Eric groaned and shook his head; but the Count de Harcourt's judgment was of such weight with him, that he never dreamt of disputing it.
'Bring me here,' said the King, 'all that you deem most holy, and you shall see me pledge myself to be your Duke's most faithful friend.'
There was some delay, during which the Norman Nobles had time for further counsel together, and Richard looked wistfully at them, wondering what was to happen to him, and wishing he could venture to ask for Alberic.
Several of the Clergy of the Cathedral presently appeared in procession, bringing with them the book of the Gospels on which Richard had taken his installation oath, with others of the sacred treasures of the Church, preserved in gold cases. The Priests were followed by a few of the Norman Knights and Nobles, some of the burgesses of Rouen, and, to Richard's great joy, by Alberic de Montemar himself. The two boys stood looking eagerly at each other, while preparation was made for the ceremony of the King's oath.
The stone table in the middle of the room was cleared, and arranged so as in some degree to resemble the Altar in the Cathedral; then the Count de Harcourt, standing before it, and holding the King's hand, demanded of him whether he would undertake to be the friend, protector, and good Lord of Richard, Duke of Normandy, guarding him from all his enemies, and ever seeking his welfare. Louis, with his hand on the Gospels, 'swore that so he would.'
'Amen!' returned Bernard the Dane, solemnly, 'and as thou keepest that oath to the fatherless child, so may the Lord do unto thine house!'
Then followed the ceremony, which had been interrupted the night before, of the homage and oath of allegiance which Richard owed to the King, and, on the other hand, the King's formal reception of him as a vassal, holding, under him, the two dukedoms of Normandy and Brittany. 'And,' said the King, raising him in his arms and kissing him, 'no dearer vassal do I hold in all my realm than this fair child, son of my murdered friend and benefactor--precious to me as my own children, as so on my Queen and I hope to testify.'
Richard did not much like all this embracing; but he was sure the King really meant him no ill, and he wondered at all the distrust the Centevilles had shown.
'Now, brave Normans,' said the King, 'be ye ready speedily, for an onset on the traitor Fleming. The cause of my ward is my own cause. Soon shall the trumpet be sounded, the ban and arriere ban of the realm be called forth, and Arnulf, in the flames of his cities, and the blood of his vassals, shall learn to rue the day when his foot trod the Isle of Pecquigny! How many Normans can you bring to the muster, Sir Count?'
'I cannot say, within a few hundreds of lances,' replied the old Dane, cautiously; 'it depends on the numbers that may be engaged in the Italian war with the Saracens, but of this be sure, Sir King, that every man in Normandy and Brittany who can draw a sword or bend a bow, will stand forth in the cause of our little Duke; ay, and that his blessed father's memory is held so dear in our northern home, that it needs but a message to King Harold Blue- tooth to bring a fleet of long keels into the Seine, with stout Danes enough to carry fire and sword, not merely through Flanders, but through all France. We of the North are not apt to forget old friendships and favours, Sir King.'
'Yes, yes, I know the Norman faith of old,' returned Louis, uneasily, 'but we should scarcely need such wild allies as you propose; the Count of Paris, and Hubert of Senlis may be reckoned on, I suppose.'
'No truer friend to Normandy than gallant and wise old Hugh the White!' said Bernard, 'and as to Senlis, he is uncle to the boy, and doubly bound to us.'
'I rejoice to see your confidence,' said Louis. 'You shall soon hear from me. In the meantime I must return to gather my force together, and summon my great vassals, and I will, with your leave, brave Normans, take with me my dear young ward. His presence will plead better in his cause than the finest words; moreover, he will grow up in love and friendship with my two boys, and shall be nurtured with them in all good learning and chivalry, nor shall he ever be reminded that he is an orphan while under the care of Queen Gerberge and myself.'
'Let the child come to me, so please you, my Lord the King,' answered Harcourt, bluntly. 'I must hold some converse with him, ere I can reply.'
