The Prince and the Page | Page 9

lady
mine, to be disposed of at thine own gracious will and pleasure."
And a smile of such sweetness lightened his features, that a murmur of
"Blessings on his comely face!" ran through the assembly; and Adam
indulged in a gruff startled murmur of "'Tis the Prince, or the devil
himself!" while his young master, comprehending the gesture of the

Prince, and overborne by the lovely winning graces of the Princess,
stepped forward, doffing his cap and bending his knee, and signing to
Adam to follow his example.
"Thou hast been daring peril again!" said the Princess, holding her
husband's arm, and looking up into his face with lovingly reproachful
yet exulting eyes. "Yet I will not be troubled! Naught is danger to thee!
And yet alone and unarmed to encounter such a sturdy savage as I see
yonder! But there is blood on his brow! Let his hurt be looked to ere we
speak of his fate."
"He is at thy disposal, mi Dona," returned Edward: "thou art the judge
of both, and shall decide their lot when thou hast heard their tale."
"It can scarce be a very dark one," replied Eleanor, "or thou wouldst
never have led them to such a judge!" Then turning to the prisoners, she
began to say in her foreign English, "Follow the good father, friends--"
when she broke off at fuller sight of the boy's countenance, and
exclaimed in Provencal, "I know the like of that face and mien!"
"Truly dost thou know it," her husband replied; "but peace till thou hast
cleared thy present court, and we can be private.--Follow the priest," he
added, "and await the Princess's pleasure."
They obeyed; and the priest led them through a side-door, through
which they could still hear Eleanor's sweet Castillian voice laying
before her husband her difficulties in comprehending her various
petitioners. The priest being English, was hardly more easily
understood than his flock; and her lady spoke little but langue d'oui, the
Northern French, which was as little serviceable in dealing with her
Spanish and Provencal as with the rude West-Saxon- English. Edward's
deep manly tones were to be heard, however, now interrogating the
peasants in their own tongue, now briefly interpreting to his wife in
Provencal; and a listener could easily gather that his hand was as
bounteous, his heart as merciful, as hers, save where attacks on the
royal game had been requited by the trouble complained of; and that in
such cases she pleaded in vain.
The captives, whom her husband had surrendered to her mercy, had
been led into a great, long, low hall, with rudely-timbered sides, and
rough beams to the roof, with a stone floor, and great open fire, over
which a man-cook was chattering French to his bewildered English
scullion. An oak table, and settles on either side of it, ran the whole

length of the hall; and here the priest bade the two prisoners seat
themselves. They obeyed--the boy slouching his cap over his face,
averting it, and keeping as far as possible from the group of servants
near the fire. The priest called for bread, meat, and beer, to be set
before them; and after a moment's examination of Adam's bruise,
applied the simple remedy that was all it required, and left them to their
meal. Adam took this opportunity to growl in an undertone, "Does HE
there know you?" The reply was a nod of assent. "And you knew him?"
Another nod; and then the boy, looking heedfully round, added in a
quick, undertone, "Not till you were down. Then he helped me to
restore you. You forgive me, Adam, now?" and he held out his hand,
and wrung the rugged one of the forester.
"What should I forgive! Poor lad! you could not have striven in the
Longshanks' grasp! I was a fool not to guess how it was, when I saw
you not knowing which way to look!"
"Hush!" broke in the youth with uplifted hand, as a page of about his
own age came daintily into the hall, gathering his green robe about him
as if he disdained the neighbourhood, and holding his head high under
his jaunty tall feathered cap.
"Outlaws!" he said, speaking English, but with a strong foreign accent,
and as if it were a great condescension, "the gracious Princess
summons you to her presence. Follow me!"
The colour rushed to the boy's temples, and a retort was on his lips, but
he struggled to withhold it; and likewise speaking English, said, "I
would we could have some water, and make ourselves meeter for her
presence."
"Scarce worth the pains," returned the page. "As if thou couldst ever be
meet for her presence! She had rather be rid of thee promptly, than wait
to be regaled with thy