‘Then keep him,’ said Avon, and moved on.
The boy ran to him, clinging to his arm.
‘Milor’, take me! Oh, please take me! I will work well for you! I swear it! Oh, I beg of you, take me!’
His Grace paused.
‘I wonder if I am a fool?’ he said in English. He drew the diamond pin from his cravat, and held it so that it winked and sparkled in the light of the lamp. ‘Well, fellow? Will this suffice?’
The man gazed at the jewel as though he could hardly believe his eyes. He rubbed them, and drew nearer, staring.
‘For this,’ Avon said, ‘I purchase your brother, body and soul. Well?’
‘Give it me!’ whispered the man, and stretched out his hand. ‘The boy is yours, milor’.’
Avon tossed the pin to him.
‘I believe I requested you to keep your distance,’ he said. ‘You offend my nostrils. Child, follow me.’ On he went, down the street, with the boy at a respectful distance behind him.
They came at last to the Rue St-Honoré, and to Avon’s house. He passed in with never a glance behind him to see whether his new possession followed or not, and walked across the courtyard to the great nail-studded door. Bowing lackeys admitted him, looking in surprise at the shabby figure who came in his wake.
The Duke let fall his cloak, and handed his hat to one of the footmen.
‘Mr Davenant?’ he said.
‘In the library, your Grace.?
??
Avon sauntered across the hall to the library door. It was opened for him, and he went in, nodding to the boy to follow.
Hugh Davenant sat by the fire, reading a book of poems. He glanced up as his host came in, and smiled.
‘Well, Justin?’ Then he saw the shrinking child by the door. ‘Faith, what have we here?’
‘You may well ask,’ said the Duke. He came to the fire, and stretched one elegantly shod foot to the blaze. ‘A whim. That dirty and starved scrap of humanity is mine.’ He spoke in English, but it was evident that the boy understood, for he flushed, and hung his curly head.
‘Yours?’ Davenant looked from him to the boy. ‘What mean you, Alastair? Surely – you cannot mean – your son?’
‘Oh, no!’ His Grace smiled in some amusement. ‘Not this time, my dear Hugh. I bought this little rat for the sum of one diamond.’
‘But – but why, in heaven’s name?’
‘I have no idea,’ said his Grace placidly. ‘Come here, rat.’
The boy came to him timidly, and allowed Justin to turn his face to the light.
‘Quite a pretty child,’ the Duke remarked. ‘I shall make him my page. So entertaining to possess a page, body and soul.’
Davenant rose, and took one of the boy’s hands in his.
‘I suppose you will explain, some time or another,’ he said. ‘For the present, why not feed the poor child?’
‘You are always so efficient,’ sighed the Duke. He turned to the table, on which a cold supper was laid, awaiting him. ‘Wonderful. You might almost have known that I should bring home a guest. You may eat, little rat.’
The boy looked up at him shyly.
‘Please, milor’, I can wait. I – I would not eat your supper. I would rather wait, if – if you please.’