‘What is this, man?’ asked King Philip.

’Sire, he writes letters to my sister that he is a free man, and she keeps them by her and often reads them in secret.  So she was caught but lately by my lady aunt, reading one in bed.’

The King’s brow grew very black, for though he knew that Richard would never marry Madame, he did not choose (but resented) that any other should know it.  At this moment Montferrat came in, and stood by his kinsman.

‘Ah, sire,’ said he, in those bloodhound tones of his, ’give us leave to deal in this business with free hands.’

‘What would you do in it, Marquess?’ asked the King fretfully.

‘Kill him, by God,’ said the Marquess; and young Saint-Pol added, ’Give us his life, O lord King.’

King Philip thought.  He was fresh from making a treaty with Richard; but that was in a war of requital only, and would be ended so soon as the last drop had been drained from the old King.  What would follow the war?  He was by this time cooler towards Richard, very much vexed at what he had just heard; he could not help remembering that marriage with Alois would have been the proper reply to scandalous report.  Should he be able, when the war was done, to squeeze Richard into marriage or an equivalent in lands?  He wondered, he doubted greatly.  On the other hand, if he and Richard could crush old Henry, and Saint-Pol afterwards bruise Richard—­why, what was Philip but a gainer?

Chewing the fringe of his mantle as he considered this and that,’If I give Madame Jehane in marriage to your Gurdun,’ he said dubiously, ’what will Gurdun do?’

Saint-Pol named the sum, a fair one.

‘But what part will he take in the quarrel?’ asked the King.

‘He will take my part, as he is bound, sire.’

‘Pest!’ cried Philip, ‘let us get at it.  What is this part of yours?’

‘The part of him who has a blood-feud, my lord,’ said young Saint-Pol; and the Marquess said, ‘That is my part also.’

‘Have it according to your desires, my lords,’ then said King Philip.  ’I give you this marriage.  Make it as speedily as may be, but let not Count Richard have news until it is done.  There is a fire, I tell you, hidden in that tall man.  Remember this too, Saint-Pol.  You shall not make war on the side of England against Richard, for that will be against me.  Your feud must wait its turn.  For this present I have an account to settle in which Poictou is on my side.  Marquess, you likewise are in my debt.  See to it that you give my enemies no advantage.’

The Marquess and his cousin gave their words, holding up the hilts of their swords before their faces.

Richard, in his city of Poictiers, was calmly forwarding his plans.  His first act, since he now considered himself perfectly free, had been to send Gaston of Bearn with letters to Saint-Pol-la-Marche; his second, seeing no reason why he should wait for King Philip or any possible ally, to cross the frontier of Touraine in force.  He took castle after castle in that rich land, clearing the way for the investiture of Tours, which was his first great objective.