As was said before, the livery was the last meal of the day, andwas taken in bed. It was a simple repast--a manchette, or smallloaf of bread of pure white flour, a loaf of household bread,sometimes a lump of cheese, and either a great flagon of ale orof sweet wine, warm and spiced. The Earl was sitting upright inbed, dressed in a furred dressing-gown, and propped up by twocylindrical bolsters of crimson satin. Upon the coverlet, andspread over his knees, was a large wide napkin of linen fringedwith silver thread, and on it rested a silver tray containing thebread and some cheese. Two pages and three gentlemen were waitingupon him, and Mad Noll, the jester, stood at the head of the bed,now and then jingling his bawble and passing some quaint jestupon the chance of making his master smile. Upon a table near bywere some dozen or so waxen tapers struck upon as many spikedcandlesticks of silver-gilt, and illuminating that end of theroom with their bright twinkling flames. One of the gentlemen wasin the act of serving the Earl with a goblet of wine, poured froma silver ewer by one of the squires, as the groom of the chambercame forward and spoke. The Earl, taking the goblet, turned hishead, and as Myles looked, their eyes met. Then the Earl turnedaway again and raised the cup to his lips, while Myles felt hisheart beat more rapidly than ever.
But at last the meal was ended, and the Earl washed his hands andhis mouth and his beard from a silver basin of scented water heldby another one of the squires. Then, leaning back against thepillows, he beckoned to Myles.
In answer Myles walked forward the length of the room, consciousthat all eyes were fixed upon him. The Earl said something, andthose who stood near drew back as he came forward. Then Mylesfound himself standing beside the bed, looking down upon thequilted counterpane, feeling that the other was gazing fixedly athim.
"I sent for thee," said the Earl at last, still looking steadilyat him, "because this afternoon came a letter to my hand whichthou hadst written to my niece, the Lady Alice. I have it here,"said he, thrusting his hand under the bolster, "and have just nowfinished reading it." Then, after a moment's pause, whilst heopened the parchment and scanned it again, "I find no matter ofharm in it, but hereafter write no more such." He spoke entirelywithout anger, and Myles looked up in wonder. "Here, take it,"said the Earl, folding the letter and tossing it to Myles, whoinstinctively caught it, "and henceforth trouble thou my niece nomore either by letter or any other way. I thought haply thouwouldst be at some such saucy trick, and I made Alice promise tolet me know when it happed. Now, I say, let this be an end of thematter. Dost thou not know thou mayst injure her by such witlessfolly as that of meeting her privily, and privily writing toher?""I meant no harm," said Myles.
"I believe thee," said the Earl. "That will do now; thou maystgo."Myles hesitated.
"What wouldst thou say?" said Lord Mackworth.
"Only this," said Myles, "an I have thy leave so to do, that theLady Alice hath chosen me to be her knight, and so, whether I maysee her or speak with her or no, the laws of chivalry give me,who am gentle born, the right to serve her as a true knight may.""As a true fool may," said the Earl, dryly. "Why, how now, thouart not a knight yet, nor anything but a raw lump of a boy. Whatrights do the laws of chivalry give thee, sirrah? Thou art afool!"Had the Earl been ever so angry, his words would have been lessbitter to Myles than his cool, unmoved patience; it mortified hispride and galled it to the quick.
"I know that thou dost hold me in contempt," he mumbled.
"Out upon thee!" said the Earl, testily. "Thou dost tease mebeyond patience. I hold thee in contempt, forsooth! Why, lookthee, hadst thou been other than thou art, I would have had theewhipped out of my house long since. Thinkest thou I would haveborne so patiently with another one of ye squires had such an oneheld secret meeting with my daughter and niece, and tampered, asthou hast done, with my household, sending through one of mypeople that letter? Go to; thou art a fool, Myles Falworth!"Myles stood staring at the Earl without making an effort tospeak. The words that he had heard suddenly flashed, as it were,a new light into his mind. In that flash he fully recognized, andfor the first time, the strange and wonderful forbearance thegreat Earl had shown to him, a poor obscure boy. What did itmean? Was Lord Mackworth his secret friend, after all, asGascoyne had more than once asserted? So Myles stood silent,thinking many things.
Meantime the other lay back upon the cylindrical bolsters,looking thoughtfully at him. "How old art thou?" said he at last.
"Seventeen last April," answered Myles.
"Then thou art old enough to have some of the thoughts of a man,and to lay aside those of a boy. Haply thou hast had foolishthings in thy head this short time past; it is time that thou putthem away. Harkee, sirrah! the Lady Alice is a great heiress inher own right, and mayst command the best alliance in England--anEarl--a Duke. She groweth apace to a woman, and then her kindlieth in Courts and great houses. As for thee, thou art but apoor lad, penniless and without friends to aid thee to openadvancement. Thy father is attainted, and one whisper of where helieth hid would bring him thence to the Tower, and haply to theblock. Besides that, he hath an enemy, as Sir James Lee hathalready told thee--an enemy perhaps more great and powerful thanmyself. That enemy watcheth for thy father and for thee; shouldstthou dare raise thy head or thy fortune ever so little, he wouldhaply crop them both, and that parlously quick. Myles Falworth,how dost thou dare to lift thine eyes to the Lady Alice deMowbray?"Poor Myles stood silent and motionless. "Sir," said he at last,in a dry choking voice, "thou art right, and I have been a fool.
Sir, I will never raise mine eyes to look upon the Lady Alicemore.""I say not that either, boy," said the Earl; "but ere thou dostso dare, thou must first place thyself and thy family whence yefell. Till then, as thou art an honest man, trouble her not. Nowget thee gone.
As Myles crossed the dark and silent courtyards, and looked up atthe clear, still twinkle of the stars, he felt a kind of dullwonder that they and the night and the world should seem so muchthe same, and he be so different.
The first stroke had been given that was to break in pieces hisboyhood life--the second was soon to follow.
