"It would surely have been much
shorter had we travelled through Berwick, and along the coast road."
"Much shorter, Roger; but Sir Henry thought it better that we should go
inland to Haddington, and thence east to Dunbar; as, thus entering the
town, it would seem that we came from Edinburgh, or from some western
monastery; whereas, did we journey by the coast road, it might be
guessed that we had come from England."
As before, they put up at a hostelry; and Oswald then proceeded, on
foot, to the governor's house. Some soldiers were loitering at the
door.
"What do you want, lad?" one of them asked, as he came up.
"I have a letter, which I am charged to deliver into the governor's own
hands."
"A complaint, I suppose, from some worthy prior, who has lost some of
his beeves?"
"Maybe the governor will inform you, if you ask him," Oswald replied.
"I shall pull your ear for you, when you come out, young jackanapes,"
the soldier said, hotly.
"That danger I must even risk. Business first, and pleasure
afterwards."
And while the other soldiers burst into a fit of laughter, at the
astonishment of their comrade at what he deemed the insolence of this
young servitor of a monastery, he quietly entered.
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