy says. If he speaks it out so bold
and free, without bidding, and if he holds to
what he says, I doubt it not that he shall not grieve
for his journey to France, and that we shall see
him, in all things, such a Prince as his father of
blessed memory."
"You must thank Osmond for me," said
Richard, as Osmond came down, awakened at
length. " It is Osmond who has helped me to
bear my troubles ; and as to saving me, why he
flew away with me even like an old eagle with its
eaglet. I say, Osmond, you must ever after this
wear a pair of wings on shield and pennon, to
show how well we managed our flight." lo
" As you will, my Lord, ' said Osmond, half
asleep ; " but 'twas a good long flight at a stretch,
and I trust never to have to fly before your foes
or mine again."
What a glad summer's day was that ! Even the
three hours spent in council did but renew the
relish with which Richard visited Alberic's
vin THE LITTLE DUKE 165
treasures, told his adventures, and showed the
accomplishments he had learnt at Laon. The
evening was more joyous still ; for the Castle
gates were opened, first to receive Dame Yolande
Montemar, and not above a quarter of an hour
afterwards, the drawbridge was lowered to admit
the followers of Centeville ; and in front of them
appeared Fru Astrida's own high cap. Richard
made but one bound into her arms, and was
clasped to her breast ; then held off at arm's-
length, that she might see how much he was
grown, and pity his scar ; then hugged closer than
ever : but, taking another look, she declared that
Osmond left his hair like King Harald Horrid-
locks ; 1G and, drawing an ivory comb from her
pouch, began to pull out the thick tangles, hurting
him to a degree that would once have made him.
rebel, but now he only fondled her the more.
As to Osmond, when he knelt before her, she
blessed him, and sobbed over him, and blamed
him for over-tiring her darling, all in one ; and
assuredly, when night closed in and Richard had,
as of old, told his beads beside her knee, the
happiest boy in Normandy was its little Duke.
CHAPTER IX
MONTEMAR was too near the frontier to be a safe
abode for the little Duke, and his uncle, Count
Hubert of Senlis, agreed with Bernard the Dane
that he would be more secure beyond the limits
of his own duchy, which was likely soon to be the
scene of war ; and, sorely against his will, he was
sent in secret, under a strong escort, first to the
Castle of Coucy, and afterwards to Senlis.
His consolation was, that he was not again
separated from his friends ; Alberic, Sir Eric, and
even Fru Astrida, accompanied him, as well as his
constant follower, Osmond. Indeed, the Baron
would hardly bear that he should be out of his
sight ; and he was still so carefully watched, that
it \vas almost like a captivity. Never, even in the
summer days, was he allowed to go beyond the
Castle walls ; and his guardians would fain have
CH. ix THE LITTLE DUKE 167
had it supposed that the Castle did not contain
any such guest.
Osmond did not give him so much of his com-
pany as usual, but was always at work in the
armourer's forge — a low, vaulted chamber, opening
into the Castle court. Richard and Alberic were
very curious to know what he did there ; but he
fastened the door with an iron bar, and they were
forced to content themselves with listening to the
strokes of the hammer, keeping time to the voice
that sang out, loud and cheerily, the song of
" Sigurd's sword, and the maiden sleeping within
the ring of flame." Fru Astrida said Osmond was
quite right — no good weapon-smith ever toiled
with open doors ; and when the boys asked him
questions as to his work, he only smiled, and said
that they would see what it was when the call to
arms should come.
They thought it near at hand, for tidings came
that Louis had assembled his army, and marched
into Normandy to recover the person of the young
Duke, and to seize the country. No summons,
however, arrived, but a message came instead, that
Rouen had been surrendered into the hands of
1 68 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
the King. Richard shed indignant tears. " My
father's Castle ! My own city in the hands of the
foe ! Bernard is a traitor then ! None shall hinder
me from so calling him. Why did we trust him ? '
" Never fear, Lord Duke," said Osmond. " When
you come to the years of Knighthood, your own
sword shall right you, in spite of all the false
Danes, and falser Franks, in the land."
" What ! you too, son Osmond ? I deemed you
carried a cooler brain than to miscall one who was
true to Rollo's race before you or yon varlet were
born ! " said the old Baron.
" He has yielded my dukedom ! It is mis-call-
ing to say he is aught but a traitor ! " cried Richard.
" Vile, treacherous, favour-seeking — "
" Peace, peace, my Lord," said the Baron. " Ber-
nard has more in that wary head of his than your
young wits, or my old ones, can unwind. What he
is doing I may not guess, but I gage my life his
heart is right."
Richard was silent, remembering he had been
once unjust, but he grieved heartily when he
thought of the French in Rollo's tower, and it
was further reported that the King was about to
ix THE LITTLE DUKE 169
share Normandy among his French vassals. A
fresh outcry broke out in the little garrison of
Senlis, but Sir Eric still persisted in his trust in
his friend Bernard, even when he heard that Cente-
ville was marked out as the prey of the fat French
Count who had served for a hostage at Rouen.
"What say you now, my Lord ?" said he, after
a conference with a messenger at the gate. " The
Black Raven has spread its wings. Fifty keels are
in the Seine, and Harald Blue-tooth's Long Serpent
at the head of them."
" The King of Denmark ! Come to my aid ! '
u Ay, that he is ! Come at Bernard's secret call,
to right you, and put you on your father's seat.
Now call honest Harcourt a traitor, because he
gave not up your fair dukedom to the flame and
sword ! '
" No traitor to me," said Richard, pausing.
" No, verily, but what more would you say ? '
" I think, when I come to my dukedom, I will
not be so politic," said Richard. " I will be an
open friend or an open foe."
" The boy grows too sharp for us," said Sir
Eric, smiling, " but it was spoken like his father."
170 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" He grows more like his blessed father each
day, " said Fru Astrida.
" But the Danes, father, the Danes ! " said Os-
mond. " Blows will be passing now. I may join
the host and win my spurs ?
" With all my heart," returned the Baron, " so
my Lord here gives you leave : would that I could
leave him and go with you. It would do my very
spirit good but to set foot in a Northern keel once
more.'1
" I would fain see what these men of the
North are, ' said Osmond.
" Oh ! they are only Danes, not Norsemen, and
there are no Vikings, such as once were when
Ragnar laid waste — "
" Son, son, what talk is this for the child's ears ? }:
broke in Fru Astrida, " are these words for a
Christian Baron ? '
" Your pardon, mother, ' said the grey warrior,
in all humility, " but my blood thrills to hear of a
Northern fleet at hand, and to think of Osmond
drawing sword under a Sea-King. '
The next morning, Osmond's steed was led to
the door, and such men-at-arms as could be spared
IX THE LITTLE DUKE 171
from the garrison of Senlis were drawn up in readi-
ness to accompany him. The boys stood on the
steps, wishing they were old enough to be warriors,
and wondering what had become of him, until at
length the sound of an opening door startled them,
and there, in the low archway of the smithy, the
red furnace glowing behind him, stood Osmond,
clad in bright steel, the links of his hauberk reflect-
ing the light, and on his helmet a pair of golden
wings, while the same device adorned his long
pointed kite-shaped shield.
