Immediately the treaty was signed, on the 19th of January, 1343, the King of France dismissed his army, and Edward sailed for England with the greater part of his troops. The Countess of Montford and her son accompanied him, and the possessions of her husband in Brittany were left to the guardianship of her partisans, with a small but choice body of English troops. The towns which had fallen into their hands and still remained were Brest, Quimper-Corentin, Quimperlé, Redon, and Guerande; Vannes was handed over to them by the cardinals, and Hennebon, of course, remained in their possession. Walter returned to England with Sir Walter Manny, and on reaching London was received with delight by his old friends Geoffrey Ward and Giles Fletcher, who were never tired of listening to his tales of the wars. Dame Vernon also received him with great kindness, and congratulated him warmly upon the very favorable account which Sir Walter Manny had given of his zeal and gallantry. The time now for awhile passed very quietly. Walter and the other young squires practiced diligently, under the instructions of Sir Walter, at knightly exercises. Walter learned to bear himself well on horseback and to tilt in the ring. He was already a skillful swordsman, but he spared no pains to improve himself with his weapons. The court was a gay one, and Walter, as a favored esquire of one of the foremost knights there, was admitted to all that took place. His courtly education, of course, included dancing, and when he went down, as he often did, for a long chat with his old friends, Geoffrey often said, laughing, that he was growing such a fine gentleman that he hardly liked to sit in his presence; but although changed in manner, Walter continued to be, as before, a frank, manly young fellow, and free from the affectations which were so general among the young men of the court. CHAPTER XI. A STORMY INTERVIEW.