‘That I may be free from insult, Sir.’

’You think John of Buchan like to cosset you!  You found the Black Douglas so courtly to me the other day as to expect him to be tender to this nicety of yours!  Malcolm, as your prince and guardian, I forbid this folly, and command you to lay aside this fit of malice and do your devoir.  What! sobbing, silly lad—­where’s your manhood?’

’Sir, Sir, what will they think of me—­the Lady Esclairmonde and all—­if they hear I have sat down tamely with a blow?’

’She will never think about you at all but as a sullen malapert ne’er-do-weel, if you go off to that camp of routiers, trying to prop a bad cause because you cannot take correction, nor observe discipline.’

A sudden suspicion came over Malcolm that the King would not thus make light of the offence, if it had really been the inexpiable insult he had supposed it, and the thought was an absolute relief; for in effect the parting from James, and joining the party opposed to Esclairmonde’s friends, would have been so tremendous a step, that he could hardly have contemplated it in his sober senses, and he murmured, ‘My honour, Sir,’ in a tone that James understood.

’Oh, for your honour—­you need not fear for that!  Any knight in the army could have done as much without prejudice to your honour.  Why, you silly loon, d’ye think I would not have been as angered as yourself, if your honour had been injured?’

Malcolm’s heart felt easier, but he still growled.  ’Then, Sir, if you assure me that I can do so without detriment to my honour, I will not quit you.’

James laughed.  ’It might have been more graciously spoken, my good cousin, but I am beholden to you.’

Malcolm, ashamed and vexed at the sarcastic tone, held his tongue for a little while, but presently exclaimed, ’Will the Bishop of Therouenne hear of it?’

James laughed.  ’Belike not; or, if he should, it would only seem to him the reasonable training of a young squire.’

The King did not say what crossed his own mind, that the Bishop of Therouenne was more likely to think Henry over-strict in discipline, and absurdly rigorous.

The prelate, Charles de Luxemburg, brother to the Count de St. Pol, had made several visits to the English camp.  He was one of these princely younger sons, who, like Beaufort at home, took ecclesiastical preferments as their natural provision, and as a footing whence they might become statesmen.  He was a great admirer of Henry’s genius, and, as the chief French prelate who was heartily on the English side, enjoyed a much greater prominence than he could have done at either the French or Burgundian Court.  He and his brother of St. Pol were Esclairmonde’s nearest kinsmen—­’oncles a la mode de Bretagne,’ as they call the relationship which is here sometimes termed Welsh uncle, or first cousins once removed—­and from him James had obtained much more complete information about Esclairmonde than he could ever get from the flighty Duchess.