The black death and the monks have between them
been heavy upon our estate. Willingly would I give you a handful
of gold for your assistance, since that is what you seem to crave;
but indeed I have it not, and so once more I say that you must be
satisfied with my thanks."
"Your gold is nothing to me," said Aylward shortly, "nor would you
buy my loyalty if you filled my wallet with rose nobles, so long
as you were not a man after my own heart. But I have seen you
back the yellow horse, and I have seen you face the Abbot of
Waverley, and you are such a master as I would very gladly serve
if you have by chance a place for such a man. I have seen your
following, and I doubt not that they were stout fellows in your
grandfather's time; but which of them now would draw a bow-string
to his ear? Through you I have left the service of the Abbey of
Waverley, and where can I look now for a post? If I stay here I
am all undone like a fretted bow-string."
"Nay, there can be no difficulty there," said Chandos. "Pardieu!
a roistering, swaggering dare-devil archer is worth his price on
the French border. There are two hundred such who march behind my
own person, and I would ask nothing better than to see you among
them."
"I thank you, noble sir, for your offer," said Aylward, "and I
had rather follow your banner than many another one, for it is
well known that it goes ever forward, and I have heard enough of
the wars to know that there are small pickings for the man who
lags behind.
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