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The men closed round Pierce. There seemed no hesitation in their mcvements. It was felt by every one that he must die. Despite his frantic struggles, they unbuckled his belt and dagger. Cerdic pulled down the neck of his tunic and laid bare the flesh beneath. Hyla un- sheathed the dagger, ' trembling Evith joy as his enemy lay beneath imâ€" ' .3 VThe jongleur in the hall played upon his crowth, and sang them Serventes, Lays, and songs‘ of bat- tle. Between each song he rested his fiddle upon the floor and drank a draught o! morat, till his lips and chin were all purple with the mul- berry juice. Then he would say that he would give them a little something which dealt with the great su‘rquedy and outrecuidance of a. certain baron, how, being in his cups, this man was minded to go up in fight against a rock. 80’, fonthwith, the hero got him up on his destrier and ran full tilt against the rock. “Then,” the jongleur wc uld conclude in quite the approv- ed modern musicâ€"hall style, “the award was all bespxent with what remained.” Vulgar wit then was own brother to coarse wit to-day, and a. vulgar fool in the twelfth century differed but little from a rulgar fool in thenineteenth. 11'; was as easy as killing a. cat, and they took the body and sank it in mid-stream. Then they stood upon the landing-stage speechless, huddled close togetherâ€"torn by exultation and fear. In a. moment a sudden flash of lightning, which leapt across the great arch of heaven, shOWed a. group of kneeling forms, silent, yrith bended heads. Soon they were stealing up the hill again, but not before Gurth had delivered himself of a. grim, though practical pleasantry. _“I’ll haVe the devill’s fish,” he said, and with that he slung them over his shoulder, for they were threaded up_o_n a string. A broad grin sat solid upon the {aces of the soldiers. When the jongleur began to sing little catch- 6: in couplets, plucking the string of his crowth the while for accom- paniment, they nudged each other with delight at each course sugges- tion. They were exactly like a. group of little foolish boys in the fourth form‘of a public school, just initiated into the newness of cheap wit, whispering ancient ryhmes to each other. They were children, these men-at- arms. They had the cruelty cf wolvesâ€"or children, the light-heart- edness of children. Imagine What So- ciety would be if children of four- teen were as strong and powerful ba_their elders. If you can con- ceive that, you can get a. little near- e‘.‘ to the men-at-arma. But as the grotesque little man mouthed and chettered, his teeth flashing white'in his purple-stained jaws, like some ape, the more pow- erful brains at the high table had no excuse for their laughter. ' The night were on, and they drank deep, till more than one head lay low. Geoffroi filled his cup again and again, but each po- tatioh left him clearer in brain, af- fecting him not at all. At last he use to seek his couch. “I have no mind to sleep for a while,” Geoffroi said, “the night is hot. Bring a. torch,” he said to a. sari; and then turning to the iongleur, “Come with me, Sir Jes- t-erhto my bedside, and relate to me Some merry tales till I fall up- on sleep, for I am like to wake long {his night.” Pr ceded by the flickering of the torch, and followed _l_)y the minstxlel: ‘UXU-ll, “JAM LVAAV u v“ y -___, he left the hall. They descended the steps in red light and deepest shadow, and came out into the courtyard which was very still. Every one was asleep save one lean dog, who, hearing footsteps, pad- ded up, and thrust his cold nose in- to Geoflroi’s hand. He fondled the creature, standing still for a, mo- ment, sending a keen eye» round the big empty space1'as who should find some enemy lurking there. The two others waited his pleasure. “Come, come,” hp said at. length iu curiously detached ,tones, exâ€" tremely and noticeably unlike his usual quick incisiveness, “we will gelto bed.” A .p , L\_..