“What!” almost shouted Gaston, in the fierceness of his excitement, “Mistress Joan a prisoner in Basildene, the captive of that miscreant!  Uncle, let us lose not an hour!  Let us forthwith to the King.  He will give us his royal warrant, and armed with that we will to Basildene, and search for her there, and free her ere the set of sun.  Oh, it would be like him —­ it would be all in a piece with his villainy!  I cannot rest nor breathe till I know all.  Uncle, may we not set forth this very day —­ this same night?”

The worthy ecclesiastic laid a hand upon Gaston’s shoulder.

“Boy,” he said, “I will myself to the King this very day.  The moon will soon be up, and the way is familiar to me and my men.  But thou shalt tarry here.  Thou hast travelled far today, and art weary and in need of rest.  Perchance, in this matter of the Sanghurst, I shall do better without thee.  Thou shalt see the King anon, and shalt tell him all thy tale; but methinks this matter of Basildene had best be spoken of betwixt him and me alone.  Thou knowest that I have for long been in the King’s favour and confidence, and have managed many state matters for him.  Thou mayest therefore leave thy cause in my hands.  I have all the papers safe that thou broughtest from Gascony long since, and have left in my care these many years.  I have been awaiting my opportunity to lay the matter of Basildene before the King, and now I trow that the hour has come.”

Gaston stopped short in his restless pacing, a bright light in his eyes.

“Thou thinkest to oust the Sanghurst thence —­ to gain Basildene for Raymond?”

“Ay, verily I do.  It is your inheritance by right; the papers prove it.  Ye were deprived of it by force, and now the hour of restitution has come.  As to thee are secured the Gascon lands, when they can be wrested from the hand of the foe, so shall Basildene be secured to Raymond, albeit he has not won his spurs as thou hast done, boy, and that right lustily.  But I know much good of Raymond.  He will worthily fill his place.  Go now to rest, boy, and leave this matter in mine hands.  I warrant thee the cause shall not suffer for being intrusted to me.  Get thee to rest.  Fear not; and ere two days be passed thou shalt have tidings of some sort from me.”

Gaston would fain have been his uncle’s companion on the road, but he knew better than to insist.  Master Bernard de Brocas well knew what he was about, and was plainly deeply interested in the story he had heard.  Raymond had long been high in his favour.  To cause to recoil upon the head of the treacherous Sanghurst the vengeance he had plotted against his own nephew, to punish him for his treachery —­ to wrest from his rapacious grasp the lands and the Manor of Basildene, was a task peculiarly agreeable to the statesman, who knew well what he was about and the master whom he served.  Basildene was no great possession, but it might be greatly increased