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the boy, the chit, who might easily stand between him and his ambitions.
    It was dusk when he returned to the castle. He was in an ill mood. The groom hurried to attend to him and as he came from the stables he saw a man standing in the shadows. He paused. The man appeared to be a beggar and one of the contradictory characteristics of the violent Plantagenet Prince was that he was noted for his goodness to beggars. He rarely passed one without giving a coin which was strange for, although he spent lavishly on himself, he was known to be parsimonious with others. But a coin or so to a beggar was little compared with the gratitude it produced and he enjoyed distributing largesse to these people and earning their thanks. It was a cheap way of winning approval and one he rarely resisted.
    So even now, in his evil mood, he paused to find a coin for the beggar.
    ‘My lord,’ said the man, ‘I am no beggar. I come in this guise with great news for you.’
    ‘News!’ whispered John. ‘What news?’
    ‘The King of England is dead.’
    ‘
No
.’
    ‘’Tis so, my lord.’
    John seized the man’s arm. ‘How could it be?’
    ‘It was at Chaluz. It was said that treasure had been found and Richard wanted it.’
    ‘He would,’ said John. ‘Go on, man.’
    ‘In the seige an arrow pierced his shoulder. It could not be withdrawn and festered. He is dead. Long live King John.’
    ‘You’ll be rewarded,’ said John.
    ‘May God preserve you, my lord. I have come in stealth that you might know what has happened. Soon the news will be abroad … here … in this castle … everywhere.’
    ‘And what would happen to me here?’ asked John. ‘Because if they knew at this moment they would be for putting Arthur on the throne.’
    ‘I thought, my lord, you would wish to leave in all haste for Chinon.’
    ‘For Chinon and the royal treasure,’ cried John.
    In the castle Arthur was telling his mother of the fine buck they had brought in, and the smell of roasting meat was in the air. But when the company assembled in the great hall it was discovered that Prince John and his followers were not present.
    ‘Can they have gone at last?’ cried Constance, her voice joyful.
    ‘It would seem so,’ said Guy, ‘but I wonder for what reason.’
    They were to discover that the next day.
    Richard dead. Then Arthur must be Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and King of England.
    But by that time John had reached Chinon and possessed himself of the royal treasure.

Chapter III
JOHN IS CROWNED
    W hat a thrill it was to ride into Chinon. At last that for which he had longed and prayed was ready to fall into his hands. Richard dead! The man who shot the arrow ought to be rewarded; he could not have pleased his new King more. He laughed aloud. What would be the reactions of the lords, knights and barons if he said, ‘Bring that man before me’? They would bring the man, wretched and fearful, and he would play with him for a while so that he believed dire torture awaited him and then he would offer him lands and title. ‘You have served me well. Go in peace.’
    Of course it could not be like that. Just at first he would have to follow the conventions a little. But by God’s ears, he thought, when I am King with the crown safely on my head, then I shall do as I wish and men will like it or suffer for not liking.
    What a glorious future! Blessed man who shot the arrow, you are my good and faithful servant. Old Lion Heart is no more. The terror of the Saracens, the great crusader, who deserted his own country to win glory in the Holy Land, is just a corpse now … dead and gone and all his glory with him. And the way is clear for John.
    Arthur – Bah! what had he to fear from Arthur?
    Never had the castle of Chinon looked so beautiful as it did on that April morning. Never had John felt so pleased with life.
    Now would come the first test. What if the custodian of the treasure refused to hand it to him? But there was no question of how he