£ D‘fie {mrnéd towards Outfangthef. They lw‘d taken some three paces FREEDOM AT LAST CHAPTER IVâ€"(Cont’d) History of a Man Who Lived in Misery and Torture towards the tower, when a, lightning flesh ’of dazzling brilliancy leapt right over therky from pole to pole and showed the whole scene as bright as in the day. Geoffroi stopâ€" ped suddenly as did the others, ex- pecting a. great pe’al of thunder. Suddenly the Baron began to shiv- er and bend. He wheeled round tottering, and caught the minstrel by the shoulder. The little man squeaked like a. rat in the jaws of a. dog. “Hist!” said Geoffroi, “what do ycu hear? What do you hear, man'l” “Listen, jongfeur. What do you hear now 'I” said he. 7“I have drunken too deep,” said the Baron; “surely I am most dev- ilishly drunk, for I can hear, I can hear”â€"he Ieant in the manner of a man listeningâ€"{‘1 can hear now in I speak to 92m, voices as of a great cgmpany of men praying â€"â€" listen! their voices are praying deeply.” “Nothing, my lord,” said the jongleur in_dee_p amazement. The dog, perhaps becauSe he felt the three men were going in fear, or perhaps from some deeper and more hidden reasofi which men do not yet understand. crouched low or. the ground and hid his head be- tween his paws, whinipg. ‘i'Myrlord, I can hear nothing,” ar-swered the little man. “uni, look you to this,” whis- prggd t_he serf,_ terr9r-strickqn. “My lord,” said the jongleur with more confidence, “the night is late, and I have known many sounds appear like human voices in the night. A cow loweth or a. beetle boometh in the orchard flow- ens.” “The more reason, Sir Geoffroi, that I should divert you with tales and jests. These fearful nights of strange lights in the sky and nois- es from the fen lands need some light business to fill the mind. To bed, my lord!” “Come then,” said Geoffro'i. "God shield us, it is very hot,” and as he turned, the sweat stood in great drops upon his brow. “What it mav be I do not know,” answered he, “but I know that it is no ox a-lowing or fly upon the wing. I am not mocked. There is sumething wrong with the night.’_’ At the exact moment the little party entered the door of Outfang- thef, the serfs, far down in the fen, Icse from their knees, and ‘began tn steal swiftly and noiselessly up the hill. The Baron’s sleeping chamber was an octagonal stone room with a. groined roof. A faldestol, the great-grandfather of our won arm- chair, spread with cushions, stood by a, tall candlestick. The bed boasted curtains and a roof, though its occupant lay upon nothing more luxurious than straw. On a, low table near the faldestol were some vessels of glass and silver. Arms hung upon the walls, and a litter of shavings on the floor showed the Baron had been carving at some time during the day. On the perch by the bed head sat Geoffroi’s fav- orite hawk, now sunk in motionless and sinister sleep. Taken as a whole, the apartment was extremely comfortable and even luxurious in its appearance. To reconstruct it nowâ€"a-days would cost the modern aesthete an enorm- ous sum of money. ‘ The serf knelt at the threshold and delivered the torch to the jongleur, who lit the candle from it. Then Geofiroi shut the door, and removing his tunic and short cloak, flung himself on the_bed. “Sit there,” he' said to the man, pointing to the faldestol. “There is wine upon the table if you are thirsty.” Then he added with a. change of manner, “You are well found in fairy tales and sic like. What means the noise I have heard tr.» night '2” “They say, my lord, that souls that cannot rest may be heard smging and wailing m the fen, cal- ling on each other in reproach.” HUB 011 eucu Out-Ur Lu Lcylkuu. “The pot upbraiding the kettle for the soot on’t! Well. well, that sweet morat is bad for a, man, I flunk. Betterstick to wine. The honey makes the bra-in mad.” “There is poison in many flowâ€" ers,” said the jongleur, “and what likes a bee’s belly well enough may be bad for a man. It was the drink in you. my lord, for I heard no sound.” ’ after a. pausre’. ) “No,” said Geoffroi; “stay there, make your bed in that. faldestol to- night. I do not care to be alone. And, mark well! that if you hear any untoward noise, or should you hear the sound of men’s voices praying, rouse me at once.” The mistrel rose to go, bowing a. faxewell. He turned his face towards the wall, and before long his deep breathing showed that sleep had come to him. The candle began to burn very low and to flicker. The jongleur saw enormous purple shadows leap at each other across the room, and play, fantastic, about the"bed. He rose and peered out of a. narrow 111 glazed window in the thickness of the wall. The hot air from the room passed by his cheeks as it made it way outside.» There, was no lightning now, and the sky was be- ginning to be full of a. colorless and clear light, which showed that dawn was about to begin. Far, far away in some distant steading, the jongleur heard the crowing of a cock. He turned ,round towards the room, thinking he heard a stir. .He saw the elderly man on the bed risen up upon