'Go then, Richard,' said Louis, 'go to your trusty vassal--happy are you in possessing such a friend; I hope you know his value.'
'Here then, young Sir,' said the Count, in his native tongue, when Richard had crossed from the King's side, and stood beside him, 'what say you to this proposal?'
'The King is very kind,' said Richard. 'I am sure he is kind; but I do not like to go from Rouen, or from Dame Astrida.'
'Listen, my Lord,' said the Dane, stooping down and speaking low. 'The King is resolved to have you away; he has with him the best of his Franks, and has so taken us at unawares, that though I might yet rescue you from his hands, it would not be without a fierce struggle, wherein you might be harmed, and this castle and town certainly burnt, and wrested from us. A few weeks or months, and we shall have time to draw our force together, so that Normandy need fear no man, and for that time you must tarry with him.'
'Must I--and all alone?'
'No, not alone, not without the most trusty guardian that can be found for you. Friend Eric, what say you?' and he laid his hand on the old Baron's shoulder. 'Yet, I know not; true thou art, as a Norwegian mountain, but I doubt me if thy brains are not too dull to see through the French wiles and disguises, sharp as thou didst show thyself last night.'
'That was Osmond, not I,' said Sir Eric. 'He knows their mincing tongue better than I. He were the best to go with the poor child, if go he must.'
'Bethink you, Eric,' said the Count, in an undertone, 'Osmond is the only hope of your good old house--if there is foul play, the guardian will be the first to suffer.'
'Since you think fit to peril the only hope of all Normandy, I am not the man to hold back my son where he may aid him,' said old Eric, sadly. 'The poor child will be lonely and uncared-for there, and it were hard he should not have one faithful comrade and friend with him.'
'It is well,' said Bernard: 'young as he is, I had rather trust Osmond with the child than any one else, for he is ready of counsel, and quick of hand.'
'Ay, and a pretty pass it is come to,' muttered old Centeville, 'that we, whose business it is to guard the boy, should send him where you scarcely like to trust my son.'
Bernard paid no further attention to him, but, coming forward, required another oath from the King, that Richard should be as safe and free at his court as at Rouen, and that on no pretence whatsoever should he be taken from under the immediate care of his Esquire, Osmond Fitz Eric, heir of Centeville.
After this, the King was impatient to depart, and all was preparation. Bernard called Osmond aside to give full instructions on his conduct, and the means of communicating with Normandy, and Richard was taking leave of Fru Astrida, who had now descended from her turret, bringing her hostage with her. She wept much over her little Duke, praying that he might safely be restored to Normandy, even though she might not live to see it; she exhorted him not to forget the good and holy learning in which he had been brought up, to rule his temper, and, above all, to say his prayers constantly, never leaving out one, as the beads of his rosary reminded him of their order. As to her own grandson, anxiety for him seemed almost lost in her fears for Richard, and the chief things she said to him, when he came to take leave of her, were directions as to the care he was to take of the child, telling him the honour he now received was one which would make his name forever esteemed if he did but fulfil his trust, the most precious that Norman had ever yet received.
'I will, grandmother, to the very best of my power,' said Osmond; 'I may die in his cause, but never will I be faithless!'
'Alberic!' said Richard, 'are you glad to be going back to Montemar?'
'Yes, my Lord,' answered Alberic, sturdily, 'as glad as you will be to come back to Rouen.'
'Then I shall send for you directly, Alberic, for I shall never love the Princes Carloman and Lothaire half as well as you!'
'My Lord the King is waiting for the Duke,' said a Frenchman, coming forward.
'Farewell then, Fru Astrida. Do not weep. I shall soon come back. Farewell, Alberic. Take the bar-tailed falcon back to Montemar, and keep him for my sake. Farewell, Sir Eric--Farewell, Count Bernard. When the Normans come to conquer Arnulf you will lead them. O dear, dear Fru Astrida, farewell again.'
'Farewell, my own darling. The blessing of Heaven go with you, and bring you safe home! Farewell, Osmond.
