The Story of Viteau

cturesque portions of the province of Burgundy, in France, there sa

am, and now, having dressed, they

l disposition and character, they were not unlike many of the boys of our day, and yet these two young fellows lived more than six hundred y

a great deal to say to each other, and not much time to say it in. On th

dherents and supporters of the Duke of Burgundy, in his endeavors to maintain the independence of his dukedom against the claims of the French crown, and had fallen in one of the battles between

been compelled to acknowledge the supremacy of t

ly, she had a large estate, but even this added to her cares and responsibilities, and rendered her less ab

nd valuable. Most of the learning, such as it was, had been, for a long time, confined to the monks and priests; but, in the era in which our two boys lived, people had begun to give more attention to general education, and there were schools in some of the large cities which were

n. When quite a young woman, she had learned all that the priests, one or more of whom generally lived in her father's house, could teach her, and afterward, when her sons were old enough, she made it her pers

f his station were taught, the arts and usages of knighthood and chivalry. Raymond would also be a knight, but his mother wished him to be more than that. He would succeed to the rank and estate of his father, and she hoped that he would not only be a nobleman and a soldier, but a scholar. When he should leave her to

nd, "and then it will seem so s

ever seen a single soul of the castle people, excepting the Count de Barran, and it is so long since h

is not stout, and he is not big. He's a tall, thin man, and,

a half I shall be a page. There must be ever so many ways for the pages, especially if there are a good many of us, to have roya

d his brother. "You'

ys been fighting, ever since I heard of him; and if he does

r," said Raymond. "You kn

some kind before I'm fourteen. And, if there are any wars, you must come to

e with them. I shall ride and fence, and tilt and hunt quite as much as you

much trouble. Just to learn to write, like the monks who make our books

of a book, even if you could do it so well that people could read it. If you can do so much as write me a le

"but I feel quite sure that I could do it.

t I will do my best to read, if

sk me this?" said Louis, turning

" answere

me to read and write; and, for her sake, and yours, too, Raymond

mond. "He is training

ping up. "I did not know th

ising, "until yesterday. Bernard is going to tea

to-morrow," cried L

jacket of brown cloth, with tight breeches of the same stuff, was walking towards them. He bore on

er heard that you were training that bird? I

, who had been the squire of the late Count, and was

your good mother told me to keep the matter from you. It takes a long time and a world of trouble to train a hawk, espec

Just one flight, good Bernard, for, you know, I shall be gone to-morrow.

ring with which I brought him back when I wanted him; and, ever since, I have been very careful to have a lure which should be so tempting that he would

s of a real bird, and to which had been attached a piece of some kind of meat of which the falcon is fond. By being thus accustomed

ND, AND LOUIS

sport; but Louis, very naturally, made great complaint. To-day was his last chance. Bernard, however,

wer part of the grounds which surround the house, there came out of the gate a monk wearing a long, dark, and rather dirty gown, and walking

d Louis, as they entered the grounds. "No more priests' lesso

ning how to be a knight and soldier. You will serve your masters and your mistres

be only while I am a page. In a yea

a long time," said Raymond; "but tim

ire did not appear to hear it. He was lookin

ing back," he said to himself, "I wou

the boys up to the ch