At Agincourt | Page 3

many of the men; and he can hold his own with a quarter-staff too."
"Ay, dame; he is a stout lad, and a hearty one. They say that at the
castle he is ever practising with arms, and that though scarce sixteen he
can wield a sword and heavy battle-axe as well as any man-at-arms
there."
"He is gentle too," the woman said. "Since his mother's death he often
comes down with wine and other goodies if anyone is ill, and he speaks
as softly as a girl. There is not one on the estate but has a good word for

him, nor doubts that he will grow up as worthy a knight as his father,
though gentler perhaps in his manner, and less grave in face, for he was
ever a merry lad. Since the death of his lady mother two years ago he
has gone about sadly, still of late he has gotten over his loss somewhat,
and he can laugh heartily again. I wonder his father can bear to part
with him."
"Sir Eustace knows well enough that he cannot always keep the boy by
his side, dame; and that if a falcon is to soar well, he must try his wings
early. He goes as page, does he not?"
"Ay, but more, methinks, as companion to young Henry, who has, they
say, been sickly from a child, and, though better now, has scarce the
making of a stalwart knight in him. His young brother Charles is a
sturdy little chap, and bids fair to take after his father; and little Lady
Agnes, who comes between them, is full of fire and spirit.
"Yes; methinks Guy will have a pleasant time of it out there; that is, if
there are no fresh troubles. I doubt not that in two or three years he will
be one of our lord's esquires, and if he has a chance of displaying his
courage and skill, may be back among us a dubbed knight before many
years have passed over our heads. France is a rare place for gaining
honours, and so it may well be, for I see not that we gain much else by
our king's possessions there."
"There was plenty of spoil brought over, dame, after Cressy and
Poitiers."
"Ay, but it soon goes; easy come, easy go, you know; and though they
say that each man that fought there brought home a goodly share of
spoil, I will warrant me the best part went down their throats ere many
months had passed."
"'Tis ever so, dame; but I agree with you, and deem that it would be
better for England if we did not hold a foot of ground in France, and if
English kings and nobles were content to live quietly among their
people. We have spent more money than ever we made in these wars,
and even were our kings to become indeed, as they claim, kings of

France as well as England, the ill would be much greater, as far as I can
see, for us all. Still there may be things, dame, that we country folks
don't understand, and I suppose that it must be so, else Parliament
would not be so willing to vote money always when the kings want it
for wars with France. The wars in France don't affect us as much as
those with Scotland and Wales. When our kings go to France to fight
they take with them only such as are willing to go, men-at-arms and
archers; but when we have troubles such as took place but five or six
years ago, when Douglas and Percy and the Welsh all joined against us,
then the lords call out their vassals and the sheriffs the militia of the
county, and we have to go to fight willy- nilly. Our lord had a hundred
of us with him to fight for the king at Shrewsbury. Nigh thirty never
came back again. That is worse than the French wars, dame."
"Don't I know it, for wasn't my second boy one of those who never
came back. Ay, ay, they had better be fighting in France, perhaps, for
that lets out the hot blood that might otherwise bring on fighting at
home."
"That is so, dame, things are all for the best, though one does not
always see it."
A week later all the tenantry gathered in front of the castle to wish
God- speed to their lord and lady, and to watch the following by which
they were accompanied. First there passed half a dozen mounted
men-at-arms, who were to accompany the party but half a day's march
and then to return with Sir Aylmer. Next to these rode Sir Eustace and
Lady Margaret, still a beautiful woman, a worthy mate of