“Now,” said Dick when she had gone, “although they were spoken by a Jew whom men call accursed because their forefathers, fulfilling prophecy, or some few of them, wrought a great crime when the world was young and thereby brought about the salvation of mankind, as we believe, those are among the most comfortable words to which my ears have listened, especially such of them as dealt with the fulfilling of our desire upon our enemies in war.  Well, they are spoke, and I doubt not registered in a book which will not be lost.  So, master, let us seek a lodging in this city of Avignon, which, for my part, I do with a light heart.”

Hugh nodded, and his heart also was lightened by those words of blessing and good omen.  Mounting their horses, they took a street that led them past the great Roches des Doms, on the crest of which stood the mighty palace of the Popes, as yet unfinished, but still one of the vastest buildings they had ever seen.  Here on the battlements and in front of the gateway burned great fires, lit by order of his Holiness to purify the air and protect him and his Court from the plague.

Leaving this place on their right they rode slowly along one of the principal streets of the town, seeking an inn.  Soon they found one, a large place that had a sign on which three shepherds were painted, and turned to enter its gateway.  But, when they saw them, out of that gateway rushed a mob of frantic people waving swords and cudgels, and saying that they would have no strangers there to bring the Death among them.

“Let us go on,” said Hugh, “for here it seems we are not welcome.”

So they went and tried three other inns in turn.  At two of them they met with a like greeting, but the doors of the third were closed and the place was deserted.  Then, for a crowd began to gather round them, wearily enough they turned up another street at hazard.  Thus they wended their way back toward the great central rock, thinking that there they might find some more hospitable tavern.

Following this new street, they reached a less crowded suburb of the town, where large dwellings stood in their own gardens.  One of these, they saw by the flare of some of those fires which burned all about the city in this time of pestilence, seemed to be a small castle.  At least it had a moat round it and a drawbridge, which was down.  Seeing that lamps burned in its windows, Hugh, who was worn out with their long journeyings, took a sudden resolution.

“Doubtless some knight dwells in this fine house,” he said to his companions.  “Let us go up and declare our names and degree and by virtue of them claim the hospitality which is our right.”

“Be it so,” grumbled Dick.  “We cannot be worse treated there than we were at the inns, unless the owner adds arrows to the swords and cudgels.”

They rode across the drawbridge to the gateway of the little castle, which was open, and finding no one there, through a small courtyard to the door, which also was open.