follow him, passed at once into the next chamber, and seated himself
on his chair of state.

In a few moments one of the seneschals of the palace ushered in a
visitor, whose long moustache at once proclaimed him Saxon, and in
whom De Graville with surprise recognised his old friend, Godrith.
The young thegn, with a reverence more hasty than that to which
William was accustomed, advanced to the foot of the days, and, using
the Norman language, said, in a voice thick with emotion:

"From Harold the Earl, greeting to thee, Monseigneur. Most foul and
unchristian wrong hath been done the Earl by thy liegeman, Guy, Count
of Ponthieu. Sailing hither in two barks from England, with intent to
visit thy court, storm and wind drove the Earl's vessels towards the
mouth of the Somme [187]; there landing, and without fear, as in no
hostile country, he and his train were seized by the Count himself,
and cast into prison in the castle of Belrem [188]. A dungeon fit
but for malefactors holds, while I speak, the first lord of England,
and brother-in-law to its king. Nay, hints of famine, torture, and
death itself, have been darkly thrown out by this most disloyal count,
whether in earnest, or with the base view of heightening ransom. At
length, wearied perhaps by the Earl's firmness and disdain, this
traitor of Ponthieu hath permitted me in the Earl's behalf to bear the
message of Harold. He came to thee as to a prince and a friend;
sufferest thou thy liegeman to detain him as a thief or a foe?"

"Noble Englishman," replied William, gravely, "this is a matter more
out of my cognisance than thou seemest to think. It is true that Guy,
Count of Ponthieu, holds fief under me, but I have no control over the
laws of his realm. And by those laws, he hath right of life and death