‘It is my father’s widow who holds the appointments,’ said John.  ’Between her and me there hath been little good-will, but my dear brother’s last act towards her was of forgiveness.  She may wish to keep well with us of the Regency—­and more like still, she will be pleased that one of so great a house as yours should sue to her.  I will give you a letter to her, praying her to remember you at the next vacancy; and mayhap, if the Lady Montagu could take you to visit her, you could prevail with her!  But, surely, some nunnery more worthy of your rank—­’

‘There is none that I should love so well,’ said Esclairmonde, smiling.  ’Mayhap I have learnt to be a vagabond, but I cannot but desire to toil as well as pray.’

‘And you are willing to wait for a vacancy?’

’When once safe from my kinsmen, in England, I will wait under my kind Alice’s wing till—­till it becomes expedient that yonder gentleman be set free.’

‘You trust him?’ said Bedford.

‘Entirely,’ responded Esclairmonde, heartily.

‘Happy lad!’ half sighed the Duke; but, even as he did so, he stood up to bid the lady adieu—­lingering for a moment more, to gaze at the face he had longed for permission to love—­and thus take leave of all his youth and joy, addressing himself again to that burthen of care which in thirteen years laid him in his grave at Rouen.

As he left the Castle and came out into the steep fortified street, Ralf Percy came up to him, laughing.  ’Here, my lord, are those two honest Yorkshire knights running all over Calais to make a petition to you.’

’What—­Trenton and Kitson!  I thought their year of service was up, and they were going home!’

‘Ay, my lord,’ said Kitson, who with his comrade had followed close in Percy’s wake, ’we were going home to bid Mistress Agnes take her choice of us; but this morn we’ve met a pursuivant that is come with Norroy King-at-arms, and what doth he but tell us that no sooner were our backs turned, than what doth Mistress Agnes but wed—­ay, wed outright—­one Tom of the Lee, a sneaking rogue that either of us would have beat black and blue, had we ever seen him utter a word to her?  A knight’s lady—­not to say two—­as she might have been!  So, my lord, we not being willing to go home and be a laughing-stock, crave your license to be of your guard as we were of King Harry’s, and show how far we can go among the French.’

‘And welcome; no good swords can be other than welcome!’ said Bedford, not diverted as his brother would have been, but with a heartiness that never failed to win respectful affection.

Long did James and Bedford walk up and down the Castle court together, while the embarkation was going on.  The question weighed on them both whether they should ever meet more, after eighteen years of youth spent together.

‘Youth is gone,’ said Bedford.  ’We have been under a mighty master, and now God help us to do his work.’