Forward!" "Sire, this Hugh is enamoured of Eve Clavering, daughter of Sir John Clavering of Blythburgh, a cousin of his House, a very beauteous maiden, commonly known as Red Eve, and she in turn is enamoured of and betrothed to him----" Here Queen Philippa suddenly became interested.
"Why is the lady called Red Eve, sir ?" she asked in her soft voice.
"Because her cheeks are red ?" "No, Madam," answered Hugh, blushing; "because she always loves to wear red garments." "Ah, then she is dark!" "That is so, Madam; her eyes and hair are black as ash-buds." "God's truth! Lady," interrupted King Edward, "is this young man's message of the colour of the eyes of his mistress, which, without doubt, being in love, he describes falsely?
On with the letter!" "Out of this matter," continued Hugh, "rose a feud yesterday, during which Hugh de Cressi killed his cousin John, fighting _a outrance_, and his servant, Richard the Archer, who accompanies him, commonly known as Grey Dick, slew three men with as many arrows, two of them being Normans whose names are unknown to us, and the third a grieve to Sir John Clavering, called Thomas of Kessland.

Also, he killed a horse, and when another Frenchman tried to grasp his master, sent a shaft through the palm of his hand." "By St.George," said the King, "but here is shooting! Were they near to you, Grey Dick ?" "Not so far away, Sire.

Only the light was very bad, or I should have had the fourth.

I aimed low, Sire, fearing to miss his skull, and he jerked up his horse's head to take the arrow." "A good trick! I've played it myself.

Well, let us have done with the letter, and then we'll come to archery." "Sire," read on Hugh, "I ask your royal pardon to Hugh de Cressi and Richard the Archer for these slayings, believing that when you have read these letters it will be granted." "That remains to be seen," muttered the King.
"Sire, Sir Edmund Acour, who has lands here in Suffolk, Count de Noyon in Normandy, and Seigneur of Cattrina in Italy----" "I know the man," exclaimed Edward to the Queen, "and so do you.