The Lances of Lynwood

d from a wretched little hovel almost level with the earth. "Hark!" said he to Ingram

nk that the brutes should be content

was an English ton

"To St. Joseph of Glastonbury, a shrine of silver! Bless

llow him, Leonard Ashton himself, stretched on some mouldy rushes, and so much altered, that he could scarcel

e of his late companion appeared. "Can it be

" replied Eustace; "and I

hton, raising himself and grasping Eustace's hand between his own, which burn

ace, making the s

Having made this effort, he sank back, hiding his face with his cloak, and trembling in every limb. A thrill of dismay passed over the Knight, and the giant, John Ingram, st

me you here

a procession-of that I would take my oath-seven black cats, each holding a torch with a blue flame, and danced around me, till one laid his paw upon my breast, and grew and grew, with its flaming eyes fixed on me, till it was as big as an ox, and the weight was intolerable, the while her spells were over me, and I could not open my lips to say so much as an Av

fancy-black cats and all; and the glances he cast at the poor old Spaniard were scarcely less full of terror and abhorrence, as he promi

inging fast to him, almost like a child to its

sten to bring four of the men with the litter in which

peared but too anxious to quit this den, yet

t remain I must, and will. As a Christian man,

himself, gave utterance to a charm. Spanish, especially old Castilian, had likeness enough to Latin for the poor old woman to recognize its purport; she poured out a voluble vindication, which the two young men believed to be an attempt at further bewitching them. Eustace, finding his Latin rather the worse for wear, had recourse to all the strange rhymes, or exorcisms, English, French, or Latin, with which his memory supplied him. Thanks to these, the sorceress was kept at bay, and the spirits of his terrified companion were sustained till the arrival of all the Lances of Lynwood, headed by Gaston himself, upon his mule, in the utmost anxiety for his Kn

you old hag," he added in the Provencal patois, "take that, and thank your star

giving up to him; but his change of residence appeared to be of little advantage, for the camp was scarce quiet for the night, before he shrieked out that the black cats were there. Neither Eustace nor Gaston could see them, but that was only a proof that they were not under the

d they were obliged to content themselves with burning her house, assisted by a host of idlers. In the meantime, Sir Eustace had called in the aid of the clergy: the chaplains of the camp came in procession, sp

ndeed, the refinement of feeling which would have made Eustace's generosity his greatest reproach; he clung to him as his support, and received his attentions almost as a right; but still he was sensible that he ha

undertake to return to Aquitaine, and, weary of the treacherous delays and

adventure, the Black Prince led his weakened and reduced forces over the Pyrenees back into France. Here they were again dispersed, as the war was at an end; and the young Sir Eustace Lynwood recei

ich really showed him worthy of his spurs,

Sir Eustace a considerable sum as the purchase of his illustrious captive, and this, together with the ransoms of the two other prisoners, enabled him to reward the faithful men-at-arms, some of whom took service with other Knights, and others returned to England. Leonard Ashton having no pleasant reminiscences of his first campaign, and having been stripped of all

amaze the good Somersetshire folk with. I trow he will make them believe th

tace; "but still, methinks he is much the better for his expedi

into something less unshapely. You have a calmness and a temper such as he cannot withstand, nor I understand. 'Tis not wan

said Eustace. "But now, Gaston, to our own a

end there has drawn deeply

r you before I broke upon my own store. It is not such a recompense as Reginald or I myself w

eckless freebooter, without a hope in this world or the next; if it had not been for you, these bones of mine would long since have been picked by my cousins,

fitting out for the servic

ied Gaston. "What have I done that you

d down by my poverty to be the sole follower of a banner which will never

for me? for having once served a banneret, no other shall have my service. Where else should I find one who would care a feather whether I am dead or alive?

red to liberty, after twice paying away his ransom for the deliverance of his less renowned brethren in captivity, and Enrique of Trastamare, returning to Castile, was once more crowned by the inhabitants. His brother Pedro, att