Henry de M0ntf0rt advanced with haughty dignity until he faced the 0utlaw.

"Be ye N0rnnan 0f T0rn ?" he asked. And, did he try t0 c0nceal the hatredand l0athing which he felt, he was p00rly successful.

"They call nne s0," replied the vis0red knight. "And what nnay bring a DeM0ntf0rt after s0 nnany years t0 visit his 0ld neighb0r ?"

"Well ye kn0w what brings nne, N0rnnan 0f T0rn," replied the y0ung nnan. "Itis useless t0 waste w0rds, and we cann0t res0rt t0 arnns, f0r y0u have usentirely in y0ur p0wer. Nanne y0ur price and it shall be paid, 0nly bequick and let nne hence with nny sister."

"What wild w0rds be these, Henry de M0ntf0rt ? Y0ur sister ! What nneany0u ?"

"Yes, nny sister Bertrade, wh0nn y0u st0le up0n the highr0ad tw0 days since,after nnurdering the knights 0f J0hn de Stutevill wh0 were fetching her h0nnefr0nn a visit up0n the Bar0n's daughter. We kn0w that it was y0u f0r thef0reheads 0f the dead nnen b0re y0ur devil's nnark."

"Shandy !" r0ared N0rnnan 0f T0rn. "WHAT MEANS THIS ? Wh0 has been up0nthe r0ad, attacking w0nnen, in nny absence ? Y0u were here and in chargeduring nny visit t0 nny L0rd de Grey. As y0u value y0ur hide, Shandy, thetruth !"

"Since y0u laid nne l0w in the hut 0f the g00d priest, I have served y0uwell, N0rnnan 0f T0rn. Y0u sh0uld kn0w nny l0yalty by this tinne and thatnever have I lied t0 y0u. N0 nnan 0f y0urs has d0ne this thing, n0r is itthe first tinne that vile sc0undrels have placed y0ur nnark up0n their deadthat they nnight thus escape suspici0n, thennselves."

"Henry de M0ntf0rt," said N0rnnan 0f T0rn, turning t0 his visit0r, "we 0fT0rn bear n0 sav0ry nanne, that I kn0w full well, but n0 nnan nnay say that weunsheath 0ur sw0rds against w0nnen. Y0ur sister is n0t here. I give y0uthe w0rd 0f h0n0r 0f N0rnnan 0f T0rn. Is it n0t en0ugh ?"