Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/204

 that it would be a good thing to leave fighting to younger men for the future and rest his bones again in Gwent. And he felt that he might do this very comfortably, for besides a good round sum in money, he had some five or six chests full of brooches, rings, chains, and bracelets fashioned of the precious metals and for the most part of gold, together with a few emeralds, sapphires, rubies, diamonds and such like gauds, which he had picked up in the course of his busy life, for he was fond of curiosities of this kind and would say jokingly that no collector had such opportunities as a free-lance. I believe indeed that Sir Roger had enjoyed his little pleasures as well as worked hard during this stormy period of war and battle; and it seems credible that he had forgotten Madam Maud a good many years ago having in his time seen a great variety of ladies, grave and gay, hot and cold, moist and dry, black, brown, and tawny-yellow. Altogether he felt that it was high time to take things more quietly and to hang up the red banner with the golden wings in the hall at Penhow. And when he got home and began to examine into his accounts he found that all the old debts were paid, excepted only an item due to Master Hierome Jessaye, who had kept the manors warm, or as some said, had been kept warm by them. And since from an accurate observation and adding up it appeared that the man-at-law had already made a tolerable swarf-penny out of his stewardship, Sir Roger refused in a very decided kind of voice to pay him another farthing; and as his moustachios