'As they from the pope, my lord,' rejoined Richard.
'True,' answered the marquis; 'but the bishops are the fairer
thieves, and may one day be brought to reason and restitution.'
'As I trust your lordship will in respect of my mare.'
'Nay, that can hardly be. She shall to Gloucester to the king. I
would not have sent to Redware to fetch her, but finding thee and
her in my house at midnight, it would be plain treason to set such
enemies at liberty. What! hast thou fought against his majesty? Thou
art scored like an old buckler!'
Richard had started on his adventure very thinly clad, for he had
expected to find all possible freedom of muscle necessary, and
indeed could not in his buff coat have entered the castle. In the
scuffle at the gate, his garment had been torn open, and the eye of
the marquis had fallen on the scar of a great wound on his chest,
barely healed.
'What age art thou?' he went on, finding Richard made no answer.
'One and twenty, my lord--almost.
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