We became friends at once, drawn together by that subtle human quality
which makes one nature fit into another, resulting in friendship
between men, and love between men and women. We soon found that we had
many tastes in common, chief among which was the strongest of all
congenial bonds, the love of books. In fact we had come to know each
other through our common love of reading, for he also had gone to
Master Cavendish, who had a fine library, to borrow some volumes to
take with him down to Greenwich.

Brandon informed me he was to go to Greenwich that day, so we
determined to see a little of London, which was new to him, and then
take boat in time to be at the palace before dark.

That evening, upon arriving at Greenwich, we hunted up Brandon's
uncle, the Master of Horse, who invited his nephew to stay with him
for the night. He refused, however, and accepted an invitation to take
a bed in my room.

The next day Brandon was installed as one of the captains of the
king's guard, under his uncle, but with no particular duties, except
such as should be assigned him from time to time. He was offered a
good room on one of the lower floors, but asked, instead, to be lodged
in the attic next to me. So we arranged that each had a room opening
into a third that served us alike for drawing-room and armory.

Here we sat and talked, and now and then one would read aloud some
favorite passage, while the other kept his own place with finger
between the leaves. Here we discussed everything from court scandal to
religion, and settled to our own satisfaction, at least, many a great