of the quiet demeanour and peaceful air which becomes an honest citizen. In
another six months you will be apprenticed, and then I hope we shall hear
no more of these doings."

"My father is talking of apprenticing me, Master Geoffrey," Walter said
that evening. "I hope that you will, as you were good enough to promise,
talk with him about apprenticing me to your craft rather than to his. I
should never take to the making of bows, though, indeed, I like well to use
them; and Will Parker, who is teaching me says that I show rare promise;
but it would never be to my taste to stand all day sawing, and smoothing,
and polishing. One bow is to me much like another, though my father holds
that there are rare differences between them; but it is a nobler craft to
work on iron, and next to using arms the most pleasant thing surely is to
make them. One can fancy what good blows the sword will give and what hard
knocks the armour will turn aside; but some day, Master Geoffrey, when I
have served my time, I mean to follow the army. There is always work there
for armourers to do, and sometimes at a pinch they may even get their share
of fighting."

Walter did not venture to say that he would prefer to be a man-at-arms, for
such a sentiment would be deemed as outrageous in the ears of a quiet city
craftsman as would the proposal of the son of such a man nowadays to enlist
as a soldier. The armourer smiled; he knew well enough what was in
Walter's mind. It had cost Geoffrey himself a hard struggle to settle down
to a craft, and deemed it but natural that with the knightly blood flowing
in Walter's veins he should long to distinguish himself in the field. He
said nothing of this, however, but renewed his promise to speak to Giles
Fletcher, deeming that a few years passed in his forge would be the best
preparation which Walter could have for a career as a soldier.