“Sire，“saidhe，“youspeakaswewouldhaveyoudo，andIforoneamofopinionthattheCardinalofPerigordhasbeenanillfriendofFrance，forwhyshouldwebargainforapartwhenwehavebuttoholdoutourhandinordertograspthewhole？，Whatneedisthereforwords？，Letusspringtohorseforthwithandrideoverthishandfulofmarauderswhohavedaredtolaywasteyourfairdominions。Ifoneofthemgohencesaveasourprisonerwearethemoretoblame。”
“BySaintDenis，brother！”saidtheKing，smiling，“ifwordscouldslayyouwouldhavehadthemallupontheirbacksereeverweleftChartres。Youarenewtowar，butwhenyouhavehadexperienceofastrickenfieldortwoyouwouldknowthatthingsmustbedonewithforethoughtandinorderortheymaygoawry。Inourfather’stimewesprangtohorseandspurredupontheseEnglishatCrecyandelsewhereasyouadvise，butwehadlittleprofitfromit，andnowwearegrownwiser。Howsayyou，SieurdeRibeaumont？
Youhavecoastedtheirlinesandobservedtheircountenance。
Wouldyouridedownuponthem，asmybrotherhasadvised，orhowwouldyouorderthematter？”
DeRibeaumont，atalldark-eyedhandsomeman，pausedereheanswered。”Sire，“hesaidatlast，“Ihaveindeedriddenalongtheirfrontanddowntheirflanks，incompanywithLordLandasandLorddeBeaujeu，whoarehereatyourcounciltowitnesstowhatI