He passed on, while the fierce De Chargny, dumb with shame and fury, muttered through his clenched teeth a fearful vow of vengeance on the traitor Lombard, who, in a solitary chamber overhead, was greedily counting the Judas-wages for which he had bartered his honour and his soul. That vow was terribly redeemed a year later, when a shuddering crowd thronged the market-place of St. Omer, to see Aymery of Pavia torn limb from limb by wild horses.
But when the king neared his late adversary, De Ribeaumont, his frown vanished at once, and a smile like a sunbeam broke over his noble face.
“I give you greeting, good Sir Eustace,” said he, frankly holding out his hand, “as the best knight of all; for never met I one who gave me so much to do, body to body, as ye have done this day; therefore give I you the prize of valour above all the knights of my court, by right sentence.”
So saying, he untwined the string of pearls from his head, and put it about the neck of his gallant enemy.
“Bear this chaplet for love of me, noble sir, till a year be gone, and wherever ye come, tell all men I did give it you for your prowess this day; and on these terms I quit you your ransom, and ye shall depart freely on the morrow.”
The brave Frenchman acknowledged with a courteous bow a compliment so truly in the noblest spirit of chivalry; and the king passed on to the other prisoners, for each of whom he had a kind word. Then back he came to the centre of the hall, and, standing between his son and Sir Eustace, said aloud—
“One debt have I yet to pay, and it befits every man to hold a just accompt at the outset of a new year. Ho there! let some one call hither Dick Greenleaf, an archer of Nottingham.”
In came honest Dick, slouching into the brilliant circle with a very unwonted shyness and confusion on his bold, sun-browned face.
The king fixed a piercing glance on him, and said, with a well-feigned air of harshness, in such English as he could command—
“Hark ye, Master Greenleaf, I have somewhat to say to thee. Dost thou bear ill-will to me, thy king, only because I speak not thy tongue as easily as mine own?”