Wherefore I said I shall know how to manage when I
see the king's men."
"Hath Hugo heard of this fine dream?" inquired William Lorimer with
pretended gravity.
"Not he. Why should he hear of it? He is as headstrong as our young
lord Josceline, though not so haughty. I shall but oppose the weight
of my years and experience against him at every turn, and thou shalt
see I shall prevail." So saying, Humphrey, with an air of great
self-satisfaction, turned and descended the wall to the court-yard.
For a moment William Lorimer smiled. "I would I might follow the two,"
he said. "There will be fine arguments between them."
CHAPTER IV
The spies who kept watch on De Aldithely castle were four in number,
and were hired by Sir Thomas De Lany, who had been commissioned by the
king to capture Josceline in any manner that he could. It chanced that
there was but one of them on duty in the wood that morning--a certain
short, stalky little fellow whose name was Walter Skinner, and who was
fond of speaking of himself as a king's man. Formed by nature to make
very little impression on the beholder, it was his practice to eke out
what he lacked in importance by boasting, by taking on mysterious airs,
and by dropping hints as to his connection with great personages and
his knowledge of their plans.
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