and told the story of the parentage of the twin brothers, claiming kinship with them, and speaking in high praise of Raymond, who, since the death of John, had been employed by his uncle in a variety of small matters that used to be John’s province to see to.  In every point the Gascon youth had shown aptitude and ability beyond the average, and had won high praise from his clerical kinsman, who was more the statesman than the parish priest.

Very warmly had the de Brocas brothers been welcomed by their kinsmen; and as they laid no claim to any lands or revenues in the possession of other members of the family, not the least jealousy or ill-will was excited by their rise in social status.  All that Gaston asked of the King was liberty some day, when the hollow truce with France should be broken, and when the King’s matters were sufficiently settled to permit of private enterprise amongst his own servants, to gather about him a company of bold kindred spirits, and strive to wrest back from the treacherous and rapacious Sieur de Navailles the ancient castle of Saut, which by every law of right should belong to his own family.

The King listened graciously to this petition, and gave Gaston full encouragement to hope to regain his fathers’ lost inheritance.  But of Basildene no word was spoken then; for the shrewd Master Bernard had warned Raymond that the time had not yet come to prosecute that claim —­ and indeed the neglected old house, crumbling to the dust and environed by an evil reputation which effectually kept all men away from it, seemed scarce worth the struggle it would cost to wrest it from the keeping of Peter Sanghurst.

This worthy, since his father’s death, had entered upon a totally new course of existence.  He had appeared at Court, sumptuously dressed, and with a fairly large following.  He had ingratiated himself with the King by a timely loan of gold (for the many drains upon Edward’s resources kept him always short of money for his household and family expenses), and was playing the part of a wealthy and liberal man.  It was whispered of him, as it had been of his father, that he had some secret whereby to fill his coffers with gold whenever they were empty, and this reputation gave him a distinct prestige with his comrades and followers.  He was not accused of black magic, like his father.  His secret was supposed to have been inherited by him, not bought with the price of his soul.  It surrounded him with a faint halo of mystery, but it was mystery that did him good rather than harm.  The King himself took favourable notice of one possessed of such a golden secret, and for the present the Sanghurst was better left in undisturbed possession of his ill-gotten gains.

Raymond had learned the difficult lesson of patience, and accepted his uncle’s advice.  It was the easier to be patient since he knew that Joan was for the present safe from the persecutions of her hated suitor.  Joan had been summoned to go to her father almost immediately upon the death of John de Brocas.  He had sent for her to Woodcrych, and she had travelled thither at once with the escort sent to fetch her.