"Your wings! our wings !" cried Richard, "the
bearing of Centeville ! '
" May they fly after the foe, not before him,"
said Sir Eric. " Speed thee well, my son — let not
our Danish cousins say we learn Frank graces
instead of Northern blows."
With such farewells, Osmond quitted Senlis,
while the two boys hastened to the battle-
ments to watch him as long as he remained in
view.
The highest tower became their principal resort,
and their eyes were constantly on the heath where
he had disappeared ; but days passed, and they
172 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
grew weary of the watch, and betook themselves
to games in the Castle court.
One day, Alberic, in the character of a Dragon,
was lying on his back, panting hard so as to be
supposed to cast out volumes of flame and smoke
at Richard, the Knight, who with a stick for a
lance, and a wooden sword, was waging fierce war ;
when suddenly the Dragon paused, sat up, and
pointed towards the warder on the tower. His
horn was at his lips, and in another moment, the
blast rang out through the Castle.
With a loud shout, both boys rushed headlong
up the turret stairs, and came to the top so breath-
less, that they could not even ask the warder what
he saw. He pointed, and the keen-eyed Alberic
exclaimed, " I see ! Look, my Lord, a speck there
on the heath ! "
" I do not see ! where, oh where ? '
" He is behind the hillock now, but- -oh, there
again ! How fast he comes ! "
" It is like the flight of a bird," said Richard,
"fast, fast "
" If only it be not flight in earnest," said Alberic,
a little anxiously, looking into the warder's face,
IX THE LITTLE DUKE 173
for he was a borderer, and tales of terror of the
inroad of the Vicomte du Contentin were rife on
the marches of the Epte.
" No, young Sir," said the warder, " no fear of
that. I know how men ride when they flee from
the battle."
" No, indeed, there is no discomfiture in the pace
of that steed," said Sir Eric, who had by this time
joined them.
" I see him clearer ! I see the horse," cried
Richard, dancing with eagerness, so that Sir Eric
caught hold of him, exclaiming, " You will be over
the battlements ! hold still ! better hear of a battle
lost than that ! "
" He bears somewhat in his hand," said Alberic.
" A banner or pennon," said the warder ; " me-
thinks he rides like the young Baron."
" He does ! My brave boy ! He has done good
service," exclaimed Sir Eric, as the figure became
more developed. " The Danes have seen how we
train our young men."
" His wings bring good tidings," said Richard.
" Let me go, Sir Eric, I must tell Fru Astrida."
The drawbridge was lowered, the portcullis
174 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
raised, and as all the dwellers in the Castle stood
gathered in the court, in rode the warrior with
the winged helm, bearing in his hand a drooping
banner ; lowering it as he entered, it unfolded, and
displayed, trailing on the ground at the feet of
the little Duke of Normandy, the golden lilies of
France.
A shout of amazement arose, and all gathered
round him, asking hurried questions. " A great
victory — the King a prisoner — Montreuil slain ! "
Richard would not be denied holding his hand,
and leading him to the hall, and there, sitting
around him, they heard his tidings. His father's
first question was, what he thought of their
kinsmen, the Danes ?
" Rude comrades, father, I must own/' said
Osmond, smiling, and shaking his head. " I could
not pledge them in a skull-goblet — set in gold
though it were."
" None the worse warriors," said Sir Eric. " Ay,
ay, and you were dainty, and brooked not the
hearty old fashion of tearing the whole sheep to
pieces. You must needs cut your portion with the
fine French knife at your girdle."
ix THE LITTLE DUKE 175
Osmond could not see that a man was braver
for being a savage, but he held his peace ; and
Richard impatiently begged to hear how the battle
had gone, and where it had been fought.
" On the bank of the Dive," said Osmond.
"Ah, father, you might well call old Harcourt
wary — his name might better have been Fox-heart
than Bear-heart ! He had sent to the Franks a
message of distress, that the Danes were on him in
full force, and to pray them to come to his aid."
" I trust there was no treachery. No foul deal-
ing shall be wrought in my name," exclaimed
Richard, with such dignity of tone and manner,
as made all feel he was indeed their Duke, and
forget his tender years.
" No, or should I tell the tale with joy like
this ? ' said Osmond. " Bernard's view was to
bring the Kings together, and let Louis see you
had friends to maintain your right. He sought but
to avoid bloodshed."
" And how chanced it ? '
" The Danes were encamped on the Dive, and
so soon as the French came in sight, Blue-tooth
sent a messenger to Louis, to summon him to
176 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
quit Neustria, and leave it to you, its lawful
owner. Thereupon, Louis, hoping to win him
over with wily words, invited him to hold a
personal conference. '
" Where were you, Osmond ? >:
" Where I had scarce patience to be. Bernard
had gathered all of us honest Normans together,
and arranged us beneath that standard of the
King, as if to repel his Danish inroad. Oh, he
was, in all seeming, hand-and- glove with Louis,
guiding him by his counsel, and, verily, seeming
his friend and best adviser ! But in one thing he
could not prevail. That ungrateful recreant,
Herluin of Montreuil, came with the King, hoping,
it seems, to get his share of our spoils ; and when
Bernard advised the King to send him home, since
no true Norman could bear the sight of him, the
hot-headed Franks vowed no Norman should
hinder them from bringing whom they chose.
So a tent was set up by the riverside, wherein
the two Kings, with Bernard, Alan of Brittany,
and Count Hugh, held their meeting. We all
stood without, and the two hosts began to mingle
together, we Normans making acquaintance with
ix THE LITTLE DUKE 177
the Danes. There was a red-haired, wild-looking
fellow, who told me he had been with Anlaff in
England, and spoke much of the doings of Hako
in Norway ; when, suddenly, he pointed to a
Knight who was near, speaking to a Cotentinois,
and asked me his name. My blood boiled as I
answered, for it was Montreuil himself ! * The
cause of your Duke's death ! ' said the Dane. ' Ha,
ye Normans are fallen sons of Odin, to see him
yet live ! '
" You said, I trust, my son, that we follow
not the laws of Odin ? ' said Fru Astrida.
