"Marry, this follows, that
you will owe good deed, as well as good will, to him who shall put you
in the way to walk with your beaver cocked in the presence, as an ye
were Earl of Kildare; bully the courtiers; meet the Prince's blighting
look with a bold brow; confront the favourite; baffle his deputy, and-
-"
"This is all well," said Nigel! "but how is it to be accomplished?"
"By making thee a Prince of Peru, my lord of the northern latitudes;
propping thine old castle with ingots,--fertilizing thy failing
fortunes with gold dust--it shall but cost thee to put thy baron's
coronet for a day or so on the brows of an old Caduca here, the man's
daughter of the house, and thou art master of a mass of treasure that
shall do all I have said for thee, and--"
"What, you would have me marry this old gentlewoman here, the daughter
of mine host?" said Nigel, surprised and angry, yet unable to suppress
some desire to laugh.
"Nay, my lord, I would have you marry fifty thousand good sterling
pounds; for that, and better, hath old Trapbois hoarded; and thou
shall do a deed of mercy in it to the old man, who will lose his
golden smelts in some worse way--for now that he is well-nigh past his
day of work, his day of payment is like to follow."
"Truly, this is a most courteous offer," said Lord Glenvarloch; "but
may I pray of your candour, most noble duke, to tell me why you
dispose of a ward of so much wealth on a stranger like me, who may
leave you to-morrow?"
"In sooth, my lord," said the Duke, "that question smacks more of the
wit of Beaujeu's ordinary, than any word I have yet heard your
lordship speak, and reason it is you should be answered.
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