What say you?" And she turned to Torfrida's mother.
Torfrida's mother only prayed and whimpered.
"Countesses and Ladies," said the Queen-Countess, "there will he two
weddings to-morrow. The first will be that of my son Robert and my pretty
Lady Gertrude here. The second will be that of my pretty Torfrida and
Hereward."
"And the second bride," said the Countess Gertrude, rising and taking
Torfrida in her arms, "will be ten times prettier than the first. There,
sir, I have done all you asked of me. Now go and wash yourself."
* * * * *
"Hereward," said Torfrida, a week after, "and did you really never change
your shirt all that time?"
"Never. I kept my promise."
"But it must have been very nasty."
"Well, I bathed now and then."
"But it must have been very cold."
"I am warm enough now."
"But did you never comb your hair, neither?"
"Well, I won't say that. Travellers find strange bed-fellows. But I had
half a mind never to do it at all, just to spite you."
"And what matter would it have been to me?"
"O, none. It is only a Danish fashion we have of keeping clean."
"Clean! You were dirty enough when you came home. How silly you were! If
you had sent me but one word!"
"You would have fancied me beaten, and scolded me all over again.
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