Heaven forgive me! They have brought it upon themselves by contumacy to
Holy Church."
"Call my secretary, some one."
The Italian re-entered.
"The valiant and honorable and illustrious knight, Ivo Taillebois, Lord of
Holland and Kesteven, weds Lucia, sister of the late earls Edwin and
Morcar, now with the queen; and with, her, her manors. You will prepare
the papers.
"I am yours to death," said Ivo.
"To do you justice, I think thou wert that already. Stay--here--Sir
Priest--do you know any man who knows this Torfrida?"
"I do, Majesty," said Ivo. There is one Sir Ascelin, a man of Gilbert's,
in the camp."
"Send for him."
"This Torfrida," said William, "haunts me."
"Pray Heaven she have not bewitched your Majesty."
"Tut! I am too old a campaigner to take much harm by woman's sharpshooting
at fifteen score yards off, beside a deep stream between. No. The woman
has courage,--and beauty, too, you say?"
"What of that, O Prince?" said the Italian. "Who more beautiful--if report
be true--than those lost women who dance nightly in the forests with Venus
and Herodias,--as it may be this Torfrida has done many a time?"
"You priests are apt to be hard upon poor women."
"The fox found that the grapes were sour," said the Italian, laughing at
himself and his cloth, or at anything else by which he could curry favor.
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