"There he goes," said Gaston, "and I should like to hear the tales
he will amaze the good Somersetshire folk with. I trow he will
make them believe that he took Du Guesclin himself, and that the
Prince knighted you by mistake."

"His tale of the witches will be something monstrous," said Eustace;
"but still, methinks he is much the better for his expedition: far
less crabbed in temper, and less clownish in manners."

"Ay," said Gaston, "if he were never to be under any other guidance
than yours, I think the tough ash-bough might be moulded into
something less unshapely. You have a calmness and a temper such as
he cannot withstand, nor I understand. 'Tis not want of spirit, but
it is that you never seem to take or see what is meant for affront.
I should think it tameness in any other."

"Well, poor fellow, I wish he may prosper," said Eustace. "But now,
Gaston, to our own affairs. Let us see what remains of the gold."

"Ah! your bounty to our friend there has drawn deeply on our purse,"
said Gaston.

"It shall not be the worse for you, Gaston, for I had set aside these
thirty golden crowns for you before I broke upon my own store. It is
not such a recompense as Reginald or I myself would have wished after
such loving and faithful service; but gold may never recompense truth."

"As for recompense," said Gaston, "I should be by a long score the
debtor if we came to that. If it had not been for Sir Reginald, I
should be by this time a reckless freebooter, without a hope in this