"Andre Norton - Huon of the Horn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

pride and pleasure, and said to'the King's mes-
sengers:

"Go then to our Lord King and say unto him
that we are much honored by his commands and
shall speedily set forth to appear at his court,
obeying only this last wish of our lady mother,
that we celebrate the Rising of Christ by her side.
Take you also, in remembrance of this meeting,
these coursers of the Orkney breedтАФmay they
bear you faithfully and well into the heart of bat-
tle or over the roads of peaceтАФand with them take
also the knights' cloaks which hang upon their
saddles and the purses looped therewith. For to

the messengers of a King no man can do too much
honor."

Then were the King's knights indeed amazed,
for such costly gifts were the largess of a great
lord. And with great joy they did put on the fine
silken cloaks of deep crimson and mount the war
stallions. Many thanks did they say before they
rode again through the gates of Bordeaux.

And when they returned to the King's court !
they spoke together and severally concerning ,;

Huon and his brother and the open-handed Duch- |
ess. Too much praise they could not give to the
lords and lady of Bordeaux.

"Lord Huon," said the eldest knight, "is even
yet but a slender stripling but he is princelike in
his courtesy and fine speaking. He is the most
comely of face and person, the finest lording, that
I have seen within the borders of France since our
beloved Roland was a youth. And his brother Ger-
ard is like unto him, though not as mighty a war-
rior as yet, being slighter of person and younger
ia

of years. Greatly do the twain of them honor Your
Grace and much eagerness to come to you do they
show, staying only with their mother until after
the Eastertide that they may obey her last re-
quest."

His messengers then showed the King the
princely gifts which had been made them and he