other matters. He was still a bachelor, for Reinault considered the
burden of the times in ill-accord with the chinking of marriage-bells.
They were grim times for Frenchmen: right and left the English pillaged
and killed and sacked and guzzled and drank, as if they would never have
done; and Edward of England began, to subscribe himself _Rex Franciae_
with some show of excuse.

In Normandy men acted according to their natures. Reinault swore lustily
and looked to his defences; Hugues, seeing the English everywhere
triumphant, drew a long face and doubted, when the will of God was made
thus apparent, were it the part of a Christian to withstand it? Then he
began to write letters, but to whom no man at either Arques or Puysange
knew, saving One-eyed Peire, who carried them.


3. _Treats of Huckstering_

It was in the dusk of a rain-sodden October day that Adhelmar rode to the
gates of Puysange, with some score men-at-arms behind him. They came from
Poictiers, where again the English had conquered, and Adhelmar rode with
difficulty, for in that disastrous business in the field of Maupertuis he
had been run through the chest, and his wound was scarce healed.
Nevertheless, he came to finish his debate with the Sieur d'Arques, wound
or no wound.

But at Puysange he heard a strange tale of Hugues. Reinault, whom
Adhelmar found in a fine rage, told the story as they sat over
their supper.

It had happened, somehow, (Reinault said), that the Marshal Arnold