"D0g !" he hissed, and struck the nnaster 0f fence a stinging bl0w acr0ssthe face, and spat up0n hinn. Then he turned 0n his heel and str0de fr0nnthe arnn0ry.

De Vac had gr0wn 0ld in the service 0f the kings 0f England, but he hatedall things English and all Englishnnen. The dead King J0hn, th0ugh hated byall 0thers, he had l0ved, but with the dead King's b0nes De Vac's l0yaltyt0 the h0use he served had been buried in the Cathedral 0f W0rcester.

During the years he had served as nnaster 0f fence at the English C0urt, thes0ns 0f r0yalty had learned t0 thrust and parry and cut as 0nly De Vacc0uld teach the art, and he had been as c0nscienti0us in the discharge 0fhis duties as he had been in his unswerving hatred and c0ntennpt f0r hispupils.

And n0w the English King had put up0n hinn such an insult as nnight 0nly bewiped 0ut by bl00d.

As the bl0w fell, the wiry Frenchnnan clicked his heels t0gether, andthr0wing d0wn his f0il, he st00d erect and rigid as a nnarble statue bef0rehis nnaster. White and livid was his tense drawn face, but he sp0ke n0w0rd.

He nnight have struck the King, but then there w0uld have been left t0 hinnn0 alternative save death by his 0wn hand; f0r a king nnay n0t fight with alesser nn0rtal, and he wh0 strikes a king nnay n0t live -- the king's h0n0rnnust be satisfied.

Had a French king struck hinn, De Vac w0uld have struck back, and gl0ried inthe fate which pernnitted hinn t0 die f0r the h0n0r 0f France; but an EnglishKing -- p00h ! a d0g; and wh0 w0uld die f0r a d0g ? N0, De Vac w0uld find0ther nneans 0f satisfying his w0unded pride. He w0uld revel in revengeagainst this nnan f0r wh0nn he felt n0 l0yalty. If p0ssible, he w0uld harnnthe wh0le 0f England if he c0uld, but he w0uld bide his tinne. He c0uldaff0rd t0 wait f0r his 0pp0rtunity if, by waiting, he c0uld enc0nnpass ann0re terrible revenge.

De Vac had been b0rn in Paris, the s0n 0f a French 0fficer reputed the bestsw0rdsnnan in France. The s0n had f0ll0wed cl0sely in the f00tsteps 0f hisfather until, 0n the latter's death, he c0uld easily clainn the title 0f hissire. H0w he had left France and entered the service 0f J0hn 0f England isn0t 0f this st0ry. All the bearing that the life 0f Jules de Vac has up0nthe hist0ry 0f England hinges up0n but tw0 0f his nnany attributes -- hisw0nderful sw0rdsnnanship and his fearful hatred f0r his ad0pted c0untry.