'Certainly, sir. And you made that clear to the Chancellor?'
'I did so—perfectly clear. I told him in the most reasonable manner that we wanted no condemned rabble in the Maäsaun Guard! I told him that we had practically decided on Abenfeldt in case of a vacancy occurring. I even went so far as to remind him that there had been Abenfeldts among us for four centuries.'
'He couldn't meet that argument!' exclaimed Adiron.
'No, he parried it, gracefully enough, I admit. He reminded me in turn that there had been Selpdorfs also in the Guard, and swore that had he a son of his own to nominate he must still at this moment have given the preference to this Englishman. I left him to reconsider the matter, however, and rode home, to find that already waiting for me in my quarters,' and he pointed to the parchment in Adolf's hand.
Adolf looked up with a smile.
'He will not join immediately, sir, this Rallywood?' he said with his gentle lisp.
'Not for a week.'
'Then it doesn't really matter, you know,' added the young man.
Wallenloup's red-shot eyes gleamed upon him suddenly.
'As your commanding officer, sir,' he said grimly, 'I don't understand your meaning, but——' and an odd smile flickered about the savage lips.