"I pray to God it does not drive thee mad," said Blount; "for my part,
if we lose our noble lord, I bid adieu to the court and to the camp
both. I have five hundred foul acres in Norfolk, and thither will I, and
change the court pantoufle for the country hobnail."
"O base transmutation!" exclaimed his antagonist; "thou hast already got
the true rustic slouch--thy shoulders stoop, as if thine hands were at
the stilts of the plough; and thou hast a kind of earthy smell about
thee, instead of being perfumed with essence, as a gallant and courtier
should. On my soul, thou hast stolen out to roll thyself on a hay mow!
Thy only excuse will be to swear by thy hilts that the farmer had a fair
daughter."
"I pray thee, Walter," said another of the company, "cease thy raillery,
which suits neither time nor place, and tell us who was at the gate just
now."
"Doctor Masters, physician to her Grace in ordinary, sent by her
especial orders to inquire after the Earl's health," answered Walter.
"Ha! what?" exclaimed Tracy; "that was no slight mark of favour. If the
Earl can but come through, he will match with Leicester yet. Is Masters
with my lord at present?"
"Nay," replied Walter, "he is half way back to Greenwich by this time,
and in high dudgeon."
"Thou didst not refuse him admittance?" exclaimed Tracy.
"Thou wert not, surely, so mad?" ejaculated Blount.
"I refused him admittance as flatly, Blount, as you would refuse a penny
to a blind beggar--as obstinately, Tracy, as thou didst ever deny access
to a dun."
"Why, in the fiend's name, didst thou trust him to go to the gate?" said
Blount to Tracy.
"It suited his years better than mine," answered Tracy; "but he has
undone us all now thoroughly. My lord may live or die, he will never
have a look of favour from her Majesty again."
"Nor the means of making fortunes for his followers," said the young
gallant, smiling contemptuously;--"there lies the sore point that will
brook no handling. My good sirs, I sounded my lamentations over my lord
somewhat less loudly than some of you; but when the point comes of
doing him service, I will yield to none of you. Had this learned leech
entered, think'st thou not there had been such a coil betwixt him and
Tressilian's mediciner, that not the sleeper only, but the very dead
might have awakened? I know what larurm belongs to the discord of
doctors."