"Pardon my boldness, sire," he said to the king, "but I would fain tell you what the lad himself has hitherto been ignorant of.

He is not, as he supposes, the son of Giles Fletcher, citizen and bowmaker, but is the lawfully born son of Sir Roland Somers, erst of Westerham and Hythe, who was killed in the troubles at the commencement of your majesty's reign.
His wife, Dame Alice, brought the child to Giles Fletcher, whose wife had been her nurse, and dying left him in her care.

Giles and his wife, if called for, can vouch for the truth of this, and can give you proofs of his birth." Walter listened with astonishment to Geoffrey's speech.

A thrill of pleasure rushed through his veins as he learned that he was of gentle blood and might hope to aspire to a place among the knights of King Edward's court.

He understood now the pains which Geoffrey had bestowed in seeing that he was perfected in warlike exercises, and why both he and Giles had encouraged rather than repressed his love for martial exercises and his determination to abandon his craft and become a man-at-arms when he reached man's estate.
"Ah is it so ?" the king exclaimed.