gave one great yawn, but it brought him such a frown from the stern
face of Bernard, as quite to wake him for a few minutes, and make him
sit upright, and receive the next vassal with as much attention as he
had shown the first, but he looked imploringly at Sir Eric, as if to
ask if it ever would be over. At last, far down among the Barons,
came one at whose sight Richard revived a little. It was a boy only
a few years older than himself, perhaps about ten, with a pleasant
brown face, black hair, and quick black eyes which glanced, with a
look between friendliness and respect, up into the little Duke's
gazing face. Richard listened eagerly for his name, and was
refreshed at the sound of the boyish voice which pronounced, "I,
Alberic de Montemar, am thy liegeman and vassal for my castle and
barony of Montemar sur Epte."

When Alberic moved away, Richard followed him with his eye as far as
he could to his place in the Cathedral, and was taken by surprise
when he found the next Baron kneeling before him.

The ceremony of homage came to an end at last, and Richard would fain
have run all the way to the palace to shake off his weariness, but he
was obliged to head the procession again; and even when he reached
the castle hall his toils were not over, for there was a great state
banquet spread out, and he had to sit in the high chair where he
remembered climbing on his father's knee last Christmas-day, all the
time that the Barons feasted round, and held grave converse.
Richard's best comfort all this time was in watching Osmond de
Centeville and Alberic de Montemar, who, with the other youths who
were not yet knighted, were waiting on those who sat at the table.
At last he grew so very weary, that he fell fast asleep in the corner
of his chair, and did not wake till he was startled by the rough