“Ah! Did you ever read with Father Nicholas about an old man who said that the Athenians knew what was right, but the Lacedemonians did it?”
“Your pardon, Lady! I always forget what I read with Father Nicholas.”
“I should suppose so. I am afraid there is Athenian blood in your veins, Sir Richard!”
“Lady, if it stand with your pleasure, there is none but true Christian blood in my veins!” was the proud reply.
“Pure foy! If you are so proud of your blood, I fear you will disdain to do what I was about to bid you.”
“I shall never disdain to execute the commands of a fair lady.”
“My word, Sir Richard, but you are growing a courtly knight! You see that Jew boy has left his cap behind. As there are none here but damsels, I was thinking I would ask you to call him back to fetch it.”
“He shall have it—a Jew boy! I’ll take the tongs, then!”
The next minute Delecresse, who was just turning back to fetch the forgotten cap, heard a boyish voice calling to him out of a window, and looking up, saw his cap held out in the tongs.
“Here, thou cur of a Jew! What dost thou mean, to leave thy heathen stuff in the chamber of a noble damsel?”