"
"Hurry no man's cattle, especially thine own," answered the churchman,
with so shrewd a wink, and so cheery a voice, that Ivo, when he recovered
from his surprise, cried,--
"Why, thou art a good huntsman thyself, I believe now."
"All things to all men, if by any means--But to return. If your Majesty
should think fit to proclaim to the recalcitrants of Ely, that unless they
submit themselves to your Royal Grace--and to that, of course, of His
Holiness, our Father--within a certain day, you will convert to other
uses--premising, to avoid scandal, that those uses shall be for the
benefit of Holy Church--all lands and manors of theirs lying without the
precincts of the Isle of Ely,--those lands being, as is known, large, and
of great value,--Quid plura? Why burden your exalted intellect by
detailing to you consequences which it has, long ere now, foreseen."
"----" quoth William, who was as sharp as the Italian, and had seen it
all. "I will make thee a bishop!"
"Spare to burden my weakness," said the chaplain; and slipt away into the
shade.
"You will take his advice?" asked Ivo.
"I will."
"Then I shall see that Torfrida burn at last."
"Burn her?" and William swore.
"I promised my soldiers to burn the witch with reeds out of Haddenham fen,
as she had burned them; and I must keep my knightly word.
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