And I am sick of crowds and
foppery and the follies of the city. I would fain away on the back
of my good steed, and feel what freedom is like once more. Gold I
must have; and the King's gold is my fancy. Let me win it this time
by my services, which shall be true and faithful; but if not--well,
let them not say the fault is mine!"
"The Queen's, you mean," said Tom. "We serve our Queen now."
Lord Claud gave a short laugh.
"You speak sooth, honest Tom; we have a Queen now, and I would not
do despite to our good Queen Anne! I was thinking of the last time
I had won royal gold--then it was the King's money that replenished
my empty exchequer!"
He laughed again, and Tom looked at him half uneasily; which
perceiving, he changed his tone, and in a short time the youth had
forgotten everything save the glorious prospect of adventure and
peril, and the handling thereafter of golden treasure; for if the
Duke was accounted a lover of money, no man ever accused him of
showing meanness in rewarding the services of others.
The next weeks flew by almost like a dream for Tom; and truly he
felt he must surely be dreaming when he watched the gorgeous
pageant of the third of January, and witnessed from a commanding
situation the grand procession of the trophies of war as it wound
its way from the Tower to Westminster Hall.
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