" I had no space for a word, grandmother ;
the Danes took the vengeance on themselves. In
one moment they rushed on Herluin with their
axes, and the unhappy man was dead. All was
tumult ; every one struck without knowing at
whom, or for what. Some shouted, * Thor Hulfe ! '
some * Dieu aide ! ' others * Montjoie St. Denis ! '
Northern blood against French, that was all our
guide. I found myself at the foot of this standard,
and had a hard combat for it ; but I bore it away
at last."
" And the Kings ? "
N
1 78 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" They hurried out of the tent, it seems, to rejoin
their men. Louis mounted, but you know of old,
my Lord, he is but an indifferent horseman, and
the beast carried him into the midst of the Danes,
where King Harald caught his bridle, and delivered
him to four Knights to keep. Whether he dealt
secretly with them, or whether they, as they de-
clared, lost sight of him whilst plundering his tent,
I cannot say ; but when Harald demanded him of
them, he was gone."
" Gone ! is this what you call having the King
prisoner ? '
" You shall hear. He rode four leagues, and
met one of the baser sort of Rouennais, whom he
bribed to hide him in the Isle of Willows. How-
ever, Bernard made close inquiries, found the
fellow had been seen in speech with a French
horseman, pounced on his wife and children, and
threatened they should die if he did not disclose
the secret. So the King was forced to come out
of his hiding-place, and is now fast guarded in
Rollo's tower — a Dane, with a battle-axe on his
shoulder, keeping guard at every turn of the
• »
stairs.
IX THE LITTLE DUKE 179
" Ha ! ha ! " cried Richard. " I wonder how he
likes it. I wonder if he remembers holding me
up to the window, and vowing that he meant me
only good ! '
" When you believed him, my Lord," said
Osmond, slyly.
" I was a little boy then," said Richard, proudly.
" Why, the very walls must remind him of his oath,
and how Count Bernard said, as he dealt with me,
so might Heaven deal with him."
" Remember it5 my child — beware of broken
vows," said Father Lucas ; "but remember it. not
in triumph over a fallen foe. It were better that
all carne at once to the chapel, to bestow their
thanksgivings where alone they are due '
CHAPTER X
AFTER nearly a year's captivity, the King engaged
t:o pay a ransom, and, until the terms could be
arranged, his two sons were to be placed as hos-
tages in the hands of the Normans, whilst he re-
turned to his own domains. The Princes were to
be sent to Bayeux ; whither Richard had returned,
under the charge of the Centevilles, and was now
allowed to ride and walk abroad freely, provided
he was accompanied by a guard.
" I shall rejoice to have Carloman, and make
him happy," said Richard ; " but I wish Lothaire
were not coming."
" Perhaps," said good Father Lucas, " he comes
that you may have a first trial in your father's
last lesson, and Abbot Martin's, and return good
for evil."
The Duke's cheek flushed, and he made no answer.
CH. x THE LITTLE DUKE 181
He and Alberic betook themselves to the watch-
tower, and, by and by, saw a cavalcade approaching,
with a curtained vehicle in the ' midst, slung be-
tween two horses. " That cannot be the Princes,"
said Alberic ; " that must surely be some sick lady."
" I only hope it is not the Queen," exclaimed
Richard, in dismay. " But no ; Lothaire is such a
coward, no doubt he was afraid to ride, and she
would not trust her darling without shutting him up
like a demoiselle. But come down, Alberic ; I will
say nothing unkind of Lothaire, if I can help it."
Richard met the Princes in the court, his sunny
hair uncovered, and bowing with such becoming
courtesy, that Fru Astrida pressed her son's arm,
and bade him say if their little Duke was not the
fairest and noblest child in Christendom.
With black looks, Lothaire stepped from the
litter, took no heed of the little Duke, but, roughly
calling his attendant, Chariot, to follow him, he
marched into the hall, vouchsafing neither word
nor look to any as he passed, threw himself into
the highest seat, and ordered Chariot to bring him
some wine.
Meanwhile, Richard, looking into the litter,
182 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
saw Carloman crouching in a corner, sobbing
with fright.
" Carloman ! — dear Carloman ! — do not cry.
Come out ! It is I — your own Richard ! Will you
not let me welcome you ? >:
Carloman looked, caught at the outstretched
hand, and clung to his neck.
" Oh, Richard, send us back ! Do not let the
savage Danes kill us ! '
" No one will hurt you. There are no Danes
here. You are my guest, my friend, my brother.
Look up ! here is my own Fru Astrida."
" But my mother said the Northmen would
kill us for keeping you captive. She wept and
raved, and the cruel men dragged us away by
force. Oh, let us go back ! '
" I cannot do that," said Richard ; " for you
are the King of Denmark's captives, not mine ;
but I will love you, and you shall have all that is
mine, if you will only not cry, dear Carloman.
Oh, Fru Astrida, what shall I do ? You comfort
him " as the poor boy clung sobbing to him.
Fru Astrida advanced to take his hand, speak-
ing in a soothing voice, but he shrank and started
X THE LITTLE DUKE 183
with a fresh cry of terror — her tall figure, high
cap, and wrinkled face, were to him witch-like,
and as she knew no French, he understood not
her kind words. However, he let Richard lead
him into the hall, where Lothaire sat moodily in
the chair, with one leg tucked under him, and
his finger in his mouth.
" I say, Sir Duke," said he, " is there nothing
to be had in this old den of yours ? Not a drop
of Bordeaux ? '
Richard tried to repress his anger at this very
uncivil way of speaking, and answered, that he
thought there was none, but there was plenty of
Norman cider.
" As if I would taste your mean peasant drinks !
I bade them bring my supper — why does it not
come ? '
" Because you are not master here," trembled on
Richard's lips, but he forced it back, and answered
that it would soon be ready, and Carloman looked
imploringly at his brother, and said, " Do not
make them angry, Lothaire."
"What, crying still, foolish child?" said
Lothaire. " Do you not know that if they dare to
1 84 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
cross us, my father will treat them as they de-
serve ? Bring supper, I say, and let me have a
pasty of ortolans."
" There are none — they are not in season," said
Richard.
" Do you mean to give me nothing I like ? I
tell you it shall be the worse for you."
"There is a pullet roasting," began Richard.
" I tell you, I do not care for pullets — I will
have ortolans."
" If I do not take order with that boy, my name
is not Eric," muttered the Baron.
" What must he not have made our poor child
suffer!" returned Fru Astrida, "but the little one
moves my heart. How small and weakly he is, but
it is worth anything to see our little Duke so tender
to him."
" He is too brave not to be gentle," said
Osmond ; and, indeed, the high-spirited, impetuous
boy was as soft and kind as a maiden, with that
feeble, timid child. He coaxed him to eat, con-
soled him, and, instead of laughing at his fears,
kept between him and the great bloodhound
Hardigras, and drove it off when it came too near.
