Advancing with bows the courtier talked to him a while, then was dismissed by a gracious motion of the hand.
As the Englishmen entered this hall a herald called their names thus from a written slip of paper: "The Cavalier Geoffrey Carleon, Ambassador of England.

The Cavalier Hugh de Cressi, Messenger from the King of England, and the Captain Richard Archer, his companion." Now all talk was hushed and every eye turned to scan these strangers of whose business, it would seem, something was already known.
"A fine man," said one lady to another of Hugh, "but why does he come here in dinted armour ?" "Oh! he is English and the English are barbarians who like to be ready to cut some one's throat," answered her companion.

"But Holy Jesus! look at the long fellow with the death's head who walks behind him, and carries his luggage in a sack.

His face makes my back creep." Fortunately neither Hugh nor Dick understood these and other such sayings which Sir Geoffrey repeated to them afterward and therefore walked on with their host unconcerned.

Once, however, Grey Dick nudged his master and whispered in his ear: "Be glad, our man is here.