"Ay, and he is resolved the son shall not live, no more than his own
nephew Arthur."
"And he will put him to death?" asked the man-at-arms.
"Why, not speedily," answered Walter Skinner, importantly, "but cat and
mouse fashion, by which he will be the longer dying, and his father the
more tormented. He will speedily give orders also to raze his castle as
a nest of traitors."
"Whence hadst thou this?" demanded the man-at-arms.
Walter Skinner stood off and looked at him. Then, with an air of great
mystery, he said: "It is whispered about. I may not say more. It
becometh me not."
The man-at-arms now rose from the ground where he had thrown himself
and mounted his horse. "I seek not the young lord," he said. "I betray
no mouse to the cat, least of all the son of the brave De Aldithely. I
will back to my own master from whom thou didst borrow me. I will say
thou needest me not and hast bid me return. When thou art tired of thy
life, say thou otherwise." And he looked meaningly at him.
"I go with thee," said the second man-at-arms, springing from the
ground.
"And I also!" exclaimed the third.
Pages:
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90