Isabella had a cousin named Robert d'Artois, who was warmly attached to her. One night he woke her up to inform her of a conspiracy that he had just discovered to deliver her, the prince, the Earl of Kent, her husband's brother, and Mortimer over to King Edward.
The queen was so alarmed that she did not know which way to turn. Robert advised her to go to Germany, and place herself under the protection of William, Earl of Hainault, whose wife was her cousin. This plan struck her favorably, and the next night she left Paris with Mortimer, her son, and the Earl of Kent who always sided with her against his brother, King Edward.
After some days they got into the country of Cambray, and lodged at the house of a poor knight, who received the party with great pleasure, and entertained them in the best possible manner. The Earl of Hainault was a good, kind-hearted man, and felt very sorry when he thought of the queen's being obliged to seek refuge in a foreign country, so he sent his young brother, Sir John, with a few other gentlemen, to pay his respects to Isabella and conduct
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her to Valenciennes, where he was then living with his family.
Sir John, being filled with the spirit of a true knight-errant, burst into tears when he heard Isabella's sad complaints from her own lips. "Lady," he said, "see here your knight who will not fail to die for you, though every one else should forsake you; therefore I will do everything in my power to conduct you safely to England with your son, and to restore you to your rank with the assistance of your friends in those parts; and I, and all those whom I can influence, will risk our lives on the adventure for your sake; and we shall have a sufficient armed force, if it please God, without fearing any danger from the King of France."
The queen would have thrown herself at his feet, but he would not allow it, and said, as he caught her in his arms: