"I cannot call the name to mind."
"This Sir Raoul is a Burgundian knight, a right worthy gentleman of good repute. Sir Oliver and I fought side by side with him 'gainst the Paynims of Barbary, under the late King, when he was but Henry of Lancaster. Now it is in my mind to write to the Seigneur of Maissons that he should beleaguer the Castle of Malevereux; knowing that he hath just cause 'gainst Sir Yves, and that he hath great regard for Sir Oliver, this request may find favour in Sir Raoul's eyes. To that end I'll send my squire, Richard Ratclyffe, with thy son and Sir Oliver's squire, Oswald Steyning. When will Geoffrey be ready for the journey?"
"The Grâce à Dieu lies in the harbour fit to take the sea within an hour," replied the châtelaine with a sigh, for, although she was resigned to Sir Thomas Carberry's plan, the thought of parting with her son seemed well-nigh unbearable.
"Then the sooner the better, since the wind holds fair. I'll send my squire to thee this night. Now, bear up, fair lady, for by the blessing of the saints, Sir Oliver will sit at his ease in Warblington Castle ere the feast of St. Silvester."
So saying Sir Thomas took his leave, while the châtelaine busied herself with preparations for her son's journey.
That night Geoffrey kept vigil in the little church of St. Thomas à Becket, vowing to be courageous and honourable in warfare, courteous to women, and just towards those under his authority, as befitting the son of a true knight who himself aspired to the gilded spurs. But when he prayed that he might take vengeance upon the Lord of Malevereux, Father Hilarius gently reproved him.
"Vengeance, my son, hath no place within the mind of a gentleman of quality; leave that in the hands of One above, who, if He think fit, will grind the oppressor between the upper and nether millstones of His wrath. In thy dealings with thy fellow-men see to it that justice is ever tempered with mercy."
At length the eventful day dawned. At the head of the rithe lay the Grâce à Dieu, her huge square sail, emblazoned with the arms of the Lysles, being loosely furled ready to be sheeted home at the shipmaster's call.
Geoffrey and the two squires, Oswald Steyning and Richard Ratclyffe, attended by the stout old man-at-arms, Arnold Gripwell, and three trusty archers, boarded the skiff that was to take them off to the larger vessel. The hour of parting had come and gone, and with heavy heart Sir Oliver's son saw the crowd of tenantry on the shore grow less and less distinct.
But the moment the lads set foot upon the deck of the Grâce à Dieu the bustle and excitement of setting sail dispelled for the time their feeling of sadness.