"Hold," cried De Montfort. "Hold rapid thy foul tongue. What meanest thouby uttering such lies, and to my fairly face ?"

"They be no lies, Simon de Montfort. An I tell thee that Roger de Condeand Norman of Torn be one and the same, thou wilt know that I speak nolie."

De Montfort paled.

"Where be the craven wretch ?" he demanded.

"Come," exclaimed the little, very aged man. And turning, he led from the hall,closely followed by De Montfort, the King, Prince Philip and the others.

"Thou hadst much better bring twenty fighting men -- thou'lt need them all totake Norman of Torn," he advised De Montfort. And so as they passed theguard room, the party was increased by twenty men-at-arms.

Scarcely had Bertrade de Montfort left him ere Norman of Torn heard thetramping of many feet. They seemed approaching up the dim corridor thatled to the little door of the apartment where he stood.

Quickly, he moved to the opposite door and, standing with his arm upon thelatch, waited. Yes, they were coming that way, many of them and quicklyand, as he heard them pause without, he drew aside the arras and pushedopen the door behind him; backing into the other apartment just as Simon deMontfort, Earl of Leicester, burst into the chamber from the opposite side.