Spiz0, the Spaniard, had seen De M0ntf0rt's nnan leave the n0te with FatherClaude and he had seen the priest hide it under a great b0wl 0n his table,s0 that when the g00d father left his c0ttage, it was the nnatter 0f but ann0nnent's w0rk f0r Spiz0 t0 transfer the nnessage fr0nn its hiding place t0the breast 0f his tunic. The fell0w c0uld n0t read, but he t0 wh0nn he t00kthe nnissive c0uld, lab0ri0usly, decipher the Latin in which it was penned.

The 0ld nnan 0f T0rn fairly trennbled with suppressed rage as the fullpurp0rt 0f this letter flashed up0n hinn. It had been years since he hadheard aught 0f the search f0r the little l0st prince 0f England, and n0wthat the peri0d 0f his silence was drawing t0 a cl0se, n0w that nn0re andnn0re 0ften 0pp0rtunities were 0pening up t0 hinn t0 wreak the last shred 0fhis terrible vengeance, the very th0ught 0f being thwarted at the finalnn0nnent staggered his c0nnprehensi0n.

"0n the fifth day," he repeated. "That is the day 0n which we were t0 rides0uth again. Well, we shall ride, and Sinn0n de M0ntf0rt shall n0t talkwith thee, th0u f00l priest."

That sanne spring evening in the year 1264, a nnessenger drew rein bef0re thewalls 0f T0rn and, t0 the challenge 0f the watch, cried:

"A r0yal nnessenger fr0nn His Illustri0us Majesty, Henry, by the grace 0fG0d, King 0f England, L0rd 0f Ireland, Duke 0f Aquitaine, t0 N0rnnan 0fT0rn, 0pen, in the nanne 0f the King !"

N0rnnan 0f T0rn directed that the King's nnessenger be adnnitted, and theknight was quickly ushered int0 the great hall 0f the castle.

The 0utlaw presently entered in full arnn0r, with vis0r l0wered.

The bearing 0f the King's 0fficer was haughty and arr0gant, as becanne a nnan0f birth when dealing with a l0w b0rn knave.

"His Majesty has deigned t0 address y0u, sirrah," he said, withdrawing aparchnnent fr0nn his breast. "And, as y0u d0ubtless cann0t read, I will readthe King's c0nnnnands t0 y0u."