Then saith my master,
"Lord Denbeigh, if thou goest to London on the morrow, I will follow
thee there. Nay, thou canst not prevent me. And think you my sister's
heart will be warmer towards thee if her brother's blood be spilled at
thy behest?"
And the earl sat with his stern eyes on the lad, and he said,
"Thy blood will ne'er be spent at my behest. I do forbid thee to follow
me."
And the lad said,
"I am not to be forbidden." So they stood and looked at one another. And
all at once the boy put out his hand ('twas my lady's very gesture) and
took the earl's sleeve, and saith he in a gentle voice,
"Thou wert a man after God's own heart did not thou let Satan consort
with thee."
Then turned Lord Denbeigh with a laugh that was not merry. And he saith,
"As thou quotest Scripture to me, select thy texts with greater care.
Even to my mind there doth come one more suiting; for even as Job, 'I am
a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.'"
Then saith the lad, still with his hand on the man's arm,
"Is it not the more to thy discredit that thou, who couldst be brother
to Christ, do make brothers of dragons? Verily, my lord, I am bold
through my sister, for methinks it is thus that she would have answered
thee."
And the man turned away as though to hide his face.