expressed in her tone. "How is a man to understand what he would
have me to do? Send to Le Borgne Basque at Chateau Norbelle? Is
that it? Read it to me once again, Lady, for the love of the Saints.
What am I to tell Le Borgne Basque? No putting to ransom, doth he
say? He might be secure enough for that matter--Eustace Lynwood is
little like to ransom himself."

"But what mean you?" said Agnes, eagerly hoping that she had done
her brother injustice in her first horrible thought. "Sir Eustace
Lynwood, if you spake of him, is no prisoner, but is here at Bordeaux."

"He shall not long be so," said Leonard. "Heard you not this very
noon that the Prince bestows on him the government of Chateau Norbelle
on the marches of Gascony? Well, that is the matter treated of in
this letter. Let me see, let me see, how was it to be? Yes, that
is it! It is Le Borgne Basque who is Seneschal. Ay, true, that I
know,--and 'twas he who was to admit Clisson's men."

"Admit Clisson's men!"

"Ay--'tis one of those Castles built by the old Paladin, Renaud de
Montauban, that Eustace used to talk about. I ween he did not
know of this trick that will be played on himself--and all of them
have, they say, certain secret passages leading through the vaults
into the Castle. Le Borgne Basque knows them all, for he has served
much in those parts, and Fulk placed him as Seneschal for the very
purpose."

"For the purpose of admitting Clisson's men? Do I understand you
right, Sir Knight, or do my ears play me false?"