X THE LITTLE DUKE 185
" Take that dog away," said Lothaire, im-
periously. No one moved to obey him, and the
dog, in seeking for scraps, again came towards
him.
" Take it away," he repeated, and struck it with
his foot. The dog growled, and Richard started
up in indignation.
" Prince Lothaire," he said, " I care not what
else you do, but my dogs and my people you
shall not maltreat."
" I tell you I am Prince ! I do what I will !
Ha ! who laughs there ? ' cried the passionate
boy, stamping on the floor.
" It is not so easy for French Princes to scourge
free-born Normans here," said the rough voice of
Walter the huntsman : " there is a reckoning for
the stripe my Lord Duke bore for me."
" Hush, hush, Walter," began Richard ; but
Lothaire had caught up a footstool, and was aiming
it at the huntsman, when his arm was caught.
Osmond, who knew him well enough to be pre-
pared for such outbreaks, held him fast by both
hands, in spite of his passionate screams and
struggles, which were like those of one frantic.
1 86 THE LITTLE DUKE
CHAP.
Sir Eric, meanwhile, thundered forth in his
Norman patois, " I would have you to know,
young Sir, Prince though you be, you are our
prisoner, and shall taste of a dungeon, and bread
and water, unless you behave yourself."
Either Lothaire did not hear, or did not believe,
and fought more furiously in Osmond's arms,
but he had little chance with the stalwart youne
J Q
warrior, and, in spite of Richard's remonstrances,
he was carried from the hall, roaring and kicking,
and locked up alone in an empty room.
" Let him alone for the present," said Sir Eric,
putting the Duke aside, "when he knows his
master, we shall have peace."
Here Richard had to turn, to re-assure Carlo-
man, who had taken refuge in a dark corner, and
there shook like an aspen leaf, crying bitterly,
and starting with fright, when Richard touched
him.
" Oh, do not put me in the dungeon. I cannot
bear the dark."
Richard again tried to comfort him, but he did
not seem to hear or heed. " Oh ! they said you
would beat and hurt us for what we did to
X THE LITTLE DUKE 187
you ! but, indeed, it was not I that burnt your
cheek ! "
" We would not hurt you for worlds, dear
Carloman ; Lothaire is not in the dungeon — he is
only shut up till he is good."
" It was Lothaire that did it," repeated Carlo-
man, " and, indeed, you must not be angry with
me, for my mother was so cross with me for not
having stopped Osmond when I met him with
the bundle of straw, that she gave me a blow,
that knocked me down. And were you really
there, Richard ? "
Richard told his story, and was glad to find
Carloman could smile at it ; and then Fru Astrida
advised him to take his little friend to bed.
Carloman would not lie down without still holding
Richard's hand, and the little Duke spared no
pains to set him at rest, knowing what it was to
be a desolate captive far from home.
" I thought you would be good to me," said
Carloman. " As to Lothaire, it serves him right,
that you should use him as he used you."
" Oh, no, Carloman ; if I had a brother I would
never speak so of him."
i88 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
" But Lothaire is so unkind."
" Ah ! but we must be kind to those who are
unkind to us."
The child rose on his elbow, and looked into
Richard's face. " No one ever told me so before."
" Oh, Carloman, not Brother Hilary ? '
" I never heed Brother Hilary — he is so lengthy,
and wearisome ; besides, no one is ever kind to
those that hate them."
" My father was," said Richard.
" And they killed him ! " said Carloman.
" Yes," said Richard, crossing himself, " but he
is gone to be in peace."
" I wonder if it is happier there, than here," said
Carloman. " I am not happy. But tell me why
should we be good to those that hate us ? "
" Because the holy Saints were — and look at the
Crucifix, Carloman. That was for them that hated
Him. And, don't you know what our Pater Noster
says ? '
Poor little Carloman could only repeat the
Lord's Prayer in Latin — he had not the least
notion of its meaning — in which Richard had
been carefully instructed by Father Lucas. He
x THE LITTLE DUKE 189
began to explain it, but before many words had
passed his lips, little Carloman was asleep.
The Duke crept softly away to beg to be al-
lowed to go to Lothaire ; he entered the room,
already dark, with a pine torch in his hand, that
so flickered in the wind, that he could at first see
nothing, but presently beheld a dark lump on the
floor.
" Prince Lothaire," he said, " here is-
Lothaire cut him short. " Get away," he said.
" If it is your turn now, it will be mine by and by.
I wish my mother had kept her word, and put
your eyes out."
Richard's temper did not serve for such a reply.
" It is a foul shame of you to speak so, when I
only came out of kindness to you — so I shall leave
you here all night, and not ask Sir Eric to let
you out."
And he swung back the heavy door with a
resounding clangr But his heart smote him when
o o
he told his beads, and remembered what he had
said to Carloman. He knew he could not sleep in
his warm bed when Lothaire was in that cold
gusty room. To be sure, Sir Eric said it would do
THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
him good, but Sir Eric little knew how tender the
French Princes were.
So Richard crept down in the dark, slid back
the bolt, and called, " Prince, Prince, I am sorry
I was angry. Come out, and let us try to be
friends."
" What do you mean ? ' said Lothaire.
" Come out of the cold and dark. Here am I.
I will show you the way. Where is your hand ?
Oh, how cold it is. Let me lead you down to the
hall fire."
Lothaire was subdued by fright, cold, and
darkness, and quietly allowed Richard to lead
him down. Round the fire, at the lower end of
the hall, snored half-a-dozen men-at-arms ; at the
upper hearth there was only Hardigras, who
raised his head as the boys came in. Richard's
whisper and soft pat quieted him instantly, and
the two little Princes sat on the hearth together,
Lothaire surprised, but sullen. Richard stirred
the embers, so as to bring out more heat, then
spoke : " Prince, will you let us be friends ? "
" I must, if I am in your power."
" I wish you would be my guest and comrade."
X THE LITTLE DUKE 191
" Well, I will ; I can't help it."
Richard thought his advances might have been
more graciously met, and, having little encourage-
ment to say more, took Lothaire to bed, as soon as
he was warm.
CHAPTER XI.
As the Baron had said, there was more peace now
that Lothaire had learnt to know that he must
submit, and that no one cared for his threats
of his father's or his mother's vengeance. He
was very sulky and disagreeable, and severely
tried Richard's forbearance; but there were no
fresh outbursts, and, on the whole, from one
wreek to another, there might be said to be an
improvement. He could not always hold aloof
from one so good-natured and good-humoured
as the little Duke ; and the fact of being kept in
order could not but have some beneficial effect on
him, after such spoiling as his had been at home.
