So little does it take to make a body's reputation.
That night all the squires' quarters buzzed with the story of howthe new boy, Falworth, had answered Sir James Lee to his facewithout fear, and had exchanged blows with him hand to hand.
Walter Blunt himself was moved to some show of interest.
"What said he to thee, Falworth?" asked he.
"He said naught," said Myles, brusquely. "He only sought to showme how to recover from the under cut.""It is passing strange that he should take so much notice of theeas to exchange blows with thee with his own hand. Haply thou arteither very quick or parlous slow at arms.""It is quick that he is," said Gascoyne, speaking up in hisfriend's behalf. "For the second time that Falworth delivered thestroke, Sir James could not reach him to return; so I saw withmine own eyes."But that very sterling independence that had brought Myles socreditably through this adventure was certain to embroil him withthe rude, half-savage lads about him, some of whom, especiallyamong the bachelors, were his superiors as well in age as inskill and training. As said before, the bachelors had enforcedfrom the younger boys a fagging sort of attendance on theirvarious personal needs, and it was upon this point that Mylesfirst came to grief. As it chanced, several days passed beforeany demand was made upon him for service to the heads of thesquirehood, but when that demand was made, the bachelors werevery quick to see that the boy who was bold enough to speak up toSir James Lee was not likely to be a willing fag for them.
"I tell thee, Francis," he said, as Gascoyne and he talked overthe matter one day--"I tell thee I will never serve them.
Prithee, what shame can be fouler than to do such menial service,saving for one's rightful Lord?""Marry!" quoth Gascoyne; "I reason not of shame at this or that.
All I know is that others serve them who are haply as good andmaybe better than I be, and that if I do not serve them I getknocked i' th' head therefore, which same goeth soothly againstmy stomach.""I judge not for thee," said Myles. "Thou art used to thesecastle ways, but only I know that I will not serve them, thoughthey be thirty against me instead of thirteen.""Then thou art a fool," said Gascoyne, dryly.
Now in this matter of service there was one thing above allothers that stirred Myles Falworth's ill-liking. The winterbefore he had come to Devlen, Walter Blunt, who was somewhat of aSybarite in his way, and who had a repugnance to bathing in thegeneral tank in the open armory court in frosty weather, had hadDick Carpenter build a trough in the corner of the dormitory forthe use of the bachelors, and every morning it was the duty oftwo of the younger squires to bring three pails of water to fillthis private tank for the use of the head esquires. It was seeingtwo of his fellow-esquires fetching and carrying this water thatMyles disliked so heartily, and every morning his bile wasstirred anew at the sight.
"Sooner would I die than yield to such vile service," said he.
He did not know how soon his protestations would be put to thetest.
