“’Sir, true it is, I owne to you faythe and homage, for I am a poore knyght of your blode and of your countrey; but as for the castell of Lourde, I wyll nat delyuer it to you; ye have sent for me to do with me as ye lyst; I holde it of the Kyng of Englande; he sette me there; and to none other lyueng wyll I delyuer it.’

“When the Erie of Foiz herde that answere, his blode chafed for yre, and sayd, drawyng out his daggar: 

“’A treator! sayest thou nay?  By my heed, thou hast nat sayd that for nought,’—­and so therwith strake the knight that he wounded hym in fyue (five) places, and there was no knyght nor barone yt durst steppe bytwene them.

“Than the knyght sayd: 

“‘Ah, sir, ye do me no gentylnesse to sende for me and slee me!’

“And yet, for all the strokes that he had with the daggar, therle (the earl) comauded to cast him in prison, downe into a depe dyke; and so he was, and ther dyed, for his woundes were but yuell (ill) loked vnto.”

* * * * *

It is a satisfaction to record that Gaston gained nothing by his dastardly act.  Pierre’s brother, Sir Jean, stood to his post in Lourde as stoutly as Pierre had done; and the count did not obtain the fortress.  In fact he does not seem even to have pursued his attempt upon it farther.  He doubtless thought he had done enough to clinch Lourde’s respect for his pugnacity.

It was in return for this well-meant assistance that the French king offered Gaston the whole of Bigorre, Lourde and all, which he so politely declined.  He was shrewd as well as high-spirited; he was not covetous for the garden if the wasps’ nest remained undemolished.  So Sir Jean and his robber band buzzed merrily on in their castle.

Our chronicler naturally asks his informant: 

“‘Dyde this Jean neuer after go to se the Erie of Foiz?’

“He answered and sayd:  ’Sithe the dethe of his brother, he neuer came there; but other of his company hath been often with the erle,—­as Peter Danchyn, Ernalton of Restue, Ernalton of Saynt Colome, and other.’

“‘Sir,’ quod I, ’hath the Erie of Foiz made any amendes for the dethe of that knight or sorie for his dethe?’

“‘Yes, truely, sir,’ quod he, ’he was right sorie for his dethe; but as for amendes, I knowe of none, without it be by secrete penauce, masses or prayers; he hathe with hym the same knighte’s sonne, called Johan of Byerne, a gracyous squyer, and the erle loueth hym right well.’”

VII.

Lourdes itself can be shortly reached by rail, here from Argeles, or from Pau.  It would undoubtedly deserve the visit.  Besides its robber reminiscences, it has developed another and contrasting specialty:  it has become one of the most famous places of religious pilgrimage in Europe.  Thirty years ago it was made the scene of a noted “miracle.”  At a grotto near the town, the Virgin appeared several