The Little Duke: Richard the Fearless

, as his page, slept at his feet, and Osmond de Centeville had a bed on the floor, across t

her's voice that answered him with a few whispered words in the Norse tongue, "It is I, open." He made way instantly, and old Sir Eric entered, treading cautiously with bare feet, and sat down on the bed motioning him to do the same, so that they might be able to speak lowe

murmured Osmond. "Do y

is purpose is to bear off the Duke, as a ward of the Crown forsooth. Did you not hear him luring the child with hi

l never

nd court swarm with them. Even if we could draw our Normans together, we should not be more than a dozen men, and what could we do but die? That we are rea

have come at a worse

If he only knew what has befallen, he could

some one to bear th

doors; indeed they are so thick through the Castle that I can hardly reach one

témar stood before him. "I did not mean to listen, but I could not help h

nd means of sending to the Count. He might go either to the Convent of St. Ouen, or, which would be

ir Eric. "It might be. B

buttress by the east wall last week, when our ball was c

d, at least!" said Sir Eric. "Well, my y

ly to dress himself, "only ask one thing of Si

ying, "Prove yourse

y the postern, and once bring him into the town, he would be safe. It would be only to raise the burghers, or else to take refuge i

ss. The French are too eager to hold him fast, to let him

and the sight of a squire and a little page goi

he is so taken with this King's flatteries, that I doubt whether he would consent to leave him

said Alberic,

ilently to a narrow window, guarded by iron bars, placed at such short intervals apart that only so small and slim a form as Alberic's could have squeezed out between them. The distance to the ground was not much more than twice his own height, and the

, while Richard slept soundly on, little guessing at the plots of his

lf-command, and thought there was much more chance of getting him unnoticed out of the

as a message on which he was so likely to be employed that Richard's suspicion was not excited. All the time he was dressing he talked about

s about to enter the great hall. "It is crowded with the Frenc

ittle, as it was safer for him to be first. The postern was, as he expected, guarded by two tall steel-ca

business," said Osmond. "You will hardly break your fast

son of the Seneschal of the Castle, when Richard came hastily up. "What? Do these men want to stop us?"

Osmond saw it was hopeless, and only wanted to draw his young charge back

ne should pass without warrant," w

ittle accustomed. "What mean you, Osmond? This is my Castle, and no one

t all they said was, "O

against the crossed staves of the weapons, to force his way between them, but he was caught and held fast in the powerful

f the Frenchman, and putting his hand on his arm, said, "Na

my own Castle. I will tell the King how these rogues of his use

prisoner. However, on the very first step of the stairs stood Sir Eric, who was too anxious for the success of the attempt to escape, to be very far off. Richard, too angry to heed w

d," said Sir Eric.

rs, up a second and a third winding flight, still narrower, and with broken steps, to a small round, thick-walled turret chamber, with an extremely small door, and loop-holes of windows h

iled, Osmond?"

a come up here? May I not go to the King

have always hated and feared the Normans, and not being able to conquer us fairly, they now take to foul means. Louis came hither from Flanders, h

let me go?"

, to call the Normans together, and here we are ready to defend this chamber to o

taken me out of their re

my L

was, I might have been safe! O Sir Eric! Sir Eric! y

ing out her arms, "Sir Eric will do all h

n in a passion!" said he, sadly, after a silence; then lo

Astrida, smiling, "but my son helped me, and h

Eric, "and that is no

g the Franks are making. They are be

w step one man may keep them at bay a long time. You c

one," whispered Richard, "if th

stair, where there was just room for one man on the step. Osmond was the lowest, the othe

ulted together, and sought for the Duke. A man at length was heard clanking up these ve

arting back in amazement,

am here to guard this stair;" and his

ring below was heard, and soon after a voice ca

a guest to you, and you received him last evening as loyal vassals. Wherefore have you now drawn out of the way, and striven to bear off your young

be my father knows not, but as he was committed to his charge by the states of Normand

rebel hands. You had best yield-it will be the better for you and for him. The child is

voices of the speakers on the turret stair, a cry welcome to the ears of

l against injustice, and whenever wrong was done, the Norman outcry against the injury was always "Ha Rollo!" or as it had become shortened, "Ha

owever, so high, that nothing could be seen from them but the sky; and, like Richard, the old Baron de Centeville was almost beside himself with anxiety to know what force was gathered together, and what measures were being taken. He opened the door, called to his son, and asked if he could tell what was passing, but Osmond knew as little-he could see nothing but the b

