“They 'll rouse their lord, I heard a horn,” said the leader of the band. “Burn, pillage,—in haste,—then back to the ship! We are too few to stay in safety, but we 'll fill our bellies and the ship's.”
Then at the other end of the street he saw a maid running through the dusk; her hair was all unbound, and flew behind her like a golden banner.
They came up with her at the cross, and closed about her in a ring, forgetful of haste in their wonder at her loveliness. The leader was a gallant gentleman, he doffed his bonnet and unlaced his helm, and dropped upon one knee, saying sweet words; and although Calote and the parson were but little versed in the French tongue, they knew right well what this was to mean.
Then the knight rose up off his knee and went and set his finger beneath Calote's chin, and lifted up her face, and stooped his own. And presently the knight and the parson lay both at their lengths on the grass. The knight was stunned only, already he opened his eyes, but the parson had three thrusts of a sword through his body, and he would die.
Out of the stillness that followed this deed there grew a faint sound of horses' hoofs; but the men who stood around heard nothing of this. 'T is not well done to slay a priest, even a priest of the English, whose pope is not the pope of the French.
The knight lifted himself upon his elbow and stared as he were mazed. Calote was kneeling by the side of the parson. And on a sudden there rode up horsemen, and the French turned about in confusion to fight and to flee. In the midst of this battle Calote knelt at the parson's head, as she had been in a hushed chamber, and presently she was 'ware that the peddler came to kneel at the other side.
“How did this hap?” said the peddler, and he had to call out loud, because of the noise of clashing steel, and the groans, and the cries of battle,—“A Courtney, a Courtney!” for these were retainers of the Earl of Devon.
“The French knight”—sobbed Calote.
And now the parson opened his eyes:—
“'Conformen Kings to peace,'” said he, very faint. He was babbling out of the Vision. Calote bent her ear to his lips.