The Little Duke: Richard the Fearless

us to know more of the little boy

hough not of northern blood. He was warden of the marches of the Epte, and was killed by your father

e live? Shall I n

e lives there with his mother, and if he be not yet returned, you shall see him presently. Osmo

hed from the window, and at length beheld Osmond entering the court with a boy of ten years old by his side, and a

somewhat awkwardly. It was easy to see that they were of different races, so unlike were the blue eyes, flaxen hair, and fair face of the young Duke, to the black flashing eyes and olive cheek of his French vassal, who, though two years older, was scarcely above him in h

ch other without a word, and old Sir Eric did not improve matters by sa

rida, seeing how they both coloured. "Is you

d northern lady, and answered fast and low i

, and he thanked the Dame de Centeville, a French title which sounded new to Fru Astrida's ears. Then came the embarrassment again,

ard showed his own pony, and Alberic asked if he could leap into the saddle without putting his foot in the stirrup. No, Richar

d Richard; "wi

Bertrand will not let me mount in any other way; b

ichard broke out loudly into admiration. "Oh, this is nothing!" said Alberic. "Bertrand says it is nothing. Before

river Seine, broadening and glittering on one side in its course to the sea, and on the other narrowing to a blue ribbon, winding through the green expanse of fertile Normandy. They threw the pebbles and bits of mortar down that they might hear them fall, and tried which could stand nearest to the edge of the battlement without being giddy. Richard was pleased to find that he could go the nearest, and began to tell some of Fru Astrida's stories about

Bernard, who all dinner time had been watching him intently from under his shaggy eye-brows, at this moment turned to Richa

hard, eagerly. "Oh, thanks,

re Lor

chair of state, and running up to him, "will you

oked down

and hawks, and hounds, and I will love you-almos

, my Lord," said

aid Bernard,-"no buts! Speak honestly,

ossession, and he looked up bright and bold at the rugged fac

service to

not want to stay here. I love the Castle of Mon

could have appeared. Then turning to Bertrand, Alberic's Seneschal, he said, "Bear the Count de Harcourt's greetings to the noble Dame de Montémar, and say to h

ill come back, perh

wered Alberic bluntly, and with all due

ery foolish in the Dame de Montémar to refuse so good an offer, only Fru Astrida could not quite believe she would part with her son. Still no Baron de Montémar arrived, and the little Duke

it proved; and while the Seneschal delivered his Lady's messa

glad your mothe

bring up a young warrior of

very sorry

nd is to come and fetch me home to visit her eve

nd became a very animated companion and friend. In one respect Alberic was a better playfellow for the Duke than Osmond de Centeville, for Osmond, playing as a grown up man, not for his own amusement, but the child's, had left all the advantages of the g

st chances to yourself, 'tis no sport for me. I will do

ng Duke, but play

. I was their Baron, as you are my Duke, but my mother said

in again, Alberic, and you

liness of demeanour from his mother, a Proven?al lady, than was yet to be found among the Normans. The Chaplain of Montémar had begun to teach him to read and write, and he liked learning

n de Centeville, the Abbot of Jumièges, and such other Bishops, Nobles, or Abbots, as might chance to be at Rouen, consulted on the affairs of Normandy; and there the little Duke always was forced to be present, sitting up in his chair of state, and hearing rather than listening to, questions about the repairing and guarding of Castles, the asking of loa

estlessly about in his chair; but whenever Count Bernard saw him doing so, he received so severe a look and sign that he grew perfectly to dread the eye of the fierce old Dane. Bernard never spoke to him to praise him, or to

old Count, and more than once told Alberic de Montémar, that as soon as he was fourteen, when he would be declared of age, he should send Count Berna

e nearest sheet of ice, for the Normans still prided themselves on excelling in sk

rprised, even before they entered the Castle court, by hea

e must surely be a great arrival of the

have had one council already this w

oceeded Osmond. "It is a mischance that the

who had run on a little before, came back exclaiming, "They are

ing short, "we go not rashly into the midst

at him anxiously. In a few seconds, before he had come to any conclusion,

r Eric has sent me to bring you tidings that the K

!" exclai

chief. I wish it may portend good to my Lord here. You see I am accompanied. I believe from my hear

anxiously. "Why is the K

there is no help f

omes you, bend the kne

he rest falling back as he entered. The court was crowded with horses and men, and it was only by calling out loudly, "The Duke, the Duk

the Archbishop, who, as well as Sir Eric, cast several anxious glances at the little Duke as he advanced up the hall. He came up to the King, put his knee to the ground, and was just beginning, "Louis, King of France, I-" when he found himself suddenly lifted from the gro

Lothaire and Carloman, were so much smaller and more backward. He caressed Richard again and again, praised every word he said-Fru Astrida was nothing to him; and Richard began