The Little Duke: Richard the Fearless

e the companion of his own sons, and to be treated in every respect as became his rank. Richard had his proper place at table, and all due attendance; he learnt, rode, and played with the Princes,

o had been by no means won by his manners at their first meeting, was especially distant and severe with hi

wn upon him; but he was kind, as a generous-tempered boy could not fail to be, to one younger and weaker than himself. He was so much kinder

up by an indulgent mother, and by courtiers who never ceased flattering him, as the heir to the crown, and he had learnt to think that to give way to his naturally imperious and violent disposition was the way to prove his power and assert his rank. He had always had h

's cruelty was shown. When his horse kicked, and ended by throwing him, he stood by, and caused it to be beaten till the poor creature's back streamed with blood; when his dog bit his hand in trying to seize the meat with which he was teazing it, he insis

e obeyed as he was at home; but Lothaire only laughed scornf

ichard. "Shame on you, shame on you,

om you speak, master savage?" c

ard. "Hold!" to the servant who was bring

ds here but I and my father. Go on Charlot

You I can

der, before it was issued. "We have no right to interfere he

hot iron. Happily it missed his eye, and the heat had a little abated; but, as it touched his cheek, it burnt him sufficiently to cause considerable pain. With a cry of passion, he flew at Lothaire, shook him with all his might, and ended by throwing him at his length on the pavement. But this was the last of Richard's exploits, for he was at the same moment captured by his Squire, and borne off, struggling and kicking as if Osmond had been his greatest foe; but the young No

s. "Oh, how glad I am! That young villain should never have

folly,-I would hardly have had you stand

would have been far beneath a Northman to complain, and he stood bearing it gallantly, and pinching his fingers tightly together, while Osmond knelt down to examine the hurt. "'Tis not much," said he, talking to himself, "half bruise,

"I am afraid they will call me Richard of the

a mark to be ashamed of, even if it doe

lcon is out of his reach!" replied R

bathe it with cold water-or shall I

-frozen water, with a sort of rough kindness, afraid at once of teaching the Duke to be effeminate, and of not being as tender to him as D

t the Queen, who had her arm round him; his face was red and glazed with tears, and he still

d of Normandy? Know you what you have done in striking the heir of France? I might

ould come and set me free,"

ld? Ask Prince Lothaire's pardon

him put out the poor hawk's eyes," said Richard, with a Northman's stern contempt for pain, d

"Speak the truth, Sir Duke; do not

speak it!" cried Richard. "Whoever

ly. Osmond finished by pointing to the mark on Richard's cheek, so evidently a burn, as to be proof that hot iron had played a part in the matter. The King looked at one of his own Squires and asked his account, and he with some hesitation could not but reply that it was as the young Sieur de Centeville had sa

to grumble to each other complaints of the impossibility of pleasing their Lords, since, if they contradicted Prince Lothaire, he was so spiteful that he was sure to set the Queen against them, and that was far worse in the

scar long after the pain had ceased, but Richard thought little of it after t

but he did not like him the better-he never played with him willingly-scowled, and looked dark and jealous, if his father, or if any of the gr

nature would have revolted against treating Alberic, or indeed his meanest vassal, as Lothaire used the unfortunate children who were his playfellows. Perhaps this made him look on with great horror at the tyranny which Lothaire exercised; at any rate he learnt to abhor it more, and to make many resolutions against ord

or settle what great things they would both do when they were grown up, and Richard was ruling Normandy-perhaps go to the Holy Land together, and slaughter an unheard-of host of giants and dragons on the way. In the meantime, however, poor Carloman gave small promise of being able to perform great exploits, for he was very small for his age and often ailing; soon tired, and never able to bear much rough play. Richard, who had

greetings of his vassals, and longed earnestly to be at Rouen, asking Osmond almost every night when they should g

t at present there was no token of any evil being intended; the only point in which Louis did not seem to be f

lly kind and affectionate to the little Duke; he kept him by his side, and seemed to like to stroke down his long flaxen hair, looking in his face with a grave mournful expression, as if seeking for a likeness to his father. He soon asked about the scar which the burn had left, and the King was obliged to answer hastily, it was an accident, a disaster that had chanced in a boyish quarrel. Louis, in fact, was uneasy, and appeared to be watching the Count of Paris the whole time of his

up! "Oh, Sir," he cried,

e that I may have to meet old

as but goin

d scarcely do for me to steal the hei

en when he reproved me. I know he was right. And, sir, if he brings with him a certain huntsman with a long hooked nose, whose name is Walter,

m how you have m

ld think me a baby to care

e. Hugh ended by putting his arm round him, and saying, "Well, my little Duke, I am as glad as you are the gallant bird is safe-it will be a tale for my own little Hugh and Eumacette [13] a

ugh had come to Laon chiefly for the purpose of seeing how it went with his friend's son, and was anxious to know what Osmond thought of the matter. They agreed that at present there did not seem to be any evil intended, and that it r

lways a great display of splendour at the French court. The crown vassals generally came to pay their duty and go with the King to Church; a

Cross on his breast; the beautiful service was over, they had returned to the Castle, and there the Seneschal was marshalling the goodly and noble company to the banquet, when horses

ght out of the hall and up the stairs, closely followed by Osmond. In a few minutes there was a knock a

"he eats not with the

sake of the child you had better bew

rer of William Longsword into the presence of a free-born Norman, unless he would see him slain whe

id the Knight, "but you had best h

was a man, before another message came through a groom of Lothaire's trai

t I am not such a glutton as he-I had rather

oluntary imprisonment, and they occupied themselves, as best they could, with furbishing Osmond's armour, and helping each other out in repeating some of

chard, I have brought you some bread, as you had no dinner: it was all

e the bread with Osmond. He asked how long the wicked Count was going to stay, and

at noise in the co

to tell you," r

th the Flemings of Arnulf's train; there had been a fray, which had ended in the death of three Flemings, a Frank, and of Sybald h

here, to claim Henry as his own vassal, and if he could not save him, at least bid him farewell? Then he would have broken out in angry threats, but he felt his own helplessness, and was ashamed, and he could only shed tears of passionate grief, refusing all Carloman's attempts to comfort him. Osmond was even more concerned; he valued the two Normans extremely for their courage and faithfulness, and had relied on sending intelligence by their means to Rouen, in case of need. It app

ouen, where he used to bathe last summer; and one evening he persuaded his Squire to go down with him to the Oise, which flowed along some meadow ground about a quarter of a mile from the Castle; but they had hardly se

you not that the King has left commands that

Perhaps you think, Sieur de Centeville, that you may take liberties in the King's absence, but I tell you that if you are f

the anger he might have excited by the taunt he could not deny himself the pleasure of making; but Richard, who, six months ago could not brook a slight disappointment or opposition, had, in his present lif

l never go out again. I will never speak another hasty word. I will