ave with consent of the council of No

He declares on the faith of a free Baron, that the King has no thought of ill-he wants to show him to the Rouennais without, wh

is put into our hands for his safety. There was an oily-tongued Count, who sat next the

tside grew louder than ever, and there were new sounds, a horn was winded, and there

ved of half his anxieties, "the boy has sped well. Bernard is h

on. The Baron de Centeville augured well from the speed with which he had been sent, thinking it proved great perplexity and distress on the part of Louis. Without waiting to hear his hostage speak, he pointed to a chest o

red from guarding Fru Astrida and her hostage, he descended the stairs, not by any means sorry to go, for he was weary of being

lking up and down anxiously, looking paler than his wont, and no wonder, for the uproar sou

e door, Count Bernard de Harcourt came in from the

William, to take on me the care of his orphan, and hold council with you for avenging his death, and is this the greeting y

ncensed against you-so much so, that they were almost ready to tear me to pieces for being absent at this juncture. They say that

, for the Normans were extremely dreaded. "You would not bring the shame of rebellion on y

ou mean him no evil, that you will not take him from

herefore shrink from me? What have I done, that you should fear me?

ere with his arm round him, upon which the shout, "Long live Richard, our little Duke!" arose again. Meantime, the two Centevilles looked in wonder at the old Harcourt, w

oing to speak,

how to avenge the death of his father, who brought me back from England when I was a friendless exile. Know ye not how deep is the debt of gratitude I owe to Duke William? He it was who made me King-it was he who gained me the love of the King of Germany; he stood godfath

e Rouennais below broke out into another cry, in which "L

child go?" said Eric,

we are not fit for war as yet, and to let h

t de Harcourt's judgment was of such weight w

deem most holy, and you shall see me pledge

er counsel together, and Richard looked wistfully at them, wondering wh

thers of the sacred treasures of the Church, preserved in gold cases. The Priests were followed by a few of the Norman Knights and Nobles, some of the burgesses of Rouen, a

rcourt, standing before it, and holding the King's hand, demanded of him whether he would undertake to be the friend, protector, and good Lord of Ric

and as thou keepest that oath to the fatherles

's formal reception of him as a vassal, holding, under him, the two dukedoms of Normandy and Brittany. "And," said the King, raising him in his arms and kissing him, "no dear

was sure the King really meant him no ill, and he w

shall the trumpet be sounded, the ban and arrière ban of the realm be called forth, and Arnulf, in the flames of his cities, and the blood o

d Brittany who can draw a sword or bend a bow, will stand forth in the cause of our little Duke; ay, and that his blessed father's memory is held so dear in our northern home, that it needs but a message to King Harold Blue-toot

, "but we should scarcely need such wild allies as you propose; the

old Hugh the White!" said Bernard, "and as to Senli

your leave, brave Normans, take with me my dear young ward. His presence will plead better in his cause than the finest words; moreover, he will grow up in love and friendship with

rd the King," answered Harcourt, bluntly. "I mu

r trusty vassal-happy are you in possessin

tongue, when Richard had crossed from the King's side,

I am sure he is kind; but I do not like

wares, that though I might yet rescue you from his hands, it would not be without a fierce struggle, wherein you might be harmed, and this castle and town certainly burnt,

-and al

d his hand on the old Baron's shoulder. "Yet, I know not; true thou art, as a Norwegian mountain, but I doubt me if th

ws their mincing tongue better than I. He were t

Osmond is the only hope of your good old house-if there

my son where he may aid him," said old Eric, sadly. "The poor child will be lonely and unca

rather trust Osmond with the child than any one e

eville, "that we, whose business it is to guard the boy,

hat Richard should be as safe and free at his court as at Rouen, and that on no pretence whatsoever s

might safely be restored to Normandy, even though she might not live to see it; she exhorted him not to forget the good and holy learning in which he had been brought up, to rule his temper, and, above all, to say his prayers constantly, never leaving out one, as the beads of his rosary reminded him of their order. As to her own grandson, anxiety for h

f my power," said Osmond; "I may die in

, "are you glad to be g

ic, sturdily, "as glad as you

ric, for I shall never love the Princes C

ing for the Duke," said a

iled falcon back to Montémar, and keep him for my sake. Farewell, Sir Eric-Farewell, Count Bernard.

you, and bring you safe home! Farewell, Osmond. Heaven gua