both shocked and offended at the preaching. What was the name of the
priest he knew not, nor did the villagers, but he went by the name of Jack
Straw, and was, Edgar thought, a dangerous fellow. The lad had no
objection to his abuse of the tax-gatherers, or to his complaints of the
extravagance of the court, but this man's denunciation of the monks and
clergy at once shocked and angered him. Edgar's intercourse with the
villagers had removed some of the prejudices generally felt by his class,
but in other respects he naturally felt as did others of his station, and
he resolved to go to no more meetings.

After taking his meal with his father, Edgar mounted the horse that the
latter had bought for him, and rode over to the house of one of his
friends.

The number of those who had, like himself, been taught by the monk of St.
Alwyth had increased somewhat, and there were, when he left, six other
lads there. Three of these were intended for the Church. All were sons of
neighbouring landowners, and it was to visit Albert de Courcy, the son of
Sir Ralph de Courcy, that Edgar was now riding. Albert and he had been
special friends. They were about the same age, but of very different
dispositions. The difference between their characters was perhaps the
chief attraction that had drawn them to each other. Albert was gentle in
disposition, his health was not good, and he had been a weakly child. His
father, who was a stout knight, regarded him with slight favour, and had
acceded willingly to his desire to enter the Church, feeling that he would
never make a good fighter.

Edgar, on the contrary, was tall and strongly built, and had never known a
day's illness. He was somewhat grave in manner, for the companionship of
his father and the character of their conversations had made him older and