第17章

Thechampion，movingonwardamidthesewell-meanthints，ascendedtheplatformbytheslopingalleywhichledtoitfromthelists，and，totheastonishmentofallpresent，ridingstraightuptothecentralpavilion，struckwiththesharpendofhisspeartheshieldofBriandeBois-Guilbertuntilitrungagain。Allstoodastonishedathispresumption，butnonemorethantheredoubtedKnightwhomhehadthusdefiedtomortalcombat，andwho，littleexpectingsorudeachallenge，wasstandingcarelesslyatthedoorofthepavilion。

``Haveyouconfessedyourself，brother，’’saidtheTemplar，``andhaveyouheardmassthismorning，thatyouperilyourlifesofrankly?’’

``Iamfittertomeetdeaththanthouart，’’answeredtheDisinheritedKnight；forbythisnamethestrangerhadrecordedhimselfinthebooksofthetourney。

``Thentakeyourplaceinthelists，’’saidBois-Guilbert，``andlookyourlastuponthesun；forthisnightthoushaltsleepinparadise。’’

``Gramercyforthycourtesy，’’repliedtheDisinheritedKnight，``andtorequiteit，Iadvisetheetotakeafreshhorseandanewlance，forbymyhonouryouwillneedboth。’’

Havingexpressedhimselfthusconfidently，hereinedhishorsebackwarddowntheslopewhichhehadascended，andcompelledhiminthesamemannertomovebackwardthroughthelists，tillhereachedthenorthernextremity，whereheremainedstationary，inexpectationofhisantagonist。Thisfeatofhorsemanshipagainattractedtheapplauseofthemultitude。

Howeverincensedathisadversaryfortheprecautionswhichherecommended，BriandeBois-Guilbertdidnotneglecthisadvice；forhishonourwastoonearlyconcerned，topermithisneglectinganymeanswhichmightensurevictoryoverhispresumptuousopponent。Hechangedhishorseforaprovedandfreshoneofgreatstrengthandspirit。

Hechoseanewandatoughspear，lestthewoodoftheformermighthavebeenstrainedinthepreviousencountershehadsustained。Lastly，helaidasidehisshield，whichhadreceivedsomelittledamage，andreceivedanotherfromhissquires。Hisfirsthadonlybornethegeneraldeviceofhisrider，representingtwoknightsridingupononehorse，anemblemexpressiveoftheoriginalhumilityandpovertyoftheTemplars，qualitieswhichtheyhadsinceexchangedforthearroganceandwealththatfinallyoccasionedtheirsuppression。Bois-Guilbert’snewshieldborearaveninfullflight，holdinginitsclawsaskull，andbearingthemotto，_GareleCorbeau_。

Whenthetwochampionsstoodopposedtoeachotheratthetwoextremitiesofthelists，thepublicexpectationwasstrainedtothehighestpitch。FewauguredthepossibilitythattheencountercouldterminatewellfortheDisinheritedKnight，yethiscourageandgallantrysecuredthegeneralgoodwishesofthespectators。

Thetrumpetshadnosoonergiventhesignal，thanthechampionsvanishedfromtheirpostswiththespeedoflightning，andclosedinthecentreofthelistswiththeshockofathunderbolt。Thelancesburstintoshiversuptotheverygrasp，anditseemedatthemomentthatbothknightshadfallen，fortheshockhadmadeeachhorserecoilbackwardsuponitshaunches。Theaddressoftheridersrecoveredtheirsteedsbyuseofthebridleandspur；

andhavingglaredoneachotherforaninstantwitheyeswhichseemedtoflashfirethroughthebarsoftheirvisors，eachmadeademi-volte，and，retiringtotheextremityofthelists，receivedafreshlancefromtheattendants。

Aloudshoutfromthespectators，wavingofscarfsandhandkerchiefs，andgeneralacclamations，attestedtheinteresttakenbythespectatorsinthisencounter；themostequal，aswellasthebestperformed，whichhadgracedtheday。Butnosoonerhadtheknightsresumedtheirstation，thantheclamourofapplausewashushedintoasilence，sodeepandsodead，thatitseemedthemultitudewereafraideventobreathe。

Afewminutespausehavingbeenallowed，thatthecombatantsandtheirhorsesmightrecoverbreath，PrinceJohnwithhistruncheonsignedtothetrumpetstosoundtheonset。Thechampionsasecondtimesprungfromtheirstations，andclosedinthecentreofthelists，withthesamespeed，thesamedexterity，thesameviolence，butnotthesameequalfortuneasbefore。

