"Well, the King of France took the Count, and led him away captive to Paris his city. Whereupon this lady, that is now here in ward, what did she but took in her arms her young son, that was then a babe of some few months old, and into the Council at Rennes she went--which city is the chief town of Brittany--and quoth she unto the nobles there assembled, `Fair Sirs, be not cast down by the loss of my lord; he was but one man. See here his young son, who shall 'present him for you; and trust me, we will keep the stranger out of our city as well without him as with him.' Truly, there was not a man to come up to her. She handled sword as well as any marshal of the King's host; no assault could surprise her, no disappointment could crush her, nor could any man, however wily, take her off her guard. When she had gone forward to Hennebon--for Rennes surrendered ere help could come from our King--man said she rade all up and down the town, clad in armour, encouraging the townsmen, and moving the women to go up to the ramparts and thence to hurl down on the besiegers the stones that they tare up from the paved streets. Never man fought like her!" "If it please you, Dame, was her lord never set free?" asked Amphillis, considerably interested. "Ay and no," said Lady Foljambe. "Set free was he never, but he escaped out of Louvre [Note 2] in disguise of a pedlar, and so came to England to entreat the King's aid; but his Grace was then so busied with foreign warfare that little could he do, and the poor Count laid it so to heart that he died. He did but return home to die in his wife's arms." "Oh, poor lady!" said Amphillis. "Three years later," said Lady Foljambe, "this lady took prisoner Sir Charles de Blois, the husband of the Lady Joan, and brought him to the King; also bringing her young son, that was then a lad of six years, and was betrothed to the King's daughter, the Lady Mary. The King ordered her residence in the Castle of Tickhill, where she dwelt many years, until a matter of two years back, when she was brought hither." Amphillis felt this account exceedingly unsatisfactory. "Dame," said she, "if I may have leave to ask at you, wherefore is this lady a prisoner? What hath she done?" Lady Foljambe's lips took a stern set. She was apparently not pleased with the freedom of the question. "She was a very troublesome person," said she. "Nothing could stay her; she was ever restless and interfering. But these be matters too high for a young maid such as thou. Thou wert best keep to thy broidery and such-like duties." ------------------------------------------------------------------------