’"To me?” said Hugh.  “I am a Saxon, and, except that I love Richard here, I have not sworn fealty to any Norman.”

’"In God’s good time, which because of my sins I shall not live to see, there will be neither Saxon nor Norman in England,” said De Aquila.  “If I know men, thou art more faithful unsworn than a score of Normans I could name.  Take Dallington, and join Sir Richard to fight me tomorrow, if it please thee!”

’"Nay,” said Hugh.  “I am no child.  Where I take a gift, there I render service”; and he put his hands between De Aquila’s, and swore to be faithful, and, as I remember, I kissed him, and De Aquila kissed us both.

’We sat afterwards outside the hut while the sun rose, and De Aquila marked our churls going to their work in the fields, and talked of holy things, and how we should govern our Manors in time to come, and of hunting and of horse-breeding, and of the King’s wisdom and unwisdom; for he spoke to us as though we were in all sorts now his brothers.  Anon a churl stole up to me—­he was one of the three I had not hanged a year ago—­and he bellowed—­which is the Saxon for whispering—­that the Lady AElueva would speak to me at the Great House.  She walked abroad daily in the Manor, and it was her custom to send me word whither she went, that I might set an archer or two behind and in front to guard her.  Very often I myself lay up in the woods and watched on her also.

’I went swiftly, and as I passed the great door it opened from within, and there stood my Lady AElueva, and she said to me:  “Sir Richard, will it please you enter your Great Hall?” Then she wept, but we were alone.’

The knight was silent for a long time, his face turned across the valley, smiling.

‘Oh, well done!’ said Una, and clapped her hands very softly.  ’She was sorry, and she said so.’

‘Aye, she was sorry, and she said so,’ said Sir Richard, coming back with a little start.  ’Very soon—­but he said it was two full hours later—­De Aquila rode to the door, with his shield new scoured (Hugh had cleansed it), and demanded entertainment, and called me a false knight, that would starve his overlord to death.  Then Hugh cried out that no man should work in the valley that day, and our Saxons blew horns, and set about feasting and drinking, and running of races, and dancing and singing; and De Aquila climbed upon a horse-block and spoke to them in what he swore was good Saxon, but no man understood it.  At night we feasted in the Great Hall, and when the harpers and the singers were gone we four sat late at the high table.  As I remember, it was a warm night with a full moon, and De Aquila bade Hugh take down his sword from the wall again, for the honour of the Manor of Dallington, and Hugh took it gladly enough.  Dust lay on the hilt, for I saw him blow it off.

’She and I sat talking a little apart, and at first we thought the harpers had come back, for the Great Hall was filled with a rushing noise of music.  De Aquila leaped up; but there was only the moonlight fretty on the floor.