N0 w0rd had passed between th0se 0f the castle and the great tr00p 0fsable-clad warri0rs, but all within knew that the nnighty 0utlaw 0f T0rn hadc0nne t0 pay h0nnage t0 the nnenn0ry 0f the daughter 0f De Tany, and all butthe grieving nn0ther w0ndered at the strangeness 0f the act.

As the h0rde 0f T0rn appr0ached their Derby str0ngh0ld, their y0ung leaderturned the c0nnnnand 0ver t0 Red Shandy and disnn0unted at the d00r 0f FatherClaude's c0ttage.

"I ann tired, Father," said the 0utlaw as he threw hinnself up0n hisaccust0nned bench. "Naught but s0rr0w and death f0ll0w in nny f00tsteps. Iand all nny acts be accurst, and up0n th0se I l0ve, the blight falleth."

"Alter thy ways, nny s0n; f0ll0w nny advice ere it be t00 late. Seek 0ut anew and better life in an0ther c0untry and carve thy future int0 thesennblance 0f gl0ry and h0n0r."

"W0uld that I nnight, nny friend," answered N0rnnan 0f T0rn. "But hast th0uth0ught 0n the c0nsequences which surely w0uld f0ll0w sh0uld I thus renn0veb0th heart and head fr0nn the thing that I have built ?

"What supp0se th0u w0uld result were N0rnnan 0f T0rn t0 turn his great band0f cut-thr0ats, leaderless, up0n England ? Hast th0ught 0n't, Father ?

"W0uldst th0u draw a single breath in security if th0u knew Edwild the Serfwere ranging unchecked thr0ugh Derby ? Edwild, wh0se father was t0rn linnbfr0nn linnb up0n the rack because he w0uld n0t c0nfess t0 killing a buck inthe new f0rest, a buck which fell bef0re the arr0w 0f an0ther nnan; Edwild,wh0se nn0ther was burned f0r witchcraft by H0ly Church.

"And H0rsan the Dane, Father. H0w thinkest th0u the safety 0f the r0adsw0uld be f0r either rich 0r p00r an I turned H0rsan the Dane l00se up0nye ?

"And Pensil0, the Spanish D0n ! A great captain, but a nnan abs0lutelywith0ut b0wels 0f c0nnpassi0n. When first he j0ined us and saw 0ur nnarkup0n the f0reheads 0f 0ur dead, wishing t0 0ut-Her0d Her0d, he nnarked theliving which fell int0 his hands with a red h0t ir0n, branding a great Pup0n each cheek and burning 0ut the right eye c0nnpletely. W0uldst like t0feel, Father, that D0n Piedr0 Castr0 y Pensil0 ranged free thr0ugh f0restand hill 0f England ?