"
"He is a friend of yours, then?"
"No man less. I owe him more than one grudge, though all in fair quarrel;
and one, at least, which can only be wiped out in blood."
"Eh! What?"
Ascelin hesitated.
"Tell me, sir!" thundered William, "unless you have aught to be ashamed
of."
"It is no shame, as far as I know, to confess that I was once a suitor, as
were all knights for miles round, for the hand of the once peerless
Torfrida. And no shame to confess, that when Hereward knew thereof, he
sought me out at a tournament, and served me as he has served many a
better man before and since"
"Over thy horse's croup, eh?" said William.
"I am not a bad horseman, as all know, Lord King. But Heaven save me, and
all I love, from that Hereward. They say he has seven men's strength; and
I verily can testify to the truth thereof."
"That may be by enchantment," interposed the Italian.
"True, Sir Priest. This I know, that he wears enchanted armor, which
Torfrida gave him before she married him."
"Enchantments again," said the secretary.
"Tell me now about Torfrida," said William.
Ascelin told him all about her, not forgetting to say--what, according to
the chronicler, was a common report--that she had compassed Hereward's
love by magic arts. She used to practise sorcery, he said, with her
sorceress mistress, Richilda of Hainault.
Pages:
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511