"
But Lord Sebert reached out the wand and gave him a gentle stroke across the
shoulders.
"Take that for your foolishness," he said lightly. "What matters their babble
when you know how safe you sit in my favor?"
Through lowered lashes the boy stole him a glance, half mischievous, half
coaxing. "How safe, lord?" he murmured.
But the Etheling only laughed at him, as he drew up his long riding-boots and
readjusted his belt. "Safe enough so that I forgive you some dozen floggings a
day, you imp; and choose you for my comrade when I should be profiting by the
companionship of your betters. Waste no more golden moments on whims,
youngling, but go bid them fetch the horses, and we will have another day of
blithe wandering."
Blithe they were, in truth, as they cantered through shaded lanes and daisied
meadows, nothing too small to be of interest or too slight to give them
pleasure. An orchard of pears, whose ripening they were watching with eager
mouths, a group of colts almost ready for the saddle,--for the young master
the fascination of ownership gave them all a value; while another fascination
made his companion hang on his least word, respond to his lightest mood.
By grassy commons and rolling meadows sweet with clustering haycocks, they
came at last to the crest of the hill that guarded the eastern end of the
dale.
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