his elbow; His right hand pointed towards the op- posite wall. at a. space over the table. With a horrid fear thump- ing in his heart. and sanding his throat, the minstrel saw that Geof- roi’s eyes were open in an extre- mity of terror, and his nostrils were caught up and drawn like a man in a. fit. As he watched, the daylight beâ€" gan to flow and flood out of the East, and‘close to the window he heard a thin, reedy chirp from a.» snarling just half awake. There was no sign that Geoffroi heard him, except for a. quivering of his pointing, rigid finger. The minstrel took up a vessel of glass from the table, and flung it on the floor. ‘ The crash roused Dthe Baron. His aim dropped and his face relaxed, and, with a little groan. he fell face down in a, swoon. The minâ€" strel hopped about the room in an agony of indecision. Then he took the jug of wine, the only liquid he cculd find, and, turning theiBaron on his back, he flung it'in his face. Geoffroi sat up with a sudden shout, all dripping crimson. He held out his red-stained hand. “What is this? What is this ’I” he cried in a. high, unnatural voice. “This is blood on myxhandl” 7{£170,771nd léid. it is" Mine,” said the jongleur; “you fell into a. deep swoon, and it was thus I roused you.” _ -. .... ..N a “My lord‘!.my lord!” he quaver- ed at him. ' “Did you see him ‘1” said Geof- froi; “Oh, did you see him by the wall? It was Pierce, a soldier of mine. His throat was cut and all bloody, and he made mouths like a, man whose throat is slit in war.’_f “My lord, you are disordered,” said the jongleur. “You ate pork at supper, a. wonderful bad thing at. nightf’ Gegffroi said never a. word, but fell trembling upon his knees. How fresh the morning air was in the wood! A million yellow spears flashed through the thick leaves and stabbed the under- growth with gold. A delicious smell of leaves and forest beasts scented the cool breezes, and birds of all colors sang hymns to the sun. An early summer morning in a great wood! In all life there is no- thing so mysteriously delightful. Where the leaves of the oaks and aims and beeches were so thick that they turned the spaces below into fragrant purple dusk, what soft brightâ€"eyed creatures might lie hid ! In the hot open glades brilliant litâ€" tle snakes lay shining, and green brcnze lizards, like toy dragons, slept in armor. The fat singing bees that shouldered their way through the bracken wore broad gold bands round their fur, and had thin vibrating wings of pearl. They were like jewels with voices. Upon a piece of smooth grass, nibbled quite short by rabbits, which sloped down to a brook of brown and amber water, sat Le- win. the minter. His fine clear-cut face harmonized with all the beauty around, and he drank in the air as if it had been wine. There was a soft look in his eyes as of a man dreaming of lovely things. His face is worth a little scrutiny. The glori us masses of dark-red hair gave it an aureola, the long straight nose showed enormous force of character. but the curve of the lips was delicate and refined, and seem- ed to oppose a. weakness. ‘There .- -rA, wan: something dreamy, treacherous an '1 artivfin m hls countenance. “I will sleep now,” Geoflroi said CHAPTER V. For an hour Lewin had come in- +o the weed to- forget his schem- §ng _and ax_n_bjtions_a.nd§ to» happy in the sunlight. He plucked blades of grass idly and threw them into the brook. Once he looked up, feling that something was watch- ing him, and saw mild eyes re- garding him from the thicket. It was a young fawn {which had come to drink in the brook, and saw him with gentle surprise. He gave a, hunting halloa, and immediately the wood all round was alive with noise and flying forms. Part of a. herd of deer had been closing round his resting-place, and were leaping away in wild terror at his shout. (To be continued.) Some of the Items for Court Mourn- ing When George I. Died. One of the English magazines publishes an itemized account of the mourning bills when George I. died. The total cost. of the carpets, hangings, cloth for mourning, uni~ forms of warders, yeomen of the guard, chapel children and the making of the same was about $35,- 000. ' One of these items is a. tailor’s charge of more than «$5 for making “tn-black coat for the Ratkiller.” There were some attempts at e00- noiny, for there is a, charge of £50 by one Thomas Hawgood, embroi- derer, “for taking off the bullion badges from the laced coats and putting them on the mourning coats of 100 yeomen of the guard and fnrty warders of the Tower of Low don.” Among other things provided were 140 pairs of large black lea.