He reached his goal, shot the bolt, and turned, leaning against the

door. The heaped walls of that human sea had by this flowed over his

lane; now they stood eyeing him who faced them and wiped his blade

with a piece cut from the arras--eyeing him askance with silly,

shocked faces. Behind them a few grunted or sobbed; but for the most

part he had done his work only too well.

Having wiped exquisitely his sword and sheathed it, Prosper took a

step forward. The heap of men huddled again.

"Let one go to fetch Melot," he said softly.

No one stirred.

"Let one go to fetch Melot."

No motion, no breath.

"Ah," said he as if to himself, and laid hand to pommel. The heap

shuddered and turned on itself. It swarmed. Finally, like a drop from

a sponge, Master Porges exuded and stood out, a sweating monument.

"Seneschal," said Prosper, with a bow, "I am for the moment about to

ask a favour of you. Have the goodness to oblige me." He unbolted the

door and held it open for the man.

Master Porges gasped, looked once to heaven, thought to pray.

"In manus teas, Domine!" he sighed.

"Exactly," said Prosper, and kicked him out. The breathless audience

was resumed.

A timid knocking--a mere flutter--at the door ushered in as tip-toe a

couple as you might easily see. Master Porges fell to his knees and

prayers; Melot was too far gone for that. She simply did everything

she was told.

"Melot," said Prosper, "you will tell me the whole tale from the

beginning. It was you who first knew the Lady Isoult?"

"Yes, Messire."

"It was you who told the others?"

"Yes, Messire."

"Your mistress then saw the Lady Isoult?"

"Yes, Messire."

"What happened next?"

"My lady struck her, and pushed her into the corridor, Messire."

"Ah! And then?"

"And we were all there, Messire."

"Ah, yes. Waiting?"

"Yes, Messire."

"And then?"

"Then we had a procession, Messire."

"Who ordered it?"

"The seneschal had the ordering, Messire."

"O Pudor! O afflicted liar!" prayed Master Porges.

But the tale went on. The afflicted liar forgot nothing except Master

Porges' syllogisms. These she took for granted. At the end Prosper

said to her-"Melot, you may go. I do not punish women, and you have only done

after your kind. Go to the others."

The pack opened and swallowed her up. Prosper turned to Master Porges,

who was gabbling prayers for his enemies.

"Master Seneschal," he said, "since it is you who have driven this

herd of hogs to do your work, now I shall drive them to do mine. And

in teaching you through them what it is to do villainy to ladies, I

teach them through you. They could not have a better guide than their

headman; and as for you, I will take care that you are well grounded

in what you have to teach."




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