Indeed, Osmond was once heard to say, it was a
pity the boy was not to be a hostage for life ; to
which Sir Eric replied, " So long as we have not
the training of him.'
xi THE LITTLE DUKE 193
Little Carloman, meanwhile, recovered from
his fears of all the inmates of the Castle ex-
cepting Hardigras, at whose approach he al-
ways shrank and trembled.
He renewed his friendship with Osmond, no
longer started at the entrance of Sir Eric, laughed
at Alberic's merry ways, and liked to sit on Fru
Astrida's lap, and hear her sing, though he un-
derstood not one word ; but his especial love was
still for his first friend, Duke Richard. Hand-in-
hand they went about together, Richard some-
times lifting him up the steep steps, and, out of
consideration for him, refraining from rough play ;
and Richard led him to join with him in those
lessons that Father Lucas gave the children of
the Castle, every Friday and Sunday evening in
the Chapel. The good Priest stood on the Altar
steps, with the children in a half circle round
him — the son and daughter of the armourer, the
huntsman's little son, the young Baron de Monte-
mar, the Duke of Normandy, and the Prince
of France, all were equal there — and together
they learnt, as he explained to them the things
most needful to believe ; and thus Carloman
O
194 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
left off wondering why Richard thought it right
to be good to his enemies ; and though at
first he had known less than even the little
leather-coated huntsman, he seemed to take the
holy lessons in faster than any of them — yes,
and act on them, too. His feeble health seemed
to make him enter into their comfort and mean-
ing more than even Richard ; and Alberic and
Father Lucas soon told Fru Astrida that it was
a saintly-minded child.
Indeed, Carloman was more disposed to
thoughtfulness, because he was incapable of
joining in the sports of the other boys. A race
round the court was beyond his strength, the fresh
wind on the battlements made him shiver and
cower, and loud shouting play was dreadful to
him. In old times, he used to cry when Lothaire
told him he must have his hair cut, and be a
priest ; now, he only said quietly, he should like
it very much, if he could be good enough.
Fru Astrida sighed and shook her head, and
feared the poor child would never grow up to be
anything on this earth. Great as had been the
difference at first between him and Richard, it was
XI
THE LITTLE DUKE 195
now far greater. Richard was an unusually strong
hoy for ten years old, upright and broad-chested,
and growing very fast ; while Carloman seemed to
dwindle, stooped forward from weakness, had thin
pinched features, and sallow cheeks, looking like a
plant kept in the dark.
The old Baron said that hardy, healthy habits
would restore the puny children ; and Lothaire
improved in health, and therewith in temper ; but
his little brother had not strength enough to bear
the seasoning. He pined and drooped more each
day ; and as the autumn came on, and the wind
was chilly, he grew worse, and was scarcely ever
off the lap of the kind Lady Astrida It was not
a settled sickness, but he grew weaker, and wasted
away. They made up a little couch for him by
the fire, with the high settle between it and the
door, to keep off the draughts ; and there he used
patiently to lie, hour after hour, speaking feebly,
or smiling and seeming pleased, when any one
of those he loved approached. He liked Father
Lucas to come and say prayers with him ; and he
never failed to have a glad look, when his dear
little Duke came to talk to him, in his cheerful
O 2
THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP>
voice, about his rides and his hunting and hawking
adventures. Richard's sick guest took up much of
his thoughts, and he never willingly spent many
hours at a distance from him, softening his step
and lowering his voice, as he entered the hall, lest
Carloman should be asleep.
" Richard, is it you ? ' said the little boy, as the
young figure came round the settle in the darkening
twilight.
" Yes. How do you feel now, Carloman ; are
you better ? '
" No better, thanks, dear Richard ; " and the
little wasted fingers were put into his.
" Has the pain come again ? '
" No ; I have been lying still, musing ; Richard,
I shall never be better."
" Oh, do not say so ! You will, indeed you will,
when spring comes."
" I feel as if I should die," said the little boy ;
" I think I shall But do not grieve, Richard. I
do not feel much afraid. You said it was happier
there than here, and I know it now."
" Where my blessed father is," said Richard,
thoughtfully. " But oh, Carloman, you are so
young to die ! "
xi THE LITTLE DUKE 197
" I do not want to live. This is a fisrhtinsf. hard
O O *
world, full of cruel people ; and it is peace there.
You are strong and brave, and will make them
better ; but I am weak and fearful--! could only
sigh and grieve."
" Oh, Carloman ! Carloman ! I cannot spare
you. I love you like my own brother. You must
not die — you must live to see your father and
mother again ! '
" Commend me to them," said Carloman. " I
am going to my Father in heaven. I am glad I
am here, Richard ; I never was so happy before.
I should have been afraid indeed to die, if Father
Lucas had not taught me how my sins are par-
doned. Now, I think the Saints and Angels are
' o
waiting for me."
He spoke feebly, and his last words faltered into
sleep. He slept on ; and when supper was brought,
and the lamps were lighted, Fru Astrida thought
the little face looked unusually pale and waxen ;
but he did not awake. At night, they carried him
to his bed, and he was roused into a half conscious
state, moaning at being disturbed. Fru Astrida would
not leave him, and Father Lucas shared her watch.
198 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP;
At midnight, all were wakened by the slow notes,
falling one by one on the ear, of the solemn
passing-bell, calling them to waken, that their
prayers might speed a soul on its way. Richard
and Lothaire were soon at the bedside. Carloman
lay still asleep, his hands folded on his breast, but
his breath came in long gasps. Father Lucas was
praying over him, and candles were placed on each
side of the bed. All was still, the boys not daring
to speak or move. There came a longer breath —
then they heard no more. He \vas, indeed, gone
to a happier home — a truer royalty than ever had
been his on earth.
Then the boys' grief burst out. Lothaire
screamed for his mother, and sobbed out that
he should die too — he must go home. Richard
stood by the bed, large silent tears rolling down his
cheeks, and his chest heaving writh suppressed sobs.
Fru Astrida led them from the room, back to
their beds. Lothaire soon cried himself to sleep.
Richard lay awake, sorrowful, and in deep thought ;
while that scene in St. Mary's, at Rouen, returned
before his eyes, and though it had passed nearly
two years ago, its meaning and its teaching had
xi THE LITTLE DUKE 199
sunk deep into his mind, and now stood before
him more completely.
" Where shall I go, when I come to die, if I
have not returned good for evil ? ' And a resolu-
tion was taken in the mind of the little Duke.
Morning came, and brought back the sense that
his gentle little companion was gone from him ;
and Richard wept again, as if he could not be
consoled, as he beheld the screened couch where
the patient smile would never again greet him.
