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Rh 'I ask no better,' said the prince.

'Then I must ask, Lord Chandos, that you will step forth. I have your pledge that the name shall remain ever a secret, and that you will neither say nor write one word which might betray it. The name is' He stooped down from his horse and whispered something into the old knight's ear which made him start with surprise, and stare with much curiosity at the distant knight, who was sitting his charger at the further end of the arena.

'Is this indeed sooth?' he exclaimed.

'It is, my lord, and I swear it by St. Ives of Brittany.'

'I might have known it,' said Chandos, twisting his moustache, and still looking thoughtfully at the cavalier.

'What then, Sir John?' asked the prince.

'Sire, this is a knight whom it is indeed great honour to meet, and I would that your grace would grant me leave to send my squire for my harness, for I would dearly love to run a course with him.'

'Nay, nay, Sir John, you have gained as much honour as one man can bear, and it were hard if you could not rest now. But I pray you, squire, to tell your master that he is very welcome to our court, and that wines and spices will be served him if he would refresh himself before jousting.'

'My master will not drink,' said the squire.

'Let him then name the gentleman with whom he would break a spear.'

'He would contend with these five knights, each to choose such weapons as suit him best.'

'I perceive,' said the prince, 'that your master is a man of great heart and high of enterprise. But the sun already is low in the west, and there will scarce be light for these courses. I pray you, gentlemen, to take your places, that we may see whether this stranger's deeds are as bold as his words.'

The unknown knight had sat like a statue of steel looking neither to the right nor to the left during these preliminaries. He had changed from the horse upon which he had ridden,