Sir Mark smiled, and stood apparently thinking for a while before he spoke again. "Master Cobbe, I have the power to place in thy hands," he said at last, "the supplying of as many pieces of ordnance, and as much good, strong powder, as thou could'st make, for the use of his Majesty's forces, in an expedition to be sent to Holland. What say you; will you supply the guns?" "Price, my lad, price? Will his Highness pay me well?" "I will undertake to say that he will, Master Cobbe; and, what is more, I can see that it is done. Make your own fair, honest charge for the pieces and their food, and there will be no demur." "Look here, Sir Mark," replied the founder, looking the speaker full in the face; "you turned angry when I talked of giving you a recompense for this order, and called it bribery. What does it all mean? Thou would'st not do all this for naught." "Is there no such thing as gratitude in the world, Master Cobbe?" "Plenty, sir; but court gallants don't come spreading it out like beaten gold over a rough country work-master, unless they want to get something back." "You are witty at the expense of court gallants, as you call them, Master Cobbe," said Sir Mark, laughing. "Tut, man, be not so dense. Is it a surprise to you that I should have spent my time in London working hard on thy behalf? Here was an order for ordnance going a-begging. What more natural for me to say than--Here is honest Jeremiah Cobbe, who can make better pieces than his Majesty will get elsewhere, and it will force him back into the King's esteem, instead of his lying under the stigma of being a traitor? What more likely for me to do than to get him the order?" "Then, thou hast gotten me the order, eh, Sir Mark?" "Nay, I have obtained for myself the power to give thee that order, Master Cobbe." "And at what price?" "Tush, man, speak not of price," cried the other, eagerly. "What are prices to us? Can you not see that our interests are one, and that I am working for myself as well as thee?" "Nay," said the founder, bluntly; "I see it not." "You will not see it, Master Cobbe," said Sir Mark, smiling. "Why, man, I have but one thought--for thy welfare." "Indeed," said the founder, bluntly; "and why?" "Why?" cried Sir Mark. "You ask me why, when you know so well that I would do aught for the father of the woman I love." "Ah," said the founder, drily; "now we have got to it at last. So that mad wish of thine is not dead yet." "Mad wish! Why, Master Cobbe, for what do you take me?" "A very good hand at a bargain, Sir Mark. Nay, nay, stop you, and let me speak, for you have had a goodly say. You come to me then, now, scorning all kinds of commission for the great order you have to bestow, but you say to me all the same--Here is the order, give me thy daughter in return." "Master Cobbe!" "Sir Mark Leslie! Now, sir, what manner of man do you take me to be, that you offer me goodly orders in exchange for my own poor flesh and blood?"