"Yes, sir," said he, with his wonted studious gravity of manner; "if these gentlemen will be so gracious."
The gentlemen were readily so gracious. After a few rapid exchanges, which they treated as a great piece of mirth, they beheld the scholar also cloaked and richly doubleted and hatted. He wore his fine garments with a greater sense of their comfort than of his improved appearance, yet with a somewhat pleasant scholastic grace.
The captain strutted a little way down the street, to enjoy the effect of his new cloak; but, as he stepped into Cheapside, the moon was clouded, and he could no longer see the garment tailing out finely over his sword behind. A distant sound of plodding feet made him look westward in Cheapside, and he saw a few dim lanterns approaching from afar.
"Lads, the watch is coming," said he. "Shall we tarry here, and be challenged for night-walkers?"
"Marry," quoth Master Maylands, leaping forward to the captain's side, "we shall take our first lesson in swaggering now; we shall beat the watch."
"As good a piece of swaggering gallantry as any," said the captain. "Come, my hearts!"
And he led the way along Cheapside toward the approaching watchmen.