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"Beniah, I will visit him," said Branwen, suddenly brushing back her hair with both hands, and looking earnestly into the Hebrew's face. "That will be hard for you to do and still keep yourself concealed." "Nothing will be easier," replied the girl, with some impatience; "you forget the old woman's dress. I will accompany you as far as his dwelling.
"And what is there beyond, Hebrew?" asked the chief. Beniah held up the lamp. "You see," he said, "the rock against which my poor hut rests."
"She might have worse fancies than being taken up with poor old women," returned the prince. "I'm rather fond of them myself, and was particularly attracted by the old woman referred to. She was what! choking again, Beniah? Come, I think you have had enough for one meal. And so have we all, friends, therefore we had better away to roost if we are to be up betimes in the morning."
The moon was indeed risen, but clouds entirely hid it, yet allowed a soft light to pass through which rendered objects close at hand quite visible. Before midnight they started on the march in profound silence, and, led by Beniah, made a wide detour which brought them to the encampment of Gadarn.
The prince, recovering himself, sprang forward and once again stopped her mouth not with his hand; oh! by no means! while Beniah, with that refinement of wisdom which is the prerogative of age, stepped out to ascertain whether it happened to be rain or sunshine that ruled at the time. Curiously enough he found that it was the latter.
Here poor Beniah, held fast by his solemn promise, was compelled to give an evasive answer. "All that I can tell about him," he replied, "is that he is a kind young fellow to whose attention and nursing the prince thinks himself indebted for his life. But had we not better question this young man?" he added, turning to the scout.
I could tear him limb from limb, and put the bits in the fire so that they could never come together again!" "My dear child," returned Beniah remonstratively, while she paused with flashing eyes and parted lips, as though she had not yet given vent to half her wrath, "whatever other folk may say or think of you, you are good enough in my esteem, but it is wrong to give way thus to wrath.
"Now," said the prince, wiping his mouth with a bunch of grass when he came to the first pause, "what may be the nature of your mission, Beniah?" "Let me ask, first," replied the Hebrew, also wiping his mouth with a similar pocket handkerchief, "have you found the lad Cormac yet?"
"Our evening meal is just ready." "Come along, then, let us to work. You will join us, Beniah, and tell me the object of your mission while we eat." The men of old may not have been epicures, but there can be no question that they were tremendous eaters.
"Surely, Beniah, circumstances, against which none of us had power to contend, had somewhat to do with it all, as well as intrigue."
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