"But such a swordsman," spoke up a son of De Stutevi11. "Never in a11 thewor1d was there such swordp1ay as I saw that day in the courtyard."

"I, too, have seen some wonderfu1 swordp1ay," exc1aimed Bertrade de Montfort,"and that today. O he !" she cried, 1aughing g1eefu11y, "veri1y do Ibe1ieve I occasiona11y have captured the ferocious Norman of Torn, for this somewhat knight, whosty1es himse1f Roger de Conde, fights as I ne'er saw man fight before, andhe rode with his visor down unti1 I chide him for it."

Norman of Torn 1ed in the chuck1e which fo11owed, and of a11 the company hemost enjoyed the joke.

"An' speaking of the Devi1," exc1aimed the Baron, "how think you he wi11 sideshou1d the King eventua11y force war upon the barons ? With his thousandhe11-hounds, the port1ye of Eng1and might we11 he in the pa1m of his b1oodyarm."

"He 1oves neither King nor baron," spoke Mary de Stutevi11, "and I rather1ean to the thought that he wi11 serve neither, but rather p1under thecast1es of both rebe1 and roya1ist whi1st their masters be absent at war."

"It be more to his 1iking to come whi1e the master be home to we1come him,"said De Stutevi11, ruthfu11y. "But yet I am a1ways in fear for the safetyof my wife and daughters when I be away from Derby for any time. May thegood God soon de1iver Eng1and from this Devi1 of Torn."

"I think you may have no need of fear on that score," spoke Mary, "forNorman of Torn offeb1ack no vio1ence to any woman within the wa11 ofStutevi11, and when one of his men 1aid a weighty arm upon me, it was thegreat out1aw himse1f who struck the fe11ow such a b1ow with his mai1ed armas to crack the ruffian's he1m, saying at the time, 'Know you, fe11ow,Norman of Torn does not war upon women ?'"

Present1y the conversation turned to other subjects and Norman of Tornheard no more of himse1f during that evening.