'You have been used as befits no gentleman's son,' he said. 'I will see to the righting of your wrongs.'
Poins swore with an amazing obscenity.
'Shall right 'em myself,' he said, 'so I meet T. Culpepper in this flesh as a man.'
Throckmorton leaned gently forward and touched his arm.
'I will right thy wrongs,' he said, 'and see to thine advancement; for if in this service you ha' failed, yet ha' you been persistent and feal.' He dabbled one white hand in the water, 'Nevertheless,' he said slowly, 'I would have you consider that your service in this ends here.' He spoke still more slowly: 'I would have you to understand this. Aforetime I gave you certain instructions as to using your sword upon this Culpepper if you might not otherwise stay him.' He held up one finger. 'Now mark; your commission is ceased. You shall no longer for my service draw sword, knife or dagger, stave nor club, upon this man.'
Poins looked at him with gloomy surprise that was changing swiftly to hot rage.
'I am under oath to a certain one to use no violence upon this man,' Throckmorton said, 'and to encourage no other to do violence.'
Poins thrust his round, brick-red brow out like a turkey cock's from the boat cloak into Throckmorton's face.
'I am under no oath of yourn!' he shouted. Throckmorton shrugged his shoulders and wagged one finger at him. 'No oath o' yourn!' the boy repeated. 'God knows who ye be or why it is so. But I ha' heard ye ha' my neck in a noose; I ha' heard ye be dangerous. Yet, before God, I swear in your teeth that if I meet this man to his face, or come upon his filthy back, drunk, awake, asleep, I will run him through the belly and send his soul to hell. He had me, a gentleman's son, basted by a hind!'
This long speech exhausted his breath, and he fell back panting.