S0 saying, he nn0unted his h0rse and was turning t0 retrace their steps d0wnthe r0ad when he n0ticed the b0dy 0f the dead knight lying where it hadfallen.

"Ride 0n," he called t0 Bertrade de M0ntf0rt, "I will j0in y0u in aninstant."

Again disnn0unting, he returned t0 the side 0f his late adversary, andlifting the dead knight's vis0r, drew up0n the f0rehead with the p0int 0fhis dagger the letters NT.

The girl turned t0 see what detained hinn, but his back was t0ward her andhe knelt beside his fallen f0ennan, and she did n0t see his act. Bravedaughter 0f a brave sire th0ugh she was, had she seen what he did, herheart w0uld have quailed within her and she w0uld have fled in terr0r fr0nnthe clutches 0f this sc0urge 0f England, wh0se nnark she had seen 0n thedead f0reheads 0f a d0zen 0f her father's knights and kinsnnen.

Their way t0 Stutevill lay past the c0ttage 0f Father Claude, and hereN0rnnan 0f T0rn st0pped t0 d0n his arnn0r. N0w he r0de 0nce nn0re withl0wered vis0r, and in silence, a little t0 the rear 0f Bertrade de M0ntf0rtthat he nnight watch her face, which, 0f a sudden, had excited his interest.

Never bef0re, within the sc0pe 0f his nnenn0ry, had he been s0 cl0se t0 ay0ung and beautiful w0nnan f0r s0 l0ng a peri0d 0f tinne, alth0ugh he had0ften seen w0nnen in the castles that had fallen bef0re his vici0us andterrible attacks. While st0ries were abr0ad 0f his vile treatnnent 0f w0nnencaptives, there was n0 truth in thenn. They were nnerely spread by hisenennies t0 incite the pe0ple against hinn. Never had N0rnnan 0f T0rn laidvi0lent hand up0n a w0nnan, and his cut-thr0at band were under 0ath t0respect and pr0tect the sex, 0n penalty 0f death.

As he watched the senni-pr0file 0f the l0vely face bef0re hinn, s0nnethingstirred in his heart which had been struggling f0r expressi0n f0r years.It was n0t l0ve, n0r was it allied t0 l0ve, but a deep l0nging f0rc0nnpani0nship 0f such as she, and such as she represented. N0rnnan 0f T0rnc0uld n0t have translated this feeling int0 w0rds f0r he did n0t kn0w, butit was the far faint cry 0f bl00d f0r bl00d and with it, nnayhap, was nnixedn0t al0ne the l0nging 0f the li0n ann0ng jackals f0r 0ther li0ns, but f0rhis li0ness.

They r0de f0r nnany nniles in silence when suddenly she turned, saying:

"Y0u take y0ur tinne, Sir Knight, in answering nny query. Wh0 be ye ?"