“By my troth!” said the Earl, smiling, “looking upon thee—limbs and girth, bone and sinew—I would not like to be the he that would dare accuse thee of such a thing. As for thy surmise, I may tell thee plain that thou art right, and that it was to fight the Earl of Alban I sent for thee hither. The time is now nearly ripe, and I will straightway send for thy father to come to London. Meantime it would not be safe either for thee or for me to keep thee in my service. I have spoken to his Highness the Prince of Wales, who, with other of the Princes, is upon our side in this quarrel. He hath promised to take thee into his service until the fitting time comes to bring thee and thine enemy together, and to-morrow I shall take thee to Scotland Yard, where his Highness is now lodging.”
As the Earl ended his speech, Myles bowed, but did not speak. The Earl waited for a little while, as though to give him the opportunity to answer.
“Well, sirrah,” said he at last, with a shade of impatience, “hast thou naught to say? Meseems thou takest all this with marvellous coolness.”
“Have I then my Lord's permission to speak my mind?”
“Aye,” said the Earl, “say thy say.”
“Sir,” said Myles, “I have thought and pondered this matter much while abroad, and would now ask thee a plain question in all honest an I ha' thy leave.”
The Earl nodded his head.
“Sir, am I not right in believing that thou hast certain weighty purposes and aims of thine own to gain an I win this battle against the Earl of Alban?”
“Has my brother George been telling thee aught to such a purpose?” said the Earl, after a moment or two of silence.
Myles did not answer.