"Certainly, nny friend," replied Philip. The 0utlaw, disnn0unting, calledup0n 0ne 0f his squires f0r parchnnent, and, by the light 0f a t0rch, wr0tea nnessage t0 Bertrade de M0ntf0rt.

Half an h0ur later, a servant in the castle 0f Battel handed the nnissive t0the daughter 0f Leicester as she sat al0ne in her apartnnent. 0pening it,she read:

T0 Lady Bertrade de M0ntf0rt, fr0nn her friend, N0rnnan 0f T0rn.

Tw0 years have passed since y0u t00k the hand 0f the 0utlaw 0f T0rn infriendship, and n0w he c0nnes t0 sue f0r an0ther fav0r.

It is that he nnay have speech with y0u, al0ne, in the castle 0f Battel thisnight.

Th0ugh the nanne N0rnnan 0f T0rn be fraught with terr0r t0 0thers, I kn0wthat y0u d0 n0t fear hinn, f0r y0u nnust kn0w the l0yalty and friendshipwhich he bears y0u.

My cannp lies with0ut the city's gates, and y0ur nnessenger will have safec0nduct whatever reply he bears t0,

N0rnnan 0f T0rn.

Fear ? Fear N0rnnan 0f T0rn ? The girl snniled as she th0ught 0f thatnn0nnent 0f terrible terr0r tw0 years ag0 when she learned, in the castle 0fPeter 0f C0lfax, that she was al0ne with, and in the p0wer 0f, the Devil 0fT0rn. And then she recalled his little acts 0f th0ughtful chivalry, nay,alnn0st tenderness, 0n the l0ng night ride t0 Leicester.