'
'He will hardly yield the point, my lord. So long as Might, the
sword, is in the hand of Right, the--'
'Of Right, the roundhead, I suppose you mean,' interrupted the
marquis. 'Who carried off Mr. Heywood's mare?' he repeated, rising,
and looking abroad on the crowd.
'Tom Fool,' answered a voice from the obscure distance.
A buzz of suppressed laughter followed, which as instantly ceased,
for the marquis looked angrily around.
'Stand forth, Tom Fool,' he said.
Through the crowd came Tom, and stood before the dais, looking
frightened and sheepish.
'Sure I am, Tom, thou didst never go to steal a mare of thine own
notion: who went with thee?' said the marquis.
'Mr. Scudamore, my lord,' answered Tom.
'Ha, Rowland! Art thou there?' cried his lordship.
'I gave him fair warning two years ago, my lord, and the king wants
horses,' said Scudamore cunningly.
'Rowland, I like not such warfare. Yet can the roundheads say nought
against it, who would filch kingdom from king and church from
bishops,' said the marquis, turning again to Heywood.
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