I thank you, Dorothy.
You shall sing it to me another time when my lord is away, and I shall love to think my lord was ill content with me when I called it a foolish thing.

But my Irish was a good song too, my lord.' 'Thy singing of it proves it, sweet heart .-- But come, my fair minstrel, thou hast earned a good guerdon: what shall I give thee in return for thy song ?' 'A boon, a boon, my lord!' cried Dorothy.
'It is thine ere thou ask it,' returned his lordship, merrily following up the old-fashioned phrase with like formality.
'I must then tell my lord what hath been in my foolish mind ever since my lady took me to the keep, and I saw his marvellous array of engines.
I would glady understand them, my lord.

Who can fail to delight in such inventions as bring about that which before seemed impossible ?' Here came a little sigh with the thought of her old companion Richard, and the things they had together contrived.

Already, on the mist of gathering time, a halo had begun to glimmer about his head, puritan, fanatic, blasphemer even, as she had called him.
Lord Herbert marked the soundless sigh.
'You shall not sigh in vain, mistress Dorothy,' he said, 'for anything I can give you.

To one who loves inventions it is easy to explain them.