"
"The villain!" quoth Hereward. "There is no modesty left on earth, nor
prudence either. To come here, where he might have stumbled on Tosti, who
murdered his son, and I would surely do the like by him, himself. Lucky
for him that Tosti is off to Norway on his own errand."
"Modesty and prudence? None now-a-days, young sire; nor justice either, I
think; for when Baldwin hears us both--and I told my story as cannily as I
could--he tells me that he is very sorry for an old vassal and kinsman,
and so forth,--but I must either disgorge or fight."
"Then fight," quoth Hereward.
"'Per se aut per campioneem,'--that's the old law, you know."
"Not a doubt of it."
"Look you, Hereward. I am no coward, nor a clumsy man of my hands."
"He is either fool or liar who says so."
"But see. I find it hard work to hold my own in Scotland now. Folks don't
like me, or trust me; I can't say why."
"How unreasonable!" quoth Hereward.
"And if I kill this youth, and so have a blood-feud with Gospatrick, I
have a hornet's nest about my ears. Not only he and his sons,--who are
masters of Scotch Northumberland, [Footnote: Between Tweed and Forth.]--
but all his cousins; King Malcolm, and Donaldbain, and, for aught I know,
Harold and the Godwinssons, if he bid them take up the quarrel.
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