sat, and her presence seemed to draw every eye in that vast assembly 

which talked of her while it waited, with a sound like the sound of the 

sea as it murmurs on a beach at night. 

Now the trumpets blew, and silence fell, and then, preceded by heralds 

in golden tabards, Carlos, Marquis of Morella, followed by his squires, 

rode into the ring through the great entrance. He bestrode a splendid 

black horse, and was arrayed in coal-black armour, while from his casque 

rose black ostrich plumes. On his shield, however, painted in scarlet, 

appeared the eagle crowned with the coronet of his rank, and beneath, 

the proud motto--"What I seize I tear." A splendid figure, he pressed 

his horse into the centre of the arena, then causing it to wheel round, 

pawing the air with its forelegs, saluted their Majesties by raising his 

long, steel-tipped lance, while the multitude greeted him with a shout. 

This done, he and his company rode away to their station at the north 

end of the ring. 

Again the trumpets sounded, and a herald appeared, while after him, 

mounted on a white horse, and clad in his white armour that glistened in 

the sun, with white plumes rising from his casque, and on his shield the 

stooping falcon blazoned in gold with the motto of "For love and honour" 

beneath it, appeared the tall, grim shape of Sir Peter Brome. He, too, 

rode out into the centre of the arena, and, turning his horse quite 

soberly, as though it were on a road, lifted his lance in salute. Now 

there was no cheering, for this knight was a foreigner, yet soldiers who 

were there said to each other that he looked like one who would not 

easily be overthrown. 

A third time the trumpets sounded, and the two champions, advancing from 

their respective stations, drew rein side by side in front of their 

Majesties, where the conditions of the combat were read aloud to them by 

the chief herald. They were short. That the fray should be to the death 

unless the king and queen willed otherwise and the victor consented; 

that it should be on horse or on foot, with lance or sword or dagger, 

but that no broken weapon might be replaced and no horse or armour 

changed; that the victor should be escorted from the place of combat 

with all honour, and allowed to depart whither he would, in the kingdom 

or out of it, and no suit or blood-feud raised against him; and that the 

body of the fallen be handed over to his friends for burial, also with