Thy only hope is in flight. And to
that, seeing thou art a worthy man, I will help thee. Go thou
apparently to seek for the prisoner, but flee for thy life, and tell me
not where. Thou knowest a place of safety, I warrant thee."
"Yea," replied the bailiff, after a little thought, "I know."
"Proceed, then, with thine helpers to the search for the prisoner;
contrive shortly to give them the slip, and thou art saved. I will do
what I can in baffling pursuit of thee. For this our king is, as thou
knowest, a tyrant who, though he greatly feareth death for himself,
doth not hesitate to measure it out to us his subjects. Therefore are
we bound to help each other. When thou canst protect another, do so;
and so farewell." Speaking in these general terms he not only gained
from the bailiff a belief in his own benevolence, but effectually
concealed from him the real reason of his helping him, which was to
protect, so far as possible, the young Josceline De Aldithely.
"It is well for a lad when his father hath many friends," mused the
courtier. "For then, even the malice and hatred of the king may be
foiled.
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