Then at last Lord Caversham let Rupert rise from his knee, but he still kept his hand upon him. "Thou art a good lad of thine inches, Robert," said he, and then his eyes began to laugh, with just the trick that Dick Fowell's eyes had. "Look you," he spoke, "now that my Dick is grown, I need a young lad to sit at my table and ride at my bridle-hand. What sayst thou, wife? Shall we keep this godson of mine and make a good Parliament man of him?" Oh, but at that Rupert backed away quickly from my lord, and grew red to the roots of his hair! "Ah, but, my lord," he said, "I am a king's man, like Merrylips and like Cornet Venner." For the first time Munn's heart seemed to warm toward Rupert at those words. "I do beseech you, my lord," Munn said, "let the boy go unto the Lady Sybil Fernefould, who is now dwelling in my father's house at Walsover. She is blood-kin to the lad, his own aunt, and will make him welcome unto her, I dare undertake." "Ay, and make an arrant Cavalier of him, like all you Venners," my lord answered. "And if I refuse, no doubt, Cornet Venner, you will steal him away from under my face and eyes, as you did your young sister here from Mr. Lowry's keeping." Perhaps Munn did not know that so much of Merrylips' story had been told to Dick Fowell and his sisters, and through them had reached Lord Caversham. He grew quite red and flustered, and made no more suggestions. For a moment Merrylips was quite alarmed. She thought that now that their only champion was silenced, Rupert would indeed be kept forever at Ryeborough castle. But she found that, after the fashion of grown folk, Lord Caversham was only jesting. "Dick," he was saying next instant, quite soberly, "what sayst thou to a month's leave of absence? 'Twere well perhaps that thou shouldst go down into the west with these three lads." Once more Merrylips was astonished to hear Munn thus lumped with her and Rupert, as if he were but a boy! "Thou shalt lay open all the matter," went on Lord Caversham, "touching this boy's birth and kinship, to Sir Thomas Venner, and to Lady Sybil, even as I would do, could I myself go thither. And haply among the men that survived the assault of Monksfield they may find the trooper Hinkel, to tell his part in the story. For though this youngster might find it hard to prove his claim to the name of Lucas in a court of law, 'tis his in right and justice, and so I will maintain. And for Ned Lucas's sake, I would fain see the child acknowledged by his kinsfolk." "I'll do my best endeavor, sir," Dick Fowell promised. "So soon as you can get us safe conducts and arrange for Cornet Venner's exchange, we'll be off for Walsover." At that Merrylips longed to cry "Hurrah!" as Tibbott Venner would have done. Indeed her face broke into smiles, as she looked at Rupert, and then at Lord Caversham. She would gladly have said that she was much beholden to him, but she feared to be too forward, with Munn looking on.