Gaucelm nodded, then spoke to the seneschal standing to the right of the dais. “Now will we hear Montmaure’s envoy.”
[CHAPTER XII]
MONTMAURE
There came into the hall, ushered by the seneschal and walking with Stephen the Marshal to whom had been confided his entertainment, a knight banneret, very good-looking, very sumptuously attired, with an air of confidence verging on audacity. Behind and attending him were two other knights, lesser men; behind these, three esquires. All were dressed with a richness; all, indefinably, stood in a debatable strip between friend and foe.
The envoy came before the dais. On yesterday welcome had been given him, and to-day set to hear the desires of Count Savaric of Montmaure. Now, Gaucelm being, by virtue of three castles, his lord’s lord, the envoy just bent the knee, then straightened himself and stood prepared to give that forth which the count had preferred to send by word of mouth rather than by written letter. There occurred, however, some delay. A wider audience than had gathered to the town’s hearing would come to hear what Savaric of Montmaure had to say. Lord and lady, knight and squire, were entering, and now came Alazais, clad in white bordered with ermine. Her lord made her welcome; the Princess Audiart, rising, stood until she was seated. Her ladies, fair and gaily dressed, made about her a coloured cloud. Two that were Audiart’s came and stood behind that princess.
At last, quiet falling, the prince once more gave to Montmaure’s envoy words of welcome, then, “We should have been glad,” he said, “to have greeted in friendly wise Count Savaric himself! His son, too, who is said to be a puissant knight.”
“So please you, they may come some day to Roche-de-Frêne, the one and the other,” answered the envoy. “But now my master, the great count, is busy at home where he makes a muster of lords who are his men. At Autafort, with Duke Richard, is the young count, Sir Jaufre, red-gold, shining and mighty, like a star of high fortune!”
“The ‘great count,’” said Gaucelm, with suavity, “is well employed. And you grow a poet, Sir Guiraut of the Vale, when you speak of the young count.”