"Why should you, comrade? ’Tis many years since he’s been heard of. There’s some as said he were lately come over with the Lord Lincoln to Stoke field, and died there in harness, fighting with his face to the foe, by the side of the Lord Geraldine, Captain Martin Swartz, Sir Thomas Broughton, and all those lusty Allemaynes who gave us such hard knocks ere we made them give in. But I were with the Herald when we searched the field, and never saw him there; and I should have known him alive or dead anywhere. We were boys together down Briddlesford way." "Now you’ve named Sir George Lisle, that minds me," said the second soldier, "that when King Edward was alive, he was in rare favour with the king, who gave him in marriage a right lovely lady. But there was some talk of his lady, how, when he was away in France with old Bear and Ragged Staff, she went off with some one, I don’t rightly remember who." "Silence, man, an you value your tongue!" said his comrade. "That’s a tale you’d best not call to mind hereabouts," he added significantly. Ralph, full of the news, was going off to the pages’ room, when he noticed the shields. "What are they for?" he asked of the old man-at-arms who had just spoken so pointedly to his more garrulous comrade. "I’ faith, when a knight wants to take up their challenge, he smiteth on these shields, and his name and lineage are taken down by the clerk or herald appointed to put in the roll of the tilt the names of those who come to take their challenge." Ralph longed to be able to hit that shield. "Are any who are not knights admitted to the joust?" he asked.. "Sometimes, but very rarely. Howbeit, the judges have the right to let in whomsoever they choose, provided he be of noble or gentle birth." This was enough for Ralph. He would leave no stone unturned to obtain leave to splinter a lance in the approaching jousts. As he thought of it, the colour came into his face; he pictured himself riding in the lists, armed _cap-à-pié_, winning the prize under the lovely blue eyes of the fair Yolande. As he crossed the yard, deep in this delightful thought, he ran against a man in a monastic dress, who had just entered by the main gate. "Certes, my son, thou shouldest give heed to thy steps," said the monk, as he staggered under the unprovoked assault. *CHAPTER XI.* *HOW JOYOUSLY LIFE GOETH.*