me the sword," said Master Pory.

I bowed.

"You'll bring a friend?" he asked.

"I do not despair of finding one," I answered, "though my second, Master
Secretary, will put himself in some jeopardy."

"It is combat... outrance, I believe?"

"I understand it so."

"Then we'd better have Bohun. The survivor may need his services."

"As you please," I replied, "though my man Diccon dresses my scratches
well enough."

He bit his lip, but could not hide the twinkle in his eye.

"You are cocksure," he said. "Curiously enough, so is my lord. There
are no further formalities to adjust, I believe? To-morrow at sunrise,
behind the church, and with rapiers?"

"Precisely."

He slapped his blade back into its sheath. "Then that's over and done
with, for the nonce at least! Sufficient unto the day, etcetera. 'S
life! I'm hot and dry! You've sacked cities, Ralph Percy; now sack me
the minister's closet and bring out his sherris I'll be at charges for
the next communion."

We sat us down upon the doorstep with a tankard of sack between us, and
Master Pory drank, and drank, and drank again.

"How's the crop?" he asked. "Martin reports it poorer in quality than
ever, but Sir George will have it that it is very Varinas."

"It's every whit as good as the Spanish," I answered. "You may tell my
Lord Warwick so, when next you write."

He laughed. If he was a timeserver and leagued with my Lord Warwick's
faction in the Company, he was a jovial sinner. Traveler and student,
much of a philosopher, more of a wit, and boon companion to any beggar
with a pottle of ale,--while the drink lasted,--we might look askance at
his dealings, but we liked his company passing well. If he took half a
poor rustic's crop for his fee, he was ready enough to toss him sixpence
for drink money; and if he made the tenants of the lands allotted to
his office leave their tobacco uncared for whilst they rowed him on
his innumerable roving expeditions up creeks and rivers, he at least
lightened their labors with most side-splitting tales, and with bottle
songs learned in a thousand taverns.

"After to-morrow there'll be more interesting news to write," he
announced. "You're a bold man, Captain Percy."

He looked at me out of the corners of his little twinkling eyes. I sat
and smoked in silence.

"The King begins to dote upon him," he said; "leans on his arm, plays
with his hand, touches his cheek. Buckingham stands by, biting his lip,
his brow lik