There, in a tangle of his horse's harness and of embroideredtrappings, the Sieur de la Montaigne lay stretched upon theground, with his saddle near by, and his riderless horse wastrotting aimlessly about at the farther end of the lists.
Myles saw the two squires of the fallen knight run across towhere their master lay, he saw the ladies waving their kerchiefsand veils, and the castle people swinging their hats and shoutingin an ecstasy of delight. Then he rode slowly back to where thesquires were now aiding the fallen knight to arise. The seniorsquire drew his dagger, cut the leather points, and drew off thehelm, disclosing the knight's face--a face white as death, andconvulsed with rage, mortification, and bitter humiliation.
"I was not rightly unhorsed!" he cried, hoarsely and with lividlips, to the Marshal and his attendants, who had ridden up. "Iunhelmed him fairly enough, but my over-girth and breast-strapburst, and my saddle slipped. I was not unhorsed, I say, and Ilay claim that I unhelmed him."
"Sir," said the Marshal calmly, and speaking in French, "surelythou knowest that the loss of helmet does not decide anencounter. I need not remind thee, my Lord, that it was soawarded by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, when in the joustingmatch between Reynand de Roye and John de Holland, the SieurReynand left every point of his helm loosened, so that the helmwas beaten off at each stroke. If he then was justified in doingso of his own choice, and wilfully suffering to be unhelmed, howthen can this knight be accused of evil who suffered it bychance?""Nevertheless," said the Sieur de la Montaigne, in the samehoarse, breathless voice, "I do affirm, and will make myaffirmation good with my body, that I fell only by the breakingof my girth. Who says otherwise lies!""It is the truth he speaketh," said Myles. "I myself saw thestitches were some little what burst, and warned him thereofbefore we ran this course.
"Sir," said the Marshal to the Sieur de la Montaigne, "how canyou now complain of that thing which your own enemy advised youof and warned you against? Was it not right knightly for him soto do?"The Sieur de la Montaigne stood quite still for a little while,leaning on the shoulder of his chief squire, looking moodily uponthe ground; then, without making answer, he turned, and walkedslowly away to his pavilion, still leaning on his squire'sshoulder, whilst the other attendant followed behind, bearing hisshield and helmet.
Gascoyne had picked up Myles's fallen helmet as the Sieur de laMontaigne moved away, and Lord George and Sir James Lee camewalking across the lists to where Myles still sat. Then, the onetaking his horse by the bridle-rein, and the other walking besidethe saddle, they led him before the raised dais where the Kingsat.
Even the Comte de Vermoise, mortified and amazed as he must havebeen at the overthrow of his best knight, joined in the praiseand congratulation that poured upon the young conqueror. Myles,his heart swelling with a passion of triumphant delight, lookedup and met the gaze of Lady Alice fixed intently upon him. A redspot of excitement still burned in either cheek, and it flamed toa rosier red as he bowed his head to her before turning away.
Gascoyne had just removed Myles's breastplate and gorget, whenSir James Lee burst into the pavilion. All his grim coldness wasgone, and he flung his arms around the young man's neck, hugginghim heartily, and kissing him upon either cheek.
Ere he let him go, "Mine own dear boy," he said, holding him offat arm's-length, and winking his one keen eye rapidly, as thoughto wink away a dampness of which he was ashamed--"mine own dearboy, I do tell thee truly this is as sweet to me as though thouwert mine own son; sweeter to me than when I first broke mine ownlance in triumph, and felt myself to be a right knight.""Sir," answered Myles, "what thou sayest doth rejoice my veryheart. Ne'theless, it is but just to say that both hisbreast-piece and over-girth were burst in the stitches before heran his course, for so I saw with mine own eyes.""Burst in the stitches!" snorted Sir James. "Thinkest thou he didnot know in what condition was his horse's gearing? I tell theehe went down because thou didst strike fair and true, and he didnot so strike thee. Had he been Guy of Warwick he had gone downall the same under such a stroke and in such case."
