The next day, after sunrise on Monday, the Duke of Richmond's privy counsellor led two would-be knightly guards to the village of Isby, about two miles southeast of the castle. Without notifying the family of Thomas Clark, the owner of the official register, he quietly entered the homes of some farmers in the village and went to the fields to inquire about some tenants, cottage farmers, village hires, and craftsmen who knew Thomas.

It wasn't until just before dinner that the three of them returned from different directions to the side of the road leading into the village. Before the investigation proceeded, the would-be knight Herbert Frederick had asked the adviser: "Your Excellency, why don't you go directly to the head of the village or the tax collector to find out about this farmer?" ”

Isabel didn't explain much, she just said: "When we go to investigate a farmer in the village, we will inevitably tell us who we are, who we work for, and so on. For a village official, a person from the Duke's Court is bound to be respected and courteous. So, these village officials don't necessarily tell us the truth about Thomas Clark. ”

After the investigation, Isabel hurriedly took out a small wooden board from the saddlebag of the war horse, a piece of letter paper with the duke's coat of arms, a small bottle of ink, and a quill made of swan feathers and sat on the side of the road and began to write down the situation of the three of them. After Herbert and Conrad had finished her paperwork, the three of them hurried to Baron Haswell's estate, west of the castle.

When the three of them arrived at the Baron's estate, the Baron and his family were enjoying dinner today. Oliver McGuinness was a little surprised to see Isabel who had followed the servant to the dining room, but still smiled and said, "Your Excellency, you are still coming to my manor so late, I think it must be a matter of urgency. ”

After saluting the baron and his family, Isabel said lightly, "My lord, I am sorry for delaying your dinner. Yes, my lord, what I am about to say to you is indeed urgent. ”

Baron Haswell, after saying a few words to the family present, invited Isabel into his study. As he took a few sips from time to time with a glass of wine, he took a quick look at the written investigation that Isabel had written.

Putting down the letter, he turned his face to the bookshelf on one side, took a sip of wine, and said, "Your Excellency, I believe in these facts, and in your efforts. Although the scope of the riot caused by Clark in the village is not very large, his words and actions still violate the law, and I must punish him to a certain extent. ”

At this time, Isabel did not eat or drink but still persisted. Glancing at the fat baron, he took a money bag from his waist and put it on the desk, and said, "My lord, there are 10 pounds here, which is more than twice as much as all the family possessions and crops of Thomas Clarke combined. I suppose that's enough to pay him a fine, right? ”

"Your Excellency, this farmer is as humble as an ant compared to you, isn't he?"

"My lord, I remember that the Bible says: 'You shall not do unrighteousness, nor favor the poor, nor value the powerful, but judge your neighbor in righteousness.'" (The Bible, Leviticus, 19:15). As a Catholic, you should remember what Jesus Christ said, right? ”

"Of course. The Bible also says: 'The king judges the poor in truth, and his kingdom will be established forever.'" (The Bible, Proverbs, chapter 29:14). ”

Isabel looked at the baron calmly and said, "They are fat and radiant, and they have done too much evil, and they have not avenged anyone, that is, they have not avenged an orphan, nor have they made him prosperous, nor have they been justified by the poor." (The Bible, Jeremiah, chapter 5:28)"

When she borrowed words from the Bible to mock the baron, Oliver's face immediately turned ugly. However, the baron only nodded and said, "Well, since Your Excellency is willing to help a public keeper out of the teachings of the Catholic Church, I have no opinion. However, I don't want Clark to do these things in the future that disturb the peace in the county. ”

After freeing Thomas Clarke from prison, Isabel sent Herbert and the others back to the castle to eat and rest. Alone, with a somewhat tired look, he rode to the Aske Manor. Just after 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Sir Augustine, who had nothing to do, asked the maid Anne to call her up, saying that she was training in sword fighting.

At this time, the sky was still in the darkness before sunrise, and the two of them practiced swordsmanship with wooden swords in hand under the light of oil lamps. Isabel was going to tell Sir what the Duke of Richmond thought. Looking at Jazz, who was sitting on the sidelines resting, he said, "Father, if you are very tired, I can ask Herbert to accompany me in practice." ”

Augustine looked at his daughter thoughtfully: "So, you really plan to let Effie marry Herbert Frederick?" ”

Isabel danced a few sword flowers with a wooden sword in her hand: "Uh-huh, I think Herbert and Conrad are good, it depends on who Effie wants to be with." ”

"Well, that solved Effie's problem, what about your own problem?"

"My own problem? No, Sir, the number one thing right now is Effie's marriage, and the second thing is your knighthood and the problems the family will face in the future. ”

"Son, this should be a matter for me, the head of the family, to consider."

At this time, Isabel stood up with a wooden sword in her hand, walked to the middle of the courtyard and looked at Sir: "Father, you should consider how you can get yourself recommended by the officials, gentlemen and yoman of the county to become an official of His Majesty the King." ”

Sir Augustine also stood up, walked to the opposite side of her, held the wooden sword in both hands, pointed it above his head, and assumed an offensive posture, and said, "Son, you are right, I am trying to get involved in the local affairs of the county. But ......"

After speaking, the jazz shook his head, and Elobel pointed the tip of the sword at the ground with both hands in his hand, and put the blade down in a deceptive posture and said, "But you don't know much about local affairs, do you?" ”

Sir Augustine struck his daughter with a swift and powerful slash. Isabel quickly moved her feet to the left, then slashed upwards into his chest as her father slashed downward. Sir quickly withdrew the sword he had chopped down, held his daughter's sword to his chest, and glanced at his daughter, "You're right. Perhaps it was because for a long time I was only used to fighting on horseback, and I was not used to dealing with peacetime affairs. ”

Without waiting for Sir to push his sword outward, Isabel quickly curled up her arms into the bull position (bent her arms so that the hilt was slightly above her head and the tip of the sword was pointed at her opponent's face), slid her strong sword onto her father's weak sword, and as she prepared to stab back, she said, "Father, you can try to think about the magistrate and the captain of the guard." ”