"I am an archer of my lord Douglas' outer guard. I can have no
promotion save from him or those of his house--not even from the King
himself."

"Well said!" cried the knight; "small wonder that the Douglas is the
greatest man in Scotland. I will speak to the Earl William this day
concerning you."

Lord Maxwell rode on at the head of his company with a courteous
salutation, which not a few behind him who had heard the colloquy
imitated. Laurence stood there with his heart working like yeast
within him, and his colour coming and going to think what he had been
offered and what he had refused.

"God's truth," he said to himself, "I might have been a great man if I
had chosen, while Sholto, that old sober sides, was left lagging
behind."

Then he looked about for his bow and went swaggering along as if he
were already Sir Laurence and the leader of an army.

But Nemesis was upon him, and that in the fashion which his pride
would feel the most.

"Take that, beast of a Laurence!" cried a voice behind him.

And the lad received a jolt from behind which loosened his teeth in
their sockets and discomposed the dignified stride with which in
imagination he was commanding the armies of the Douglas.