"I am going to the Earl of Marlborough," Rupert said briefly.

"Dear me, dear me! Indeed now!" the little tailor said with an
instant and great accession of deference, for the Earl of
Marlborough was the greatest man in the realm. "Had your honour
mentioned that at first, I should not have ventured to hint at the
need for previous payment."

"What!" Rupert said, with a smile. "You would have broken your
fixed rule! Surely not, Master Haliford."

The tailor looked sharply at his young customer. Whoever he might
be, he was clearly no fool; and without more ado he brought forward
his patterns and bent himself to the work in hand.

Having chosen the colours and stuffs for the suits of clothes, the
lads returned to the Bell, where a supper of cold chicken and the
remains of a fine sirloin awaited them, with two tankards of
home-brewed ale. The next morning, before sallying out to see the
town, Rupert wrote to his grandfather, asking his pardon for
running away, expressing his intention of applying to the Earl of
Marlborough for a cornetcy of horse, and giving his address at the
Bell; asking him also to make his humble excuse to his lady mother,
and to assure her of his devotion and respect, although
circumstances had caused his apparent disobedience to her wishes.

Although there was a much greater amount of filial respect and
obedience expressed in those days than now, human nature has
differed but slightly in different ages of the world; and it is
probable that sons went their own way quite as much as they do now,