Schoolcraft and honesty never
went yet together, Torfrida--"
"Not in me?"
"You are not a clerk, you are a woman, and more, you are an elf, a
goddess; there is none like you. But hearken to me. This man is false. All
the world knows it."
"He promises, they say, to govern England justly as King Edward's heir,
according to the old laws and liberties of the realm."
"Of course. If he does not come as the old monk's heir, how does he come
at all? If he does not promise our--their, I mean, for I am no
Englishman--laws and liberties, who will join him? But his riders and
hirelings will not fight for nothing. They must be paid with English land,
and English land they will have, for they will be his men, whoever else
are not. They will be his darlings, his housecarles, his hawks to sit on
his fist and fly at his game; and English bones will be picked clean to
feed them. And you would have me help to do that, Torfrida? Is that the
honor of which you spoke so boldly to Harold Godwinsson?"
Torfrida was silent. To have brought Hereward under the influence of
William was an old dream of hers. And yet she was proud at the dream being
broken thus. And so she said:
"You are right. It is better for you,--it is better than to be William's
darling, and the greatest earl in his court,--to feel that you are still
an Englishman.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253