Produced by Al Haines. [Transcriber’s note: Chapters 22, 23, and 24 are somewhat confusing. In 22, Guillaume de Coray is thrown from his horse and injured, but in 23 he’s OK, then in 24 he’s dying. I don’t have access to another edition to see if perhaps there’s something wrong with the source edition for this etext.] [Illustration: Cover art] [Illustration: "Do your work knave, and quickly." (p. 282)] *A MAID OF BRITTANY* *A Romance* BY MAY WYNNE AUTHOR OF "HENRY OF NAVARRE," "WHEN TERROR RULED," ETC. _POPULAR EDITION with FRONTISPIECE BY H. M. BROCK_ LONDON GREENING & CO., LTD. 1909 (_All rights reserved_) Dedicated TO MY MOTHER *MAID OF BRITTANY* *CHAPTER I* "A spy—a French spy! tiens, monsieur! but it is assured." The speaker, a man of about thirty years of age, dressed in hunting costume, was standing by his horse’s side, looking down, with flushed face and knitted brows, upon a figure which lay stretched on the ground before him, the figure of a man also young, but even in unconsciousness of far more prepossessing appearance than he who stood frowning over him. Gathered at a short distance and watching the scene with keen interest stood a hawking party, fresh from their chase, and consisting of a broad-shouldered, handsome old man of some seventy summers, a young girl, whose beautiful face wore a compassionate look as she bent forward on her palfrey to catch a glimpse at the unconscious stranger, and several attendants bearing trophies of the chase, and carrying hooded falcons on their wrists. "Nay, then, Guillaume," interposed the girl, before her father could reply, "but wherefore such assurance? Surely he is no spy, for see, the golden spurs upon his heels proclaim his knighthood." "Ay," replied her cousin mockingly, as he pointed to a horse standing with bent head and distended nostrils by the prostrate man’s side. "As plainly, fair cousin, as yonder steed’s docked ears and mane proclaim him Brittany’s enemy."[#] [#] It was the fashion at the time for French knights to cut off their horse’s ears and manes, as also never to ride mares. There was a sparkle of indignation in the girl’s eyes as she turned to her father.