"But if it is Sir Nigel Loring with whom you would speak, that is he upon the black horse." The Mayor of Lepe gazed with amazement on the mild face and slender frame of the famous warrior.
"Your pardon, my gracious lord," he cried.

"You see in me the mayor and chief magistrate of the ancient and powerful town of Lepe.

I bid you very heartily welcome, and the more so as you are come at a moment when we are sore put to it for means of defence.' "Ha!" cried Sir Nigel, pricking up his ears.
"Yes, my lord, for the town being very ancient and the walls as old as the town, it follows that they are very ancient too.

But there is a certain villainous and bloodthirsty Norman pirate hight Tete-noire, who, with a Genoan called Tito Caracci, commonly known as Spade-beard, hath been a mighty scourge upon these coasts.

Indeed, my lord, they are very cruel and black-hearted men, graceless and ruthless, and if they should come to the ancient and powerful town of Lepe then--" "Then good-bye to the ancient and powerful town of Lepe," quoth Ford, whose lightness of tongue could at times rise above his awe of Sir Nigel.
The knight, however, was too much intent upon the matter in hand to give heed to the flippancy of his squire.