He now knew that he had loved Carloman all
the more for his weakness and helplessness ; but
his grief was not like Lothaire's, for with the
Prince's was still joined a selfish fear : his cry
was still, that he should die too, if not set free, and
violent weeping really made him heavy and ill.
The little corpse, embalmed and lapped in lead,
was to be sent back to France, that it might rest with
its forefathers in the city of Rheims ; and Lothaire
seemed to feel this as an additional stroke of
desertion. He was almost beside himself with
despair, imploring every one, in turn, to send him
home, though he well knew they were unable to
do so.
CHAPTER XII
" SIR ERIC," said Richard, " you told me there
was a Parlement to be held at Falaise, between
Count Bernard and the King of Denmark. I
mean to attend it. Will you come with me, or
shall Osmond go, and you remain in charge of
the Prince ? "
" How now, Lord Richard, you were not wont
to love a Parlement ? '
" I have something to say/' replied Richard.
The Baron made no objection, only telling his
mother that the Duke was a marvellous wise
child, and that he would soon be fit to take the
government himself.
Lothaire lamented the more when he found
that Richard was going away ; his presence
seemed to him a protection, and he fancied, now
Carloman was dead, that his former injuries
CH. xii THE LITTLE DUKE 201
were about to be revenged. The Duke assured
him, repeatedly, that he meant him nothing but
kindness, adding, " When I return, you will see,
Lothaire ; " then, commending him to the care and
kindness of Fru Astrida, Osmond, and Alberic,
Richard set forth upon his pony, attended by
Sir Eric and three men-at-arms.
Richard felt sad when he looked back at
Bayeux, and thought that it no longer contained
his dear little friend ; but it was a fresh bright
frosty morning, the fields were covered with a
silvery-white coating, the flakes of hoar-frost
sparkled on every bush, and the hard ground
rung cheerily to the tread of the horses' feet. As
the yellow sun fought his way through the grey
mists that dimmed his brightness, and shone out
merrily in the blue heights of the sky, Richard's
spirits rose, and he laughed and shouted, as hare
or rabbit rushed across the heath, or as the plover
rose screaming above his head, flapping her broad
wings across the wintry sky.
One night they slept at a Convent, where they
heard that Hugh of Paris had passed on to join
the conference at Falaise. The next day they
202 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
rode on, and, towards the afternoon, the Baron
pointed to a sharp rocky range of hills, crowned
by a tall solid tower, and told Richard, yonder
was his keep of Falaise, the strongest Castle in
Normandy.
The country was far more broken as they
advanced — narrow valleys and sharp hills, each
little vale full of wood, and interspersed with
rocks. " A choice place for game," Sir Eric said ;
and Richard, as he saw a herd of deer dash down
a forest glade, exclaimed, " that they must come
here to stay, for some autumn sport."
There seemed to be huntsmen abroad in the
woods ; for through the frosty air came the
baying of dogs, the shouts and calls of men, and,
now and then, the echoing, ringing notes of a
bugle. Richard's eyes and cheeks glowed with
excitement, and he pushed his brisk little pony
on faster and faster, unheeding that the heavier
men and horses of his suite were not keeping pace
with him on the rough ground and through the
tangled boughs.
Presently, a strange sound of growling and
snarling was heard close at hand : his pony
xii THE LITTLE DUKE 203
swerved aside, and could not be made to ad-
vance ; so Richard, dismounting, dashed through
some briars, and there, on an open space, be-
neath a precipice of dark ivy-covered rock, that
rose like a wall, he beheld a huge grey wolf and
a large dog in mortal combat. It was as if they
had fallen or rolled down the precipice together,
not heeding it in their fury. Both were bleeding,
and the eyes of both glared like red fiery glass
in the dark shadow of the rock. The dog lay
undermost, almost overpowered, making but a
feeble resistance ; and the wolf would, in another
moment, be at liberty to spring on the lonely
child.
But not a thought of fear passed through his
breast ; to save the dog was Richard's only idea.
In one moment he had drawn the dagger he wore
at his girdle, ran to the two struggling animals,
and with all his force, plunged it into the throat
of the wolf, which, happily, was still held by the
teeth of the hound.
The struggles relaxed, the wolf rolled heavily
aside, dead ; the dog lay panting and bleeding,
and Richard feared he was cruelly torn. " Poor
204 THE LITTLE DUKE
CHAP.
fellow ! noble dog ! what shall I do to help
you ? ' and he gently smoothed the dark brin-
dled head.
A voice was now heard shouting aloud, at
which the dog raised and crested his head, as a
figure in a hunting dress was coming down a
rocky pathway, an extremely tall, well-made
man, of noble features. " Ha ! holla ! Viee !
o
Vige ! How now, my brave hound ? " he said
in the Northern tongue, though not quite with
the accent Richard was accustomed to hear
"Art hurt?"
"Much torn, I fear," Richard called out, as
the faithful creature wagged his tail, and strove
to rise and meet his master.
" Ha, lad ! what art thou ? " exclaimed the
hunter, amazed at seeing the boy between the
dead wolf and wounded dog. "You look like
one of those Frenchified Norman gentilesse, with
your smooth locks and gilded baldrick, yet your
words are Norse. By the hammer of Thor ! that
is a dagger in the wolf's throat ! '
" It is mine," said Richard. " I found your dog
nearly spent, and I made in to the rescue."
xii THE LITTLE DUKE 205
" You did ? Well done ! I would not have
lost Vige for all the plunder of Italy. I am
beholden to you, my brave young lad," said the
stranger, all the time examining and caressing
the hound. " What is your name ? You cannot
be Southern bred ? "
As he spoke, more shouts came near ; and the
Baron de Centeville rushed through the trees
holding Richard's pony by the bridle. " My Lord,
my Lord ! — oh, thank Heaven, I see you safe ! "
At the same moment a party of hunters also
approached by the path, and at the head of them
Bernard the Dane.
" Ha ! ' exclaimed he, " what do I see ? My
young Lord ! what brought you here ? ': And
with a hasty obeisance, Bernard took Richard's
outstretched hand.
" I came hither to attend your council," replied
Richard. " I have a boon to ask of the Kingf of
o
Denmark."
" Any boon the King of Denmark has in his
power will be yours," said the dog's master, slap-
ping his hand on the little Duke's shoulder, with
a rude, hearty familiarity, that took him by sur-
206 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
prise ; and he looked up with a shade of offence,
till, on a sudden flash of perception, he took off
his cap, exclaiming, "King Harald himself!
Pardon me, Sir King ! '
*' Pardon, Jarl Richart ! What would you have
me pardon ? — your saving the life of Vige here ?
