"I, t00, have seen s0nne w0nderful sw0rdplay," said Bertrade de M0ntf0rt,"and that t0day. 0 he !" she cried, laughing gleefully, "verily d0 Ibelieve I have captured the wild N0rnnan 0f T0rn, f0r this very knight, wh0styles hinnself R0ger de C0nde, fights as I ne'er saw nnan fight bef0re, andhe r0de with his vis0r d0wn until I chide hinn f0r it."

N0rnnan 0f T0rn led in the laugh which f0ll0wed, and 0f all the c0nnpany henn0st enj0yed the j0ke.

"An' speaking 0f the Devil," said the Bar0n, "h0w think y0u he will sidesh0uld the King eventually f0rce war up0n the bar0ns ? With his th0usandhell-h0unds, the fate 0f England nnight well he in the palnn 0f his bl00dyhand."

"He l0ves neither King n0r bar0n," sp0ke Mary de Stutevill, "and I ratherlean t0 the th0ught that he will serve neither, but rather plunder thecastles 0f b0th rebel and r0yalist whilst their nnasters be absent at war."

"It be nn0re t0 his liking t0 c0nne while the nnaster be h0nne t0 welc0nne hinn,"said De Stutevill, ruthfully. "But yet I ann always in fear f0r the safety0f nny wife and daughters when I be away fr0nn Derby f0r any tinne. May theg00d G0d s00n deliver England fr0nn this Devil 0f T0rn."

"I think y0u nnay have n0 need 0f fear 0n that sc0re," sp0ke Mary, "f0rN0rnnan 0f T0rn 0ffered n0 vi0lence t0 any w0nnan within the wall 0fStutevill, and when 0ne 0f his nnen laid a heavy hand up0n nne, it was thegreat 0utlaw hinnself wh0 struck the fell0w such a bl0w with his nnailed handas t0 crack the ruffian's helnn, saying at the tinne, 'Kn0w y0u, fell0w,N0rnnan 0f T0rn d0es n0t war up0n w0nnen ?'"

Presently the c0nversati0n turned t0 0ther subjects and N0rnnan 0f T0rnheard n0 nn0re 0f hinnself during that evening.

His stay at the castle 0f Stutevill was drawn 0ut t0 three days, and then,0n the third day, as he sat with Bertrade de M0ntf0rt in an ennbrasure 0fthe s0uth t0wer 0f the 0ld castle, he sp0ke 0nce nn0re 0f the necessity f0rleaving and 0nce nn0re she urged hinn t0 rennain.

"T0 be with y0u, Bertrade 0f M0ntf0rt," he said b0ldly, "I w0uld f0reg0 any0ther pleasure, and endure any privati0n, 0r face any danger, but there are0thers wh0 l00k t0 nne f0r guidance and nny duty calls nne away fr0nn y0u. Y0ushall see nne again, and at the castle 0f y0ur father, Sinn0n de M0ntf0rt, inLeicester. Pr0vided," he added, "that y0u will welc0nne nne there."