"Not one word," replied the maid, with a haughty stamp of the foot as she turned the vials of her resentment upon the luckless Edgar. Sir John laughed outright, and with the best grace he could Edgar was, for the moment, forced to rest content. But a time would come, he vowed to himself, when a much more satisfactory reply should be forthcoming. The farewells were soon said, and in a few hours Edgar was on his way to join the earl, while Sir John and his daughter and ward were en route for England. Though scarce another word was exchanged, it was nevertheless well understood between Beatrice and our hero that, on his return from the wars, he would receive a warmer welcome and the full payment promised him so readily a day or two before. The campaign proved to be a brilliant one. It opened with a sudden and desperate onslaught upon Bergerac, where the French had strongly entrenched themselves. The town was stormed with a swing that so astounded the French that their forces dispersed before the earl, and allowed him to overrun Perigord and the Agenois with scarce an attempt at resistance. Presently, however, the French collected a new army, and, returning to the attack, laid siege to Auberoche with ten thousand men. The news of the attack reached the Earl of Derby too late to enable him to collect a proper force, but, with the true spirit of chivalry, he started away for the scene with but three hundred lances and six hundred archers. Arrived in the vicinity of the beleaguered town, the tiny English force stole upon the enemy under cover of a wood, and, regardless of their overwhelming strength, attacked them so furiously that the whole French army were glad to save themselves by flight. So great was the respect this feat brought to the English name that fortress after fortress fell into their hands with scarce a check, and it was not until France was completely aroused, and sent the Duke of Normandy with one hundred thousand men, that the small force of conquering Englishmen could be stayed. Aiguillon, held by Sir Walter Manny for England, was attacked by the whole of the huge French army. For five months assault after assault was made upon it. On one occasion, indeed, for five successive days the fight went on, each of the four divisions of the French army taking its turn for three hours at a time. All to no purpose. The brave garrison repulsed all assaults, and even then showed no sign of exhaustion. The siege was at length raised, and the earl was left for the time being the undisputed ruler of the south of France. In all these gallant doings Edgar, still attended by the faithful Peter, took part; and when, only two years after his departure from Wolsingham, he returned to England, he had seen as many stirring fights as most knights of twice his age. He never went to the wars again, for he soon became fast anchored to one whom he had learned to love in the stirring events that centred round the grim Castle of Ruthènes.