“Nay, this is some foul trick,” Geoffrey declared, and laid his hand on Hubert.
But the other shook his head sadly. “Dost suppose,” he said, “that we should have abstained from any trick that’s known to the accumulated wisdom of man? Our sport is up.”
“’Tis true,” Geoffrey said, musingly, “we hold all of you in the hollow of one hand.”
“Thou canst make a present of us to the hangman in twenty minutes if thou choosest,” said Hubert.
“Though ’twould put me in quite as evil case.”
“Ho! what’s the loss of a woman compared with death?” Hubert exclaimed.
“Thou’lt know some day,” the young knight said, eying Hubert with a certain pity; “that is, if ever thou art lucky to love truly.”
“And is it so much as that?” murmured Hubert wistfully. “’Twas good fortune for thee and thy sweetheart I did not return to look for my master while he was being taken to the pit,” he continued; “we could have stopped all your mouths till the Day of Judgment at least.”
“Wouldst thou have slain a girl?” asked Geoffrey, stepping back.
“Not I, indeed! But for my master I would not be so sure. And he says I’ll come as far as that in time,” added the apprentice with a shade of bitterness.