Myles bowed to hide his own embarrassment. "Your Highness," saidhe, evasively, "I rest my fortune, first of all, upon God, Hisstrength and justice.""Thou wilt find safer dependence there than upon the Lord ofMackworth," said the Prince, dryly. "But come," he added, with asudden change of voice and manner, "these be jests that bordertoo closely upon bitter earnest for a merry breakfast. It is illto idle with edged tools. Wilt thou not stay and break thy fastwith us, my Lord?""Pardon me, your Highness," said the Earl, bowing, and smilingthe same smooth smile his lips had worn from the first--such asmile as Myles had never thought to have seen upon his haughtyface; "I crave your good leave to decline. I must return homepresently, for even now, haply, your uncle, his Grace ofWinchester, is awaiting my coming upon the business you wot of.
Haply your Highness will find more joyance in a lusty youngknight like Sir Myles than in an old fox like myself. So I leavehim with you, in your good care."Such was Myles's introduction to the wild young madcap Prince ofWales, afterwards the famous Henry V, the conqueror of France.
For a month or more thereafter he was a member of the princelyhousehold, and, after a little while, a trusted and honoredmember. Perhaps it was the calm sturdy strength, the courage ofthe young knight, that first appealed to the Prince's royalheart; perhaps afterwards it was the more sterling qualities thatunderlaid that courage that drew him to the young man; certain itwas that in two weeks Myles was the acknowledged favorite. Hemade no protestation of virtue; he always accompanied the Princein those madcap ventures to London, where he beheld all manner ofwild revelry; he never held himself aloof from his gay comrades,but he looked upon all their mad sports with the same calm gazethat had carried him without taint through the courts of Burgundyand the Dauphin. The gay, roistering young lords and gentlemendubbed him Saint Myles, and jested with him about hair-clothshirts and flagellations, but witticism and jest alike failed tomove Myles's patient virtue; he went his own gait in the habitsof his life, and in so going knew as little as the others of themad court that the Prince's growing liking for him was, perhaps,more than all else, on account of that very temperance.
Then, by-and-by, the Prince began to confide in him as he did innone of the others. There was no great love betwixt the King andhis son; it has happened very often that the Kings of Englandhave felt bitter jealousy towards the heirs-apparent as they havegrown in power, and such was the case with the great King HenryIV. The Prince often spoke to Myles of the clashing and jarringbetween himself and his father, and the thought began to come toMyles's mind by degrees that maybe the King's jealousy accountednot a little for the Prince's reckless intemperance.
Once, for instance, as the Prince leaned upon, his shoulderwaiting, whilst the attendants made ready the barge that was tocarry them down the river to the city, he said, abruptly: "Myles,what thinkest thou of us all? Doth not thy honesty hold us incontempt?""Nay, Highness," said Myles. "How could I hold contempt?""Marry," said the Prince, "I myself hold contempt, and am not ashonest a man as thou. But, prithee, have patience with me, Myles.
Some day, perhaps, I too will live a clean life. Now, an I liveseriously, the King will be more jealous of me than ever, andthat is not a little. Maybe I live thus so that he may not knowwhat I really am in soothly earnest."The Prince also often talked to Myles concerning his own affairs;of the battle he was to fight for his father's honor, of how theEarl of Mackworth had plotted and planned to bring him face toface with the Earl of Alban. He spoke to Myles more than once ofthe many great changes of state and party that hung upon thedownfall of the enemy of the house of Falworth, and showed himhow no hand but his own could strike that enemy down; if he fell,it must be through the son of Falworth. Sometimes it seemed toMyles as though he and his blind father were the centre of agreat web of plot and intrigue, stretching far and wide, thatincluded not only the greatest houses of England, but royalty andthe political balance of the country as well, and even before thegreatness of it all he did not flinch.
Then, at last, came the beginning of the time for action. It wasin the early part of May, and Myles had been a member of thePrince's household for a little over a month. One morning he wasordered to attend the Prince in his privy cabinet, and, obeyingthe summons, he found the Prince, his younger brother, the Dukeof Bedford, and his uncle, the Bishop of Winchester, seated at atable, where they had just been refreshing themselves with aflagon of wine and a plate of wafers.
"My poor Myles," said the Prince, smiling, as the young knightbowed to the three, and then stood erect, as though on duty. "Itshames my heart, brother--and thou, uncle--it shames my heart tobe one privy to this thing which we are set upon to do. Here bewe, the greatest Lords of England, making a cat's-paw of thislad--for he is only yet a boy--and of his blind father, for toachieve our ends against Alban's faction. It seemeth notover-honorable to my mind.""Pardon me, your Highness," said Myles, blushing to the roots ofhis hair; "but, an I may be so bold as to speak, I reck nothingof what your aims may be; I only look to restoring my father'shonor and the honor of our house.""Truly," said the Prince, smiling, "that is the only matter thatmaketh me willing to lay my hands to this business. Dost thouknow why I have sent for thee? It is because this day thou mustchallenge the Duke of Alban before the King. The Earl ofMackworth has laid all his plans and the time is now ripe.
Knowest that thy father is at Mackworth House?""Nay," said Myles; "I knew it not."
"He hath been there for nearly two days," said the Prince. "Justnow the Earl hath sent for us to come first to Mackworth House.
Then to go to the palace, for he hath gained audience with theKing, and hath so arranged it that the Earl of Alban is to bethere as well. We all go straightway; so get thyself ready assoon as may be."Perhaps Myles's heart began beating more quickly within him atthe nearness of that great happening which he had looked forwardto for so long. If it did, he made no sign of his emotion, butonly asked, "How must I clothe myself, your Highness?""Wear thy light armor," said the Prince, "but no helmet, a jupponbearing the arms and colors that the Earl gave thee when thouwert knighted, and carry thy right-hand gauntlet under thy beltfor thy challenge. Now make haste, for time passes."