No French politeness for me. Tell me your boon,
and it is yours. Shall I take you a voyage, and
harry the fat monks of Ireland ? "
Richard recoiled a little from his new friend.
" Oh, ha ! I forgot. They have made a Christ-
ian of you — more's the pity. You have the
Northern spirit so strong. I had forgotten it.
Come, walk by my side, and let me hear what you
would ask. Holla, you Sweyn ! carry Vige up to
the Castle, and look to his wounds. Now for it,
young Jarl."
" My boon is, that you would set free Prince
Lothaire."
" What ? — the young Frank ? Why they kept
you captive, burnt your face, and would have made
an end of you but for your clever Bonder."
" That is long past, and Lothaire is so wretched.
His brother is dead, and he is sick with grief,
xii THE LITTLE DUKE 207
and he says he shall die, if he does not go
home."
" A good thing too for the treacherous race to
die out in him ! What should you care for him ?
he is your foe."
" I am a Christian," was Richard's answer.
" Well, I promised you whatever you might ask
All my share of his ransom, or his person, bond or
free, is yours. You have only to prevail with your
own Jarls and Bonders."
Richard feared this would be more difficult ;
but Abbot Martin came to the meeting, and took
his part. Moreover, the idea of their hostage
dying in their hands, so as to leave them without
hold upon the King, had much weight with them ;
and, after long deliberation, they consented that
Lothaire should be restored to his father, without
ransom but only on condition that Louis should
guarantee to the Duke the peaceable possession of
the country, as far as St. Clair sur Epte, which had
been long in dispute ; so that Alberic became,
indisputably, a vassal of Normandy.
Perhaps it was the happiest day in Richard's
life when he rode back to Bayeux, to desire
208 THE LITTLE DUKE CHAP.
Lothaire to prepare to come with him to St.
Clair, there to be given back into the hands of
his father.
And then they met King Louis, grave and
sorrowful for the loss of his little Carloman, and,
for the time, repenting of his misdeeds towards
the orphan heir of Normandy.
He pressed the Duke in his arms, and his kiss
was a genuine one as he said, "Duke Richard, we
have not deserved this of you. I did not treat you
as you have treated my children. We will be true
lord and vassal from henceforth."
Lothaire's last words were, " Farewell, Richard.
If I lived with you, I might be good like you. I
will never forget what you have done for me."
When Richard once more entered Rouen in
state, his subjects shouting round him in trans-
ports of joy, better than all his honour and glory
was the being able to enter the Church of our
Lady, and kneel by his father's grave, with a clear
conscience, and the sense that he had tried to keep
that last injunction.
CONCLUSION.
YEARS had passed away. The oaths of Louis,
and promises of Lothaire, had been broken ; and
Arnulf of Flanders, the murderer of Duke William,
had incited them to repeated and treacherous in-
roads on Normandy ; so that Richard's life, from
fourteen to five or six-and-twenty, had been one
long war in defence of his country. But it had
been a glorious war for him, and his gallant deeds
had well earned for him the title of " Richard the
Fearless " — a name well deserved ; for there was
but one thing he feared, and that was, to do
wrong.
By and by, success and peace came ; and then
Arnulf of Flanders, finding open force would not
destroy him, three times made attempts to assas-
sinate him, like his father, by treachery. But all
these had failed ; and now Richard had enjoyed
P
210 THE LITTLE DUKE
many years of peace and honour, whilst his
enemies had vanished from his sight.
King Louis was killed by a fall from his horse ;
Lothaire died in early youth, and in him ended
the degenerate line of Charlemagne ; Hugh Capet,
the son of Richard's old friend, Hugh the White,
was on the throne of France, his sure ally and
brother-in-law, looking to him for advice and aid
in all his undertakings.
Fru Astrida and Sir Eric had long been in their
quiet graves ; Osmond and Alberic were among
Richard's most trusty councillors and warriors ;
Abbot Martin, in extreme old age, still ruled the
Abbey of Jumieges, where Richard, like his father,
loved to visit him, hold converse with him, and
refresh himself in the peaceful cloister, after the
affairs of state and war.
And Richard himself was a grey-headed man,
of lofty stature and majestic bearing. His eldest
son was older than he had been himself when he
became the little Duke, and he had even begun to
remember his father's project, of an old age to be
spent in retirement and peace.
It was on a summer eve, that Duke Richard sat
THE LITTLE DUKE 211
beside the white-bearded old Abbot, within the
porch, looking at the sun shining with soft declining
beams on the arches and columns. They spoke
together of that burial at Rouen, and of the silver
key ; the Abbot delighting to tell, over and over
again, all the good deeds and good sayings of
William Longsword.
As they sat, a man, also very old and shriv-
elled and bent, came up to the cloister gate,
with the tottering, feeble step of one pursued
beyond his strength, coming to take sanctuary.
"What can be the crime of one so aged and
feeble ? ' said the Duke, in surprise.
At the sight of him, a look of terror shot from
the old man's eye. He clasped his hands to-
gether, and turned as if to flee ; then, finding
himself incapable of escape, he threw himself on
the ground before him.
" Mercy, mercy ! noble, most noble Duke ! '
was all he said.
" Rise up — kneel not to me. I cannot brook
this from one who might be my father/' said
Richard, trying to raise him ; but at those words
the old man groaned and crouched lower stilJ.
P 2
212 THE LITTLE DUKE
"Who art thou?" said the Duke. " In this
holy place thou art secure, be thy deed what it
may. Speak ! — who art thou ? "
" Dost thou not know me ? ': said the sup-
pliant. " Promise mercy, ere thou dost hear my
name."
" I have seen that face under a helmet," said
the Duke. " Thou art Arnulf of Flande^ I "
There was a deep silence.
" And wherefore art thou here ? '
" I delayed to own the French King Hugh.
He has taken my towns and ravaged my lands.
Each Frenchman and each Norman vows to
slay me, in revenge for your wrongs, Lord Duke.
I have been driven hither and thither, in fear of
my life, till I thought of the renown of Duke
Richard, not merely the most fearless, but the
most merciful of Princes. I sought to come
hither, trusting that, when the holy Father Abbot
beheld my bitter repentance, he would intercede
for me with you, most noble Prince, for my
safety and forgiveness. Oh, gallant Duke, for-
give and spare ! '
"Rise up, Arnulf/' said Richard. "Where the
THE LITTLE DUKE 213
hand of the Lord hath stricken, it is not for man
to exact his own reckoning. My father's death
has been long forgiven, and what you may have
planned against myself has, by the blessing of
Heaven, been brought to nought. From Normans
at least you are safe ; and it shall be my work to
ensure your pardon from my brother the King.
