“He is of the old English stock,” said a third,—­“a brave, stout-hearted young Knight.”

“Well spoken, old Simon Silverlocks,” said Gaston, entering.  “I doubt where you would find another such within the wide realm of France.”

“He is brave enough, that no man doubts,” answered Simon, “but somewhat of the strictest, especially considering his years.  Sir Reginald was nothing to him.”

“Was it not time to be strict when there was such a nest of treachery within the Castle?” said Gaston.  “We knew that murderous miscreant of a Basque, and had we not kept well on our guard against him, you, Master Simon, would long since have been hanging as high from Montfort’s tower as I trust soon to see him.”

“But how knew you him, Master d’Aubricour? that is the question,” said old Simon with a very solemn face of awe.

“How? why by means of somewhat sharper eyes than you seem to possess.  I have no time to bandy words—­all I come to ask is, will you do the duty of honest men or not?  If not, away with you, and I and the Knight will abide here till it pleases Messire Oliver, the butcher, to practice his trade on us.  I remember, if some of the Lances of Lynwood do not, a certain camp at Valladolid, when some of us might have been ill off had he not stood by our beds of sickness; nor will I easily desert that pennon which was so gallantly made a banner.”

These were remembrances to stir the hearts of the ancient Lances of Lynwood, and there was a cry among them of, “We will never turn our backs on it!  Lynwood for ever!”

“Right, mine old comrades.  Our walls are strong; our hearts are stronger; three days, and aid must come from Bordeaux.  The traitors are captives, and we know to whom to trust; for ye, of English birth, and ye, my countrymen, who made in so boldly to the rescue, ye will not fail at this pinch, and see a brave and noble Knight yielded to a pack of cowardly murderers.”

“Never! never!  We will stand by him to the last drop of our blood,” they replied; for the sight of the brave wounded Knight, as well as the example of Gaston’s earnestness and devotion, had had a powerful effect, and they unanimously joined the Squire in a solemn pledge to defend both Castle and Knight to the last extremity.

“Then up with the good old banner!” said Gaston, “and let us give Messire Oliver such a reception as he will be little prepared for.”  He then gave some hasty directions, appointed old Silverlocks, a skilled and tried warrior, to take the place of Seneschal for the time, and to superintend the arrangements; and sending two men to guard the entrance of Montfort’s tower, where Sanchez and his accomplices had shut themselves up, he returned to the Castellane’s chamber.