The Lord of Dynevor: A Tale of the Times of Edward the First

hat you da

tle cry and shrank back away from the grip of the strong hand, and might have been in some danger of losing her balance and of falling o

rt thou a man, and claimest the blood of princes, an

gue, scowling darkly at the little girl as he spoke. "Thinkest thou that I will stand patiently by and he

startled and terrified her at the first. "I know of whom you are speaking -- it is of our great and noble King Edward. You do not know him -- you cannot know how great and good he is. I will not hea

in he turned upon her, and it seemed for a moment almost as though he would have struck her, despite Wendot's sturdy protecting arm

ld, a lady, and thy father's guest? For shame! I blush for thee. Ask pardon instantly of the lady an

y face. He confronted his father with flashing eyes, and as he did so he met the keen, grave

. "I will not degrade my tongue by

tunned a lad less hardy and hard-headed. Res Vychan was not one to be defied with imp

senses. My guests shall not be insulted by thy forward tongue. Barbarous and wild as the English love to call us, they shall find that Res Vy

ement signs to him which he and he alone could interpret. His other brothers were eagerly g

Vychan's words would never be broken, but at last

m. I would not

n then, boy, a

th lively interest, and who began to feel sorry for the dark wild boy who had frightene

told me a hundred times that it would get me into trouble one of these days?

er tongue, as she truly says, is a restless and mischievous possession. She has found a stanch protector at least, and will come to n

or all the world. Thou wouldst love him so well, if thou hadst him, that thou wouldst have non

ace was still severe, and he had not

aid, in low but very stern tones; and after a mom

he said slowly

m the bow, and plunged with Howel through a dark and gloomy doorway which led up a w

race contaminating the air of our pure Wales with their poisonous breath. Sorry! ay, that I am! I would my hand had done a deed which should have set proud Edward's forces in battle array against us. I would that this tampering with traitors were at an end, and that we warri

ch is a thousand times better than this treacherous, hollow peace? Ou

liation placed upon him so recently, when his father had compelled him to sue for pardon to an English maiden. His

were very subtle and very strong. If Llewelyn were the more violent and headstrong, Howel was more than his

make a rupture with the English inevitable. Thou wouldst do a thing which should bring upon us the wrath o

e, gladly would I lay down my life i

ponderin

t might be d

gerly raise

t thou s

ath our mother's charge for a while, whilst our father goes forward as far as the Abbey of Strata Flo

west tho

t this Lord Montacute would be glad to be free of the care of the child for a while. O

n's eyes. The brothers looked at

est --" said Ll

his answer was a little indetermina

o claim her, perchance she will not be found. If that were so,

n the hills. They were hardy, and seasoned to abstemious ways, and had no room for thoughts of such a kind. Silence was settling down upon the castle, and they had no intention of leaving their

mpered hatred of the English race. He saw, as they did, nothing but ill in the temporizing attitude now to be found amongst the smaller Welsh chieftains with regard to the claims made by the English

yn, is i

ing at meat with the stranger tonight. The meat went

he, contaminatin

Res Vychan goes with him. He leaves behind

he face of the old man, i

leave the dove in the nest of th

"that thought hath likewise

t response, but went on s

the monarch and his wife. Let them but hear that she is lost in the fastness of Dynevor, and the royal Edward will march in person to her rescue. All the country

y device which might set a light to the train. Discontent and resentment were rife all over the country, but it was the fashion rather to temporize with the invader than to defy him. There was a strong party gathering in the country whose policy was that of paying homage to Edward and retai

o?" asked Llew

t bold patriot Maelgon ap Caradoc. To him I tell all, and he will risk everything in the cause. It will be very simply done. You boys must feign a while -- must feign friendship for the maid thus left behind. Your brothers have won her heart already; you must no

first by some device getting rid of your brothers, who might try to thwart the scheme. These bold fellows will carry off the maid to the safe keeping of Maelgon, and once let her be his prisoner, there is no fear of

en was herself sleeping soundly and peacefully within a small inner closet, close to the room where Gladys, the lady of the castle, reposed; and with the earliest streak of dawn, when t

did anybody else, she was herself of a gentle and thoughtful disposition, more inclined to advocate peace than war, and more far-seeing, temperate, and well

e sleeping child and wakened her by a kiss, she felt a strange tenderness towards her, which seemed to b

" she asked, recoll

thee early, little Gertrude, that thou mayest receive his farewell kiss and see him ride away. Thou

dingly -- "you and Wendot and Griffeth. I am weary of always tra

ight, and he seemed full of eager interest in what was being said. Lord Montacute frequently raised his head and gave the lad a look of keen scrutiny. Even whilst caressing his little daughter his interest seemed to be centred in Wendot, and when at parting the lad held his stirrup for

to Wendot with a kindly

castle, its occupants and its treasures. I render my little daughter into your s

ht of being looked upon as his father's substitute? He raised his head with a ge

esponsible for the safety of Lady Gertrude. At my hands demand her when

he did not like him the less for either. As for little Gertrude, she gazed u

think I shall like that, you a

looks, and rode off in the bright morning s

or a long time at the palace with the ladies Eleanor and Joanna, and with Alphonso and Britton, but I shall like this much

other, and whom she regarded with a certain amount of awe. But there was nothing hostile in the manner of any of the party. Llewelyn was silent, but when he did speak it was in very different tones from those of last night; and Howel was almost brilliant in his sallies, and evoked

ts, taking her everywhere she wished to go, helping her over every difficult place, and teaching her to have such confidence in them, and such trus

interesting, as they were less easily understood, wilder and stranger in their ways, and always full of stories of adventure and warfare, which fascinated her imagination even w

nerve, when the more careful Wendot would beg her to be careful and not risk herself by too great recklessness. A few days spent in this pure, free air seemed to infuse new life into her frame, an

ing when he and Griffeth were occupied about the castle, and only Llewelyn and Howel h

ountain peak which he pointed out up the valley, of the weird charm of the road thither, and above all of the eagle's nest which was to be found there, and the young eaglets bein

ed, and when she heard of the eagle's

ou. Let me see the eagle's

shook his he

far. It is a long way,

back her curling

and walk the rest. You would help me. You know how well I can climb.

lewelyn sho

you go; he would say

the little

's slave; I can

s out he wi

not tell hi

always told h

tamped her

ourselves. We could do that, could we not, and come back with the young eaglets in our hands? O let us go! let us do it soon, and take me with you, kind Llewelyn! I

was in his eyes as he looked up the valley towards the crag upon which he had told the child the eyr

ay that I

pirit rose again, and she said rather haughtily: "You need not be angry with me. If you don't wish me to come

e safe," answered Llewelyn, speaking as

here we can look down upon the eyry i

nk she

arly start secretly from the castle before the day dawned, the chief point to be observed beforehand being absolute secrecy, so that the projected expedition s