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"A sad truth," replied Gurth; "but if these same thirty zecchins will buy my freedom from you, unloose my hands, and I will pay them to you." "Hold," said one who seemed to exercise some authority over the others; "this bag which thou bearest, as I can feel through thy cloak, contains more coin than thou hast told us of."
Gurth paused for a time on the wall above the point where the secret passage came out on the face of the rock, and having asked many questions as to how it was that they were so well prepared for Llewellyn and his followers when they made the attack, he commended Wulf very strongly for his conduct in this matter.
"If we retire before the enemy," said Gurth, "leaving him in a strange land, winter approaching, his forage will fail. He will scarce dare to march upon London: if he does, we shall be better prepared to encounter him. My voice is against resting all on a single battle." "Is that thy choice?" said Vebba, indignantly.
In the streets below were heard the tramp of busy feet hurrying homeward, and the confused uproar of joyous wassail from the various resorts of entertainment crowded by careless revellers. And the tread of steps mounted the stairs without his door, and there paused; and there was the murmur of two voices without; one the clear voice of Gurth, one softer and more troubled.
Truly, I fear they will lose in valour what they may gain in discretion. And so farewell, master, and be kind to poor Gurth and his dog Fangs; and let my cockscomb hang in the hall at Rotherwood, in memory that I flung away my life for my master, like a faithful -fool." The last word came out with a sort of double expression, betwixt jest and earnest. The tears stood in Cedric's eyes.
"Gurth!" answered Wamba, with the same caution, and the swineherd immediately stood before him. "What is the matter?" said he eagerly; "what mean these cries, and that clashing of swords?" "Only a trick of the times," said Wamba; "they are all prisoners." "Who are prisoners?" exclaimed Gurth, impatiently. "My lord, and my lady, and Athelstane, and Hundibert, and Oswald."
The Templar accordingly read it as follows: "I, Wamba, the son