Tom was looking in some curiosity to see if Lord Claud was
acquainted with the Duke. He had never said so; but then Lord Claud
was not given to boasting, and had already surprised Tom by the
number of his notable acquaintances. The Duke was walking along,
skirting the wall of the room. Everybody gave way for him to pass.
He was now very near to Lord Claud, and not far from Tom himself,
for his patron had been strolling idly in his direction.
Tom saw the eyes of the two men cross, and Lord Claud make his
courtly bow, to which the Duke responded gracefully. Lord Claud
took one step forward, and said in a low tone, every syllable of
which, however, was audible to Tom:
"I have never before had the honour of speaking with your Grace;
but there is one word that I crave to speak in your ear. If there
be some secret mission of danger which the Duke of Marlborough
desires to intrust to two men, stout of heart, cool of head, and
skilled in the use of the sword, then I can promise that the
services of myself and my trusty comrade here are at your Grace's
disposal; and I think I can promise that, whether we succeed or
not, we can be true to the death."
And Lord Claud, as he spoke, laid a hand upon the arm of the
astonished Tom, who had certainly not understood his words of
former days to mean anything quite so definite as this.
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