"Reputed rich! Oh, what a bitter thing is a bad reputation. I am Job-poor; both ends will not meet, I tell you. If I had for lending-money a guinea in one pocket, why, I should lend it to the other pocket." "Why do you woo me if you be so poor?" Brilliana asked, with a fine show of heat, and Halfman nodded his head as much as to say, "Ay, ay, answer me that, if you can." Master Peter strove to answer, lamely enough. "Poor in pennies, lady, poorer in shillings, poorest in guineas. I may own half the country-side and have no coin to clink against the other." Brilliana scoffed at his protest. "Why, 'tis not so long ago Master Paul Hungerford told me you were a very Croesus." Master Peter clinched and unclinched his horny hands as if he were coming to grips with his traducer. "Master Hungerford told you that? I would I had my hands knotted about his lying throat. He that is as rich as a Jew, that has a treasure of gold plate in his sideboard that would keep the King in arms and men for a month of Sundays, he so to slander my poverty." Brilliana heaved a sympathetic sigh. "I fear he is but a bad man. Do you think he cherishes the King's cause?" Master Peter flamed with virtuous indignation. "He, the black heart! Never think it. He is a rank Parliament scoundrel and worships Mr. Pym." "Is it so?" cried Brilliana. "A rebel, a renegade. Why, now, Master Rainham, I see a pretty piece of loyal work for you." Master Peter glowered at her suspiciously. "Anything for you, anything for the King; except give what I have none of--money." "In the King's name," said Brilliana, heroically, "go forth and ransack this rebellious gentleman's house for arms." Master Peter snorted sceptically. "Arms! I think he hath none but an old rusty fire-lock and a breast and back that have seen better days." Brilliana beamed on him, a yielding sphinx. "But then, supposing you should pick up some plate on the way, some gold plate by chance--" Master Peter rubbed his grimy hands. "Why, it were fine," he admitted, gleefully; then added, with cunning, "Are you sure he is a Roundhead?" "I am very sure he is your enemy," Brilliana answered, sharply, "for he makes you his daily jape." The ugly boar-head looked uglier as it growled: "Does he, the dog! I'd jape him if I gad my two hands upon him." "Why," Brilliana asserted, now in the full tide of make-believe, "if you are a King's man, he will be of the other side, he hates you so. I cannot think how you have earned his hatred, unless, indeed--" and she broke off suddenly and looked aside. Halfman would have given a shilling for a lonely place to laugh his fill in. "Well, madam, well?" Master Rainham questioned, eagerly. Brilliana faltered her answer. "--unless he believes you stand higher in the graces of a certain lady than he can ever hope to stand." Master Rainham's smile gave Halfman the feel of goose-flesh. Brilliana's face was, happily, averted. "Madam, assure me 'tis so," grunted boar's-head.