You are all bachelors, like
me, and travel light. So off with you!--Sir Ascelin, you will eat and
drink?"
"That will I."
"Quick, then, butler! and after that pack up the Englishman's plate-chest,
which we inherited by right of fist,--the only plate and the only
title-deeds I ever possessed."
"Now, Sir Ascelin,"--as the three knights, the lady, and the poor children
ate their fastest,--"listen to me. The art of war lies in this one
nutshell,--to put the greatest number of men into one place at one time,
and let all other places shift. To strike swiftly, and strike heavily.
That is the rule of our liege lord, King William; and by it he will
conquer England, or the world, if he will; and while he does that, he
shall never say that Ivo Taillebois stayed at home to guard his own manors
while he could join his king, and win all the manors of England once and
for all."
"Pardieu! whatever men may say of thy lineage or thy virtues, they cannot
deny this,--that thou art a most wise and valiant captain."
"That am I," quoth Taillebois, too much pleased with the praise to care
about being _tutoye_ by younger men. "As for my lineage, my lord the
king has a fellow-feeling for upstarts; and the woodman's grandson may
very well serve the tanner's. Now, men! is the litter ready for the lady
and children? I am sorry to rattle you about thus, madame, but war has no
courtesies; and march I must.
Pages:
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352