Sir Eustace saluted him.
"Is this your following, Sir Eustace?" the king asked.
"It is, my lord king, and would that it were larger. Had we landed at
Calais I should have been joined by another fifty stout Englishmen from
Villeroy, and should we in our marches pass near it I will draw them to
me. Your majesty asked me to present to you my esquire, Guy Aylmer, who,
as I had the honour of telling you, showed himself a brave and trusty
gentleman, when, during the troubles, he was in Paris with my wife. Step
forward, Guy!"
The latter did so, saluted the king, and stood erect in military attitude.
"You have begun well," the king said graciously; "and I hereby request
your lord that in the day of battle he will permit you to fight near me,
and if you bear yourself as well when righting for your king as you did
when looking after your lady mistress, you shall have your share of
honours as well as of blows."
The king then rode on, and Sir Eustace and Guy took their places in a boat
where the men had already embarked.
"This is something like, Master Guy," said Long Tom, who was in command of
the archers. "It was well indeed that I asked to come home to England when
I did, else had I been now mewed up at Villeroy while my lord was righting
the French in the open field. Crecy was the last time an English king
commanded an army in battle against France; think you that we shall do as
well this time?"
"I trust so, Tom; methinks we ought assuredly not to do worse.
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