"
At this ignominious sentence by which the proud heir of the house
of Loring would share the fate of the meanest village poacher, the
hot blood of Nigel rushed to his face, and his eye glanced round
him with a gleam which said more plainly than words that there
could be no tame acceptance of such a doom. Twice he tried to
speak, and twice his anger and his shame held the words in his
throat.
"I am no subject of yours, proud Abbot!" he cried at last. "My
house has ever been vavasor to the King. I deny the power of you
and your court to lay sentence upon me. Punish these your own
monks, who whimper at your frown, but do not dare to lay your hand
upon him who fears you not, for he is a free man, and the peer of
any save only the King himself."
The Abbot seemed for an instant taken aback by these bold words,
and by the high and strenuous voice in which they were uttered.
But the sterner sacrist came as ever to stiffen his will. He held
up the old parchment in his hand.
"The Lorings were indeed vavasors to the King," said he; "but here
is the very seal of Eustace Loring which shows that he made
himself vassal to the Abbey and held his land from it."
"Because he was gentle," cried Nigel, "because he had no thought
of trick or guile."
"Nay!" said the summoner. "If my voice may be heard, father
Abbot, upon a point of the law, it is of no weight what the causes
may have been why a deed is subscribed, signed or confirmed, but a
court is concerned only with the terms, articles, covenants and
contracts of the said deed.
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