"On the following night the noises and rioting were renewed, but much louder than before, and there were such blows struck against the door and windows of the chamber of the knight, that it seemed they would break them down. The knight could no longer desist from leaping out of his bed, and calling out, 'Who is it that at this hour thus knocks at my chamber door?' He was instantly answered, 'It is I.' 'And who sends thee hither?' asked the knight. 'The clerk of Catalonia, whom thou hast much wronged; for thou hast deprived him of the rights of his benefice; I will, therefore, never leave thee quiet, until thou hast rendered him a just account, with which he shall be contented.'--'What art thou called,' said the knight, 'who art so good a messenger?'--'My name is Orthon.'--'Orthon,' said the knight, 'serving a clerk will not be of much advantage to thee; for if thou believest him he will give thee great trouble: I beg thou wilt therefore leave him and serve me, and I shall think myself obliged to thee.' Orthon was ready with his answer, for he had taken a liking to the knight, and said, 'Do you wish it?'--'Yes,' replied the knight; 'but no harm must be done to any one within these walls.'--'Oh, no,' answered Orthon; 'I have no power to do ill to any one, only to awaken thee and disturb thy rest, or that of other persons.'--'Do what I tell{ 230} thee,' added the knight, 'we shall well agree, and leave this wicked priest, for he is a worthless fellow, and serve me.'--'Well,' replied Orthon, 'since thou wilt have it so, I consent.'
"Orthon took such an affection to the Lord de Coarraze, that he came often to see him in the night-time, and when he found him sleeping, he pulled his pillow from under his head, or made great noises at the door or windows; so that when the knight was awakened, he said, 'Orthon, let me sleep.'--'I will not,' replied he, 'until I have told thee some news.' The knight's lady was so much frightened, the hairs of her head stood on end, and she hid herself under the bed-clothes. 'Well,' said the knight, 'and what news hast thou brought me?' Orthon replied, 'I am come from England, Hungary, or some other place, which I left yesterday, and such and such things have happened.' Thus did the Lord de Coarraze know by means of Orthon all things that were passing in different parts of the world; and this connection continued for five years; but he could not keep it to himself, and discovered it to the Count de Foix, in the manner I will tell you. The first year, the Lord de Coarraze came to the Count de Foix, at Orthès, or elsewhere, and told him, 'My lord, such an event has happened in England, in Scotland, Germany, or some other country,' and the Count { 231}de Foix, who found all this intelligence prove true, marvelled greatly how he could have acquired such early information, and entreated him so earnestly, that the Lord de Coarraze told him the means by which he had acquired his intelligence, and the manner of its communication.