Inthissecondencounter，theTemplaraimedatthecentreofhisantagonist’sshield，andstruckitsofairandforcibly，thathisspearwenttoshivers，andtheDisinheritedKnightreeledinhissaddle。

Ontheotherhand，thatchampionhad，inthebeginningofhiscareer，directedthepointofhislancetowardsBois-Guilbert’sshield，but，changinghisaimalmostinthemomentofencounter，headdressedittothehelmet，amarkmoredifficulttohit，butwhich，ifattained，renderedtheshockmoreirresistible。

FairandtruehehittheNormanonthevisor，wherehislance’spointkeptholdofthebars。

Yet，evenatthisdisadvantage，theTemplarsustainedhishighreputation；andhadnotthegirthsofhissaddleburst，hemightnothavebeenunhorsed。

Asitchanced，however，saddle，horse，andman，rolledonthegroundunderacloudofdust。

Toextricatehimselffromthestirrupsandfallensteed，wastotheTemplarscarcetheworkofamoment；

and，stungwithmadness，bothathisdisgraceandattheacclamationswithwhichitwashailedbythespectators，hedrewhisswordandwaveditindefianceofhisconqueror。TheDisinheritedKnightsprungfromhissteed，andalsounsheathedhissword。Themarshalsofthefield，however，spurredtheirhorsesbetweenthem，andremindedthem，thatthelawsofthetournamentdidnot，onthepresentoccasion，permitthisspeciesofencounter。

``Weshallmeetagain，Itrust，’’saidtheTemplar，castingaresentfulglanceathisantagonist；

``andwheretherearenonetoseparateus。’’

``Ifwedonot，’’saidtheDisinheritedKnight，``thefaultshallnotbemine。Onfootorhorseback，withspear，withaxe，orwithsword，Iamalikereadytoencounterthee。’’

Moreandangrierwordswouldhavebeenexchanged，butthemarshals，crossingtheirlancesbetwixtthem，compelledthemtoseparate。TheDisinheritedKnightreturnedtohisfirststation，andBois-Guilberttohistent，whereheremainedfortherestofthedayinanagonyofdespair。

Withoutalightingfromhishorse，theconquerorcalledforabowlofwine，andopeningthebeaver，orlowerpartofhishelmet，announcedthathequaffedit，``ToalltrueEnglishhearts，andtotheconfusionofforeigntyrants。’’Hethencommandedhistrumpettosoundadefiancetothechallengers，anddesiredaheraldtoannouncetothem，thatheshouldmakenoelection，butwaswillingtoencounterthemintheorderinwhichtheypleasedtoadvanceagainsthim。

ThegiganticFront-de-Buf，armedinsablearmour，wasthefirstwhotookthefield。Heboreonawhiteshieldablackbull’shead，halfdefacedbythenumerousencounterswhichhehadundergone，andbearingthearrogantmotto，_Cave，Adsum_。

OverthischampiontheDisinheritedKnightobtainedaslightbutdecisiveadvantage。BothKnightsbroketheirlancesfairly，butFront-de-Buf，wholostastirrupintheencounter，wasadjudgedtohavethedisadvantage。

Inthestranger’sthirdencounterwithSirPhilipMalvoisin，hewasequallysuccessful；strikingthatbaronsoforciblyonthecasque，thatthelacesofthehelmetbroke，andMalvoisin，onlysavedfromfallingbybeingunhelmeted，wasdeclaredvanquishedlikehiscompanions。

InhisfourthcombatwithDeGrantmesnil，theDisinheritedKnightshowedasmuchcourtesyashehadhithertoevincedcourageanddexterity。DeGrantmesnil’shorse，whichwasyoungandviolent，rearedandplungedinthecourseofthecareersoastodisturbtherider’saim，andthestranger，decliningtotaketheadvantagewhichthisaccidentaffordedhim，raisedhislance，andpassinghisantagonistwithouttouchinghim，wheeledhishorseandrodebackagaintohisownendofthelists，offeringhisantagonist，byaherald，thechanceofasecondencounter。ThisDeGrantmesnildeclined，avowinghimselfvanquishedasmuchbythecourtesyasbytheaddressofhisopponent。

RalphdeVipontsummedupthelistofthestranger’striumphs，beinghurledtothegroundwithsuchforce，thatthebloodgushedfromhisnoseandhismouth，andhewasbornesenselessfromthelists。

TheacclamationsofthousandsapplaudedtheunanimousawardofthePrinceandmarshals，announcingthatday’shonourstotheDisinheritedKnight。

CHAPTERIX