been born and brought up. The plan, however, was very similar: there was
the central keep, but, whereas at home this was the dwelling-house of the
family, it was here used as a storehouse, and the apartments of the count
and countess were in the range of buildings that formed an inner court
round the keep. In point of luxury the French were in advance of the
English, and they had already begun to combine comfort with strength in
their buildings. The apartments struck Guy as being wonderfully spacious
in comparison to those with which he was accustomed. On the ground floor
of one side of the square was the banqueting-hall. Its walls were
decorated with arms and armour, the joists that supported the floor above
were carved, the windows large and spacious, for, looking as they did into
the inner court, there was no occasion for their being mere loopholes.
Above the banqueting-hall was a room where Lady Margaret sat with her
maids engaged in working at tapestry; here the priest gave such slight
instruction as was then considered necessary to Agnes and Charles; Henry
had already passed out of his hands.

Next to this room was the knight's sleeping apartment, or closet as it was
then called, a room which would now be considered of ridiculously
straitened dimensions; and close to it were the still smaller closets of
the children. Beyond were a series of guest-chambers. Another side of the
court-yard contained the apartments of the castellan, Jean Bouvard, a
sturdy soldier of long experience, and those of the other officers of the
household; the other two sides were occupied by the chapel, the kitchens,
and the offices of the servants and retainers. All these rooms were
loopholed on the side looking into the outer court. This was considerably
wider and more extensive than the one surrounding the keep. Here were the
stables, storehouses for grain and forage, and a building, just erected,
for the lodging of the English garrison. All these buildings stood against
the outer wall, so that they would afford no shelter to an enemy who had