Gaston d'Aubricour."

Due courtesies passed between the Lady and the Squire, who, after
a few words with the Knight, remained to see the disposal of the
men, while Sir Reginald himself entered the hall with his wife,
son and brother. Eustace did not long remain there: he found that
Reginald and Eleanor had much to say to each other, and his curiosity
and interest were, besides, greatly excited by the novelty of the
scene presented by the castle court, so different from its usual
peaceful monotony. The men were unsaddling their horses, rubbing
them down, walking them about, or removing the stains of dust and
mud from their own armour, while others were exchanging greetings
with the villagers, who were gathering in joyous parties round such
of the newly arrived as were natives of the place.

In the midst stood the strange Squire, superintending a horse-boy
who was rubbing down the Knight's tall war-horse, and at the
same time ordering, giving directions, answering inquiries, or
granting permission to the men to return home with their relations.
Ralph Penrose was near, his countenance, as Eustace could plainly
perceive, expressing little satisfaction at finding another authority
in the court of Lynwood Keep; the references to himself short, brief,
and rapid, and only made when ignorance of the locality compelled the
stranger to apply for information. The French accent and occasional
French phrases with which the Squire spoke, made him contract his
brow more and more, and at last, just as Eustace came up, he walked
slowly away, grumbling to himself, "Well, have it e'en your own way,
I am too old for your gay French fashions. It was not so in Humfrey
Harwood's time, when-- But the world has gone after the French now!
Sir Reginald has brought home as many Gascon thieves as kindly