gate of the Castle of Barbazure, and rudely bade her begone. "The Lady
of Barbazure sees nobody but her confessor, and keeps her chamber," was
the invariable reply of the dogged functionaries to the entreaties of
the agonized mother. And at length, so furious was he at her perpetual
calls at his gate, that the angry Lord of Barbazure himself, who chanced
to be at the postern, armed a cross-bow, and let fly an arblast at the
crupper of the lady's palfrey, whereon she fled finally, screaming, and
in terror. "I will aim at the rider next time!" howled the ferocious
baron, "and not at the horse!" And those who knew his savage nature and
his unrivalled skill as a bowman, knew that he would neither break his
knightly promise nor miss his aim.

Since the fatal day when the Grand Duke of Burgundy gave his famous
passage of arms at Nantes, and all the nobles of France were present at
the joustings, it was remarked that the Barbazure's heart was changed
towards his gentle and virtuous lady.

For the three first days of that famous festival, the redoubted Baron
of Barbazure had kept the field against all the knights who entered.
His lance bore everything down before it. The most famous champions of
Europe, assembled at these joustings, had dropped, one by one, before
this tremendous warrior. The prize of the tourney was destined to be
his, and he was to be proclaimed bravest of the brave, as his lady was
the fairest of the fair.

On the third day, however, as the sun was declining over the Vosges,
and the shadows were lengthening over the plain where the warrior had
obtained such triumphs;--after having overcome two hundred and thirteen
knights of different nations, including the fiery Dunois, the intrepid
Walter Manny, the spotless Bayard, and the undaunted Dugueselin, as the