- tber gloves for the yeomen of the guards and the warders of the Tower, ten pairs of black kid and twenty pairs of lambskin gloves for the children of the chapel, 140 pairs of large black rolling stockings for the yeomen of the guard and the warders of the Tower and black leather waistbelts and mourning hilted swords for them; cost, £116 75. 6d. The glass sconces in St. Jiames’a Palace were taken down and. the branches and borders of the chandeliers were all lacquered black. ' Some of the interesting items given in the Queen are: Cannon“: Role: Be sure you got thin stoveâ€"see tint “the name-plate' _ tends New Pedesticn.‘ Gives nooutside heat, no smell, no smoke. It will cook the 31% dimer without heating the kitchen or the cook. It is immediately lighted and immedi- ately extinguished. It can be changed from a slow to a quick fire by turning a handle. There’s no drudgery connected with it, no coal to carry, no wood to chop. You’ don’t have to wait fifteen or twenty‘ minutes till its fire gen going. Apply a light and it’s ready. By simply turning the wick up or down you get a slow or an intense heat on the bottom of the pot, pan, kettle or oven, and nowhere else. it has a Cabinet Top with shelf for keeping plates and food hot, drop shelves for coffee, teapot or saucepan, and even a rack for towels. It saves time, worry. health and temper. It does all a woman needs and more than she expects. Made with l, 2, and 3 burners; the 2 and 3-bnrner sizes can be bad with or without Cabinet. Every (lulu everywhere ; it no! at you-n, write for Descriptive Clrcuhr to the nearest enney of the FOR A KING’S FUNERAL. Keeps the‘Brain Clear and Mn, Because ‘it Promotes Health. The Queen City_0fl Company, umuea, dread having to prepare an elab- orate dinner because they are not sufficiently strong to stand over an intensely bot coal range. This is, especially true in summer. Every we :11 an takes pride in the tabb she sets, but often it is done at tremen- dous cost to her own vitality through the weakening effect of cooking on a coal range in a hot kitchen. in It is no longer necessary to wear yourself out preparing a fine dinner. Even in the heat of summer you can cook a large dinner without being worn out. - ~ ~ ' ' ‘eW'Per ecfio > gwlc K: B‘L‘Ui: FLA‘M E” ., Oilflok-stove n1 Role: Be sure t thin stoveâ€"see :he name-plate' V ‘ New Perfection.” To servoâ€"hen In oven, pant hot milk over it and can to taste. Sold by all grocers, 130. I canon; two for 256. Toronto. Manx Women Who are Splendid Cooks For sixty-four yards of black three-quarter wide taffeta. for sixâ€" teen pair of trumpets and four pairs of kettle drum banners, and 111.51,}:-| ing them for the four troops of Horse Guards, £67 12s. For thirty- onc yards of the same taffeta for nine pair of trumpets and one pair of kettle drum banners. and making them for the Royal Regiment of Here _4Guards, £83 65. And for embroidering' a. black coat on the back and breast with his Majesty‘s‘ letters and crowns and on the arm‘ with rats and wheatsheaf for the‘ Ratkiller. £4 85. 9d. For thirpfitwo yards of black cloth to cover the communion tables, pulpits, reading desks and cushions for French and Lutheran chapels at St. James’s, £19 48; For fourteen and a, half yards of,super- fine black cloth for a, carpet for the communion table, pulpit cloth and cushions, and to cover two benches, two Bibles and two common prayer books, and two long cushions for the Lord’s seat. Anne Colthorpe, seamstress, for making thirty shirts, sixty pair of huge sleeves, sixty plain bands, sixty pair of plain cuffs, and thirty pocket handkerchief: for the ten children of athe chapel, £4 95. . John Bell and partner, mercers, for seven yards of black velvet for a bag for the Crown, and twelve yards of black Mantua silk, tacov- er the table and Crown at the Par- liament House, £12 10., and for fifty-five yards of white satin to cover a bolster, pillow and mattres- sea, and eighty-five yards 'of white sarsenet for a pair of blankets {or For two and a. half yards of suâ€" purfine purple ingrain cloth for a stool and cushion for the Queen, and three cushions for the _elde§t a. white clot}; Eedy a}, St. James’s, £515 25. 2d. ' The milk of human kindnes‘s, it seems, often sours before it is disv tributed. Princesses iVnW Lutheran chapel, £2 15%. AGENTS WANTEDâ€"Jim‘to sellâ€"Good money- makerâ€"Mon or Womenâ€" the today. cAnnnmu mincfiggmgz, lumrzn,’ Black-Rose Building. Tofonto.