Then saith my master,
"Lord Denbeigh, if thou goest to London on the morrow, I will follow thee there. Nay, thou canst not prevent me. And think you my sister's heart will be warmer towards thee if her brother's blood be spilled at thy behest?"
And the earl sat with his stern eyes on the lad, and he said,
"Thy blood will ne'er be spent at my behest. I do forbid thee to follow me."
And the lad said,
"I am not to be forbidden." So they stood and looked at one another. And all at once the boy put out his hand ('twas my lady's very gesture) and took the earl's sleeve, and saith he in a gentle voice,
"Thou wert a man after God's own heart did not thou let Satan consort with thee."
Then turned Lord Denbeigh with a laugh that was not merry. And he saith,
"As thou quotest Scripture to me, select thy texts with greater care. Even to my mind there doth come one more suiting; for even as Job, 'I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.'"
Then saith the lad, still with his hand on the man's arm,