He winced slightly, his face twitched, and an ejaculation nearly passed his lips, while the sinister look on Master Leoni’s countenance deepened as he half closed his eyes, at heart enjoying the scene; for the youth advanced with the frank, manly courtesy of a young Englishman, and instead of bending over and kissing, courtier-like, the extended hand, he took it and shook it with a hearty grip.
“I am glad to know my father’s guest, my lord,” he said. “It was not from want of respect that I was not here before. I have been with your esquire.—He was badly hurt yesterday, father; he mustn’t go on. You must keep him here for days, till we have set him right.”
“Gladly, my boy,” cried Sir John, “if his lordship will honour my poor home with his presence.”
“Oh no, no,” said the King shortly. “Why, Denis, boy, you are not so bad as that. Here, Master Leoni, what have you to say?”
“That he must rest two or three days at least, sir. His arm is badly wrenched, and he is not fit to sit a horse.”
“But he sat one bravely enough last night,” cried the King.—“But, Sir John, are all your roads like this? If the people we passed last night could have had their way you would have no guests to throw themselves upon your kindness, for we should have been lying somewhere in the forest to feed the English crows. But there, we have kept you waiting long enough,” and he made a gesture towards the well-spread board.
Sir John raised his eyebrows slightly, for his visitor’s imperious, authoritative way impressed him unfavourably. But no suspicion of his status occurred to him then, and directly after he was busily employed doing the honours of his table, the good things spread thereon soon having a mollifying influence upon his guest, whose autocratic ways became less prominent under the influence of a most enjoyable meal.
Thoroughly softened then by his meal as far as temper was concerned, the King now began to find out that he was exceedingly stiff, and questioned Saint Simon a good deal about his sensations, to learn that he too was in the same condition.
“Ah, well,” he said, “riding will soon take that off. Here, let’s go and have a look at the horses.”
Sir John accompanied his guest into the great stable-yard, followed by Saint Simon and the two young esquires.