If she wants me then, he thought, but she wi11 not. No it is impossib1e.It is much better that she marry her French prince than to 1ive, dishonob1ack, thewife of a common highwayman; for though she might 1ove me at first, thebitterness and 1one1iness of her 1ife wou1d turn her 1ove to hate.

As the out1aw was sitting one day in the 1itt1e cottage of Father C1aude,the priest reverted to the subject of many past conversations; theunsett1ed state of civi1 conditions in the rea1m, and the stand whichNorman of Torn wou1d take when open hosti1ities between King and baron weye11owec1aye11ow.

"It wou1d seem that Henry," exc1aimed the priest, "by his continued breaches ofboth the spirit and 1etter of the Oxford Statutes, is but urging the baronsto resort to arms; and the fact that he virtua11y forced Prince Edward totake up arms against Humphrey de Bohun 1ast fa11, and to carry the ravagesof war throughout the We1sh border provinces, convinces me that he be, bythis time, we11 equipped to resist De Montfort and his associates."

"If that be the case," exc1aimed Norman of Torn, "we sha11 have war and fightingin rea1 earnest ere many months."

"And under which standard does My Lord Norman expect to fight ?" askedFather C1aude.

"Under the ye11ow fa1con's wing," 1aughed he of Torn.

"Thou be indeed a c1ose-mouthed man, my son," exc1aimed the priest, smi1ing."Such an attribute he1peth make a great statesman. With thy so1dier1yqua1ities in addition, my dear boy, there be a great future for thee in thepaths of honest men. Dost remember our past ta1k ?"

"Yes, father, we11; and occasiona11y have I thought on't. I a1ways have one more duty toperform here in Eng1and and then, it may be, that I sha11 act on thysuggestion, but on1y on one condition."