At Agincourt | Page 9

the household; the other two sides were occupied by the chapel, the
kitchens, and the offices of the servants and retainers. All these rooms
were loopholed on the side looking into the outer court. This was
considerably wider and more extensive than the one surrounding the
keep. Here were the stables, storehouses for grain and forage, and a
building, just erected, for the lodging of the English garrison. All these
buildings stood against the outer wall, so that they would afford no
shelter to an enemy who had obtained possession of the first defences
and was making an attack against the second line. The outer wall was
twelve feet in thickness, and thirty feet above the court; outside the
height was considerably greater, as there was a moat faced with stone
fifteen feet deep entirely surrounding it, and containing seven or eight
feet of water.
Walls ran half across the outer court, and, from the end of these, light
wooden bridges formed a communication with the wall of the inner
court, so that in the event of the outer wall being stormed or the gates
being carried by assault, the defenders could retire to the inner defences.
The ends of these bridges rested upon irons projecting from the wall,
and so arranged that they could be instantly withdrawn when the last of
the defenders had crossed over, when the bridges would at once fall
into the court-yard below. The inner wall was twelve feet higher than
the outer one, and, like it, was provided with a crenellated battlement
four feet high; there were projecting turrets at each corner, and one in
the middle of each side.
The keep rose twenty feet higher than the wall of the inner court. The
lower portions of the cross walls of the outer court were carried on as
far as the inner wall, thereby dividing the space into four; strong gates

gave communication from one to the other. Into these could be driven
the cattle of the tenantry, and one of them contained a number of huts
in which the tenants themselves would be lodged. The court-yard
facing the entrance was the largest of the areas into which the space
between the outer and inner walls was divided, extending the whole
width between the outer walls. Here the military exercises were carried
on. Along the wall, at each side of the gate, were a range of stables for
the use of the horses of guests, with rooms over them for the use of
their retainers. There was a strong exterior work defending the
approach to the drawbridge on the other side of the moat, and in all
respects the castle was well appointed, and to Guy it seemed almost
impossible that it could be carried by assault, however numerous the
foe.
CHAPTER II
TROUBLES IN FRANCE
As soon as it was heard that the lord and lady had returned, the vassals
of Villeroy came in to pay their respects, and presents of fowls, game,
and provisions of all kinds poured in. The table in the banqueting-hall
was bountifully spread, casks of wine broached, and all who came
received entertainment. As French was still spoken a good deal at the
English court and among the nobles and barons, and was considered
part of the necessary education of all persons of gentle blood, Guy, who
had always used it in his conversation with his father, had no difficulty
in performing his duty of seeing that the wants of all who came were
well attended to. In a few days guests of higher degree came in, the
knights and barons of that part of the province; a few of these expressed
surprise at the height of the sturdy men-at-arms and archers loitering
about the court-yard. Sir Eustace always answered any remarks made
on the subject by saying, "Yes, Dame Margaret and I thought that
instead of keeping all our retainers doing nothing in our castle in
England, where there is at present no use whatever for their services,
we might as well bring a couple of score of them over here. I have no
wish to take part in any of the troubles that seem likely to disturb
France, but there is never any saying what may happen, and at any rate

it costs no more to feed these men here than in England."
The English archers and men-at-arms were well satisfied with their
quarters and food, and were soon on good terms with their French
associates. The garrison, before their arrival, had consisted of fifty
men-at-arms, and although these had no means of communicating
verbally with the new arrivals, they were not long in striking up such
acquaintance as could be gained by friendly gestures and the clinking
of wine-cups. Their quarters were beside those of the English,