'Not when the world judges men to be on equal terms, my lord.' 'What! Who has done you wrong, you silly loon?' 'King Henry, Sir; he struck me with his fist, and rated me like his hound; and I will not eat another morsel of his bread unless he would answer it to me in single combat.' 'Little enough bread you'd eat after that same answer!' ejaculated James. 'Oh! I understand now. You were with young Hotspur and the rest that set on the poor townsmen, and Harry made small distinction of persons! Nay, Malcolm, it was ill in you, that talked of so loathing spulzie!' 'I wanted no spulzie. There were Armagnacs hid in the house, and the King would not hear us.' 'He knew that story too well. Were you asleep or idling last night, when he warned all, on no plea whatever, to break into a house, but, if the old tale of treachery came up, to set a guard, and call one of the captains? Did you hear him--eh?' 'I can take chiding from you, Sir, but neither words nor blows from any other king in Christendom, still less when he threatens me that I have deferred my knighthood! As if I would have it from him!' 'From me you will not have it until he have pardoned Ralf Percy,' said James, dryly. 'Malcolm, I had not thought you such a fule body! Under a captain's banner, what can be done but submit to his rule? I should do so myself, were Salisbury or March in command.' 'Then, Sir,' said Malcolm, much hurt that the King did not take his part, 'I shall carry my service elsewhere.' 'So,' said James, much vexed, 'this is the meek lad that wanted to hide in a convent from an ill world, flying off from his king and kinsman that he may break down honest men's doors at his will.' '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.