Kings & rulers > Kenilworth > Volume 1

10
KENIL TV OX TIT.
“ What, Mike, boy—Mike !” exclaimed the
host;—“ and is it thou, in good earnest ? Nay, I
have judged so for this half hour ; for I knew no
other person would have ta’en half the interest
in thee. But, Mike, an thy shoulder be unscathed
as thou sayest, thou must own that Goodman
Thong, the hangman, was merciful in his office,
and stamped thee with a cold iron.”
“ Tush, uncle—truce with your jests. Keep
them to season your sour ale, and let us see what
hearty welcome thou wilt give a kinsman who
has rolled the world around for eighteen years;
who has seen the sun set where it rises, and has
travelled till the west has become the east.”
“ Thou hast brought back one traveller’s gift
with thee, Mike, as I well see, and that was what
thou least didst need to travel for. I remem¬
ber well, among thine other qualities, there
was no crediting a word which came from thy
mouth.”
“ Here’s an unbelieving Pagan for you, gen¬
tlemen!” said Michael Lambourne, turning to
those who witnessed this strange interview be¬
twixt uncle and nephew, some of whom, being
natives of the village, were no strangers to his
juvenile wildness. “ This may be called slaying
a Cumnor fatted calf for me with a vengeance.—
But, uncle, I come not from the husks and the
swine-trough, and I care not for thy welcome or
no welcome ; I carry Hhat with me will make me
welcome, wend where I will.”
So saying, he pulled out a purse of gold, in¬
differently well filled, the sight of which pro¬
duced a visible effect upon the company. Some
shook their heads, and whispered to each other,
while one or two of the less scrupulous speedily
began to recollect him as a school-companion, a
townsman, or so forth. On the other hand, two