"You are growing up mightily like your father, and promise to be as big
and as strong as we both are. Your eyes speak of a bold disposition,
and my brother tells me that you are already well practised with your
arms.
"You understand that it is Sir Henry, whom they call Hotspur, that you
are to serve. As to the earl, he is too great a personage for me to ask
a favour from, but Sir Henry is different. I taught him the first use
of his arms, and many a bout have I had with him. He treats me as a
comrade, rather than as the captain of his father's men-at-arms, here;
and when I spoke to him about you, he said at once:
"'Bring him here, and we will see what we can do for him. If he is a
fellow of parts and discretion, I doubt not that we can make him
useful. You say he knows every inch of our side of the border, and
something of the Scottish side of it, his mother's sister being married
to one of the Armstrongs. There is like to be trouble before long. You
know the purpose for which I am going away; and the Scots are sure to
take advantage of changes in England, and a youth who can ride, and
knows the border, and can, if needs be, strike a blow in self defence,
will not have to stay idle in the castle long.
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