"
At Sir Adelbert's request Cuthbert related the story of his adventures
among the Saracens; and then Blondel, tuning his lute, sang several
canzonets which he had composed in the Holy Land, of feats of arms and
adventure.
"How far are you," Cuthbert asked presently, when Blondel laid his lute
aside, "from the estates which were wrongfully wrested from you?"
"But twenty leagues," the knight said. "My castle was on the Rhine,
between Coblentz and Mannheim."
"Does the baron know that you are so near?" Cuthbert asked.
"Methinks that he does not," the knight replied, "but that he deems me
to have gone to the court of the emperor to seek for redress--which, he
guesses, I shall certainly fail to obtain."
"How many men have you with you?" Cuthbert asked.
"Fifty men, all good and true," the knight said.
"Has it never entered your thoughts to attempt a surprise upon his
castle?" Cuthbert said.
The knight was silent for a minute.
"At times," he said at length, "thoughts of so doing have occurred to
me; but the castle is strong, and a surprise would be difficult indeed.
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