The officers
and gentlemen volunteers of his company soon assembled, and Captain
Vere introduced the two boys to them.
"They are young gentlemen of good family," he said, "who will act
as my pages until they are old enough to be enrolled as gentlemen
volunteers. I commend them to your good offices. Their father is
a learned and reverend gentleman who was my tutor, and also tutor
to my cousin, the Earl of Oxford, by whom he is greatly valued.
They are lads of spirit, and have been instructed in the use of
arms at Hedingham as if they had been members of our family. I am
sure, gentlemen volunteers, that you will receive them as friends.
I propose that they shall take their meals with you, but of course
they will lodge here with me and my officers; but as you are in the
next house this will cause no inconvenience. I trust that we shall
not remain here long, but shall soon be on the move. We have now
been here seven months, and it is high time we were doing something.
We didn't bargain to come over here and settle down for life in a
dull Dutch town."
In a few hours the boys found themselves quite at home in their
new quarters. The gentlemen volunteers received them cordially,
and they found that for the present their duties would be extremely
light, consisting chiefly in carrying messages and orders; for as
the officers had all servants of their own, Captain Vere dispensed
with their attendance at meals.
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