indifferently well."

"Is it not the same with him?" cried Leonard. "He does not own a
palm's breadth of land, and for gold, all he will ever possess is
on those broken spurs of his brother's."

"Listen to me, Leonard," said Gaston. "Rich or poor, Sir Eustace
is the only fit leader of the Lances till the little boy is of age,
but this he could not be without knightly rank. Even in this
campaign, when I might have taken the command, I being disabled
for the present, it must have devolved on him, who might not have
been so readily obeyed."

"No, indeed," said Leonard. "Strange that the touch of the Prince's
sword should make so great a difference between him and me."

"If it was the touch of the Prince's sword that did so," said Gaston.

"What else?" sharply retorted Leonard. "Not height nor strength!
His hand and arm might belong to a girl, I could crush it in my
grasp." So saying, he extended a huge, hard, red palm.

"Ay?" said Gaston; "I should like to see whether that great paw
would have won Du Guesclin's sword."

"I tell you flatly," proceeded Ashton, "I might follow Sir Reginald,
since he was a man of substance, honoured in our country, and my
father meant to oblige and do him grace by placing me with him."

"Grace!" repeated Gaston.