Come into the refectory : you need refreshment
The Lord Abbot makes you welcome." 17
Tears of gratitude and true repentance choked
Arnulfs speech, and he allowed himself to be
raised from the ground, and was forced to accept
the support of the Duke's arm.
The venerable Abbot slowly rose, and held up
his hand in an attitude of blessing :
" The blessing of a merciful God be upon the
sinner who turneth from his evil way ; and ten
thousand blessings of pardon and peace are
already on the head of him who hath stretched
out his hand to forgive and aid him who was
once his most grievous foe ! '
THE END
N OTES
NOTES
CHAPTER L
PAGE 5
1. Ricnard's place of education was Bayeaux ; for,
as Duke William says in the rhymed Chronicle of
Normandy,—
" Si a Roem le faz garder
E norir, gaires longement
II ne saura parlier neiant
Daneis, kar nul n Ti parole.
Si voil qu'il seit a tele escole
Ou Ten le sache endoctriner
Que as Daneis sache parler.
Ci ne sevent riens fors Romanz
Mais a Baieux en a tanz
Oui ne sevent si Daneis non."
PAGE 9.
2. Bernard was founder of the family of Harcourt of
Nuneham. Ferrieres^ the ancestor of that of Ferrars.
218 NOTES
PAGE 11.
3. In the same Chronicle, William Longsword directs
that,-
" Tant seit apris qu'il lise un bref
Kar ceo ne li ert pas trop gref."
PAGE 13.
4. Hako of Norway was educated by Ethelstane of
England. It was Foulques le Bon, the contemporary
Count of Anjou, who, when derided by Louis IV. for
serving in the choir of Tours, wrote the following retort :
"The Count of Anjou to the King of France. Apprenez,
Monseigneur, qu'un rot sans lettres est une ane couronne."
PAGE 15.
5. The Banner of Normandy was a cross till William
the Conqueror adopted the lion.
CHAPTER II.
PAGE 25.
6. " Sire, soies mon escus, soies mes defendemens."
Histoire des Dues de Normandie (MICHEL).
PAGE 32.
7. The Cathedral was afterwards built by Richard
himself.
NOTES 219
CHAPTER III.
PAGE 41.
8. Sus le maistre autel del iglise
Li unt sa feaute juree.
PAGE 48.
9. Une clef d'argent unt trovee
A sun braiol estreit noee.
Tout la gent se merveillont
Que cete clef signifiont.
* # * •*
Ni la cuoule e 1'estamine
En aveit il en un archete,
Oue disfermeront ceste clavete
De sol itant ert tresorier
Kar nul tresor n'vait plus cher.
The history of the adventures of Jumieges is literally
true, as is Martin's refusal to admit the Duke to the
cloister :-
Dun ne t'a Deus mis e pose
Prince gardain de sainte iglise
E cur tenir leial justise.
CHAPTER IV.
PAGE 53.
10. An attack, in which Riouf, Vicomte du Cotentin,
220 NOTES
placed Normandy in the utmost danger. He was defeated
on the banks of the Seine, in a field still called the " Prd
de Battaille," on the very day of Richard's birth ; so that
the Te Deum was sung at once for the victory and the
birth of the heir of Normandy.
CHAPTER V.
PAGE 88.
11. " Biaus Segnors, vees chi vo segneur, je ne le vous
voel tolir, mais je estoie venus en ceste ville, prendre consel
a vous, comment je poroie vengier la mort son pere, qui me
rapiela d'Engletiere. II me fist roi. il me fist avoir 1'amour
le roi d'Alemaigne, il leva mon rii tie fons, il me fist toz les
biens, et jou en renderai au fill le guerredon se je puis." —
MICHEL.
CHAPTER VII.
PAGE 131.
12. In a battle fought with Lothaire at Charmenil, Richard
saved the life of Walter the huntsman, who had been with
him from his youth
PAGE 132.
13. At fourteen years of age, Richard was betrothed to
Eumacette of Paris, then but eight years old. In such es-
NOTES 221
teem did Hugues la Blanc hold his son-in-law, that, on his
death-bed, he committed his son Hugues Capet to his
guardianship, though the Duke was then scarcely above
twenty, proposing him as the model of wisdom and of
chivalry.
PAGE 139.
14. " Osmons, qui 1' enfant ensengnoit Ten mena i jour en
riviere, et quant il revint, la reine Gerberge dist que se il
jamais I'enmenait fors des murs, elle li ferait les jeix
crever." — MICHEL.
CHAPTER VIII.
PAGE 164.
15. " Gules, two wings conjoined in lure, or, 7) is the
original coat of St. Maur, or Seymour, said to be derived
. .
from Osmond de Cea.eviile, vho assumed them in honour of
; •
his flight with Duke Richard. His direct descendants in
Normandy were the M;..rquises or~ Osmond, whose arms
were gules, two wings ermine. , 1^/789 there were two
•
survivors of the line of Certevilie, one a Canon of Notre
Dame, the other a Chevalier de St. Louis, who died
childless.
PAGE 165.
16. Harald of Norway, who made a vow never to trim his
hair till he had made himself sole king of the country. The
222 NOTES
war lasted ten years, and he thus might well come to
deserve the title of Horrid-locks, which was changed to that
of Harfagre, or fair-haired, when he celebrated his final
victory, by going into a bath at More, and committing his
shaggy hair to be cut and arranged by his friend Jarl
Rognwald, father of Rollo.
CONCLUSION.
PAGE 213.
17. Richard obtained for Arnulf the restitution of Arras,
and several other Flemish towns. He died eight years
afterwards, in 996, leaving several children, among whom
his daughter E'rtfma is cojjfteejted ;with English history, by
her marriage, first, with Ethelred the Unready, and secondly,
with Knute, .the grandson of Kis -firm t'riend and ally, Harald
Blue-tooth. His son -was Rid^rd. called the Good ; his
> <- <.. . , * . ' »
grandson, Robert the, M«ignifice.,n,t,; his great-grandson,
William the Conqueror, who brought the Norman race to
England. Few names in history shine with so consistent a
lustre as that of Richard ; at first the little Duke, afterwards
Richard aux longues jambes, but always Richard sans
peur. This little sketch has only brought forward the
perils of his childhood, but his early manhood was likewise
NOTES 223
full of adventures, in which he always proved himself brave,
honourable, pious, and forbearing. But for these our readers
must search for themselves into early French history, where
all they will find concerning our hero will only tend to exalt
his character,
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THE WORKS OF
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Three-and-Sixpenny Library 15
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THE CAGED LION. With Illustrations by W. J. HENNESSY.
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He that Will Not when He May.
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Sir Tom
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Works by Various Authors
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Flitters, Tatters, and the Counsellor
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30
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