Marlborough smiled slightly at the nonchalance of the reply.

“That is all you have to say to me, Lord Claud?”

“That is all, your Grace.”

For a moment there was silence, whilst the Duke bent his eyes upon the ground; then he looked straight at Tom.

“And who are you, young sir?”

Tom glanced at Lord Claud, but seeing that he was to answer for himself, he did so frankly and candidly.  He was not ashamed of his humble birth, and made no secret of it; nor did he deny that he should never have found himself in such fine company save for the introduction and good offices of Lord Claud.

“And you desire to see foreign parts?”

“I was sent from home that I might do so.  My father thought I might find room in your Grace’s army to fight for my country.  I was smitten so with the wonders of London that I have lingered here long.  But I begin to weary of the life.  I would gladly go forth and see new lands, the more so if I could travel with a comrade who knew to frame his tongue to foreign speech;” and here he glanced at Lord Claud, who seemed to him a notable linguist.

“You know no tongue but your own, Mr. Tufton?”

“Never a word; and even that I cannot speak as men speak it in London town, so that I am fain to keep silence in a crowd like this, lest men laugh me to scorn, and anger me till I say or do something unseemly;” and the lad’s face flushed, for he had been sorely provoked before this, and had need of all his patience to quell the tempest of his soul.

The Duke smiled at this boyish frankness of speech; but then his face grew grave again, and he stood a while in thought.  Then he looked at Lord Claud, and said with some significance: 

“I will think more of this matter, sir.  I have used strange tools before this, and ofttimes with success.  The secret service has its secrets and its surprises; and I have my own methods of winning the fidelity of the messengers I employ.”

“So I have heard, your Grace.”

The two men looked full at each other, and the glance was neither unfriendly nor suspicious.  It appeared to Tom as though there were mutual liking, and a disposition to confidence; but this was neither the time nor the place to indulge it.

“Till all this feasting and pageantry be over, I am not mine own master, and I can scarce find time for the needful business of the hour,” said Marlborough; “but later on I hope to be free to spend a short spell of well-earned rest in mine own house of Holywell, hard by St. Albans.  If you should receive a summons to visit me there, come privately, and bring your friend with you.  It may be I shall make use of your services ere long.”

With a slight bow, which was respectfully returned by Tom, and more gracefully by Lord Claud, the Duke moved away; and Tom’s eyes were alight with excitement as he asked eagerly: 

“What does it mean?  What have you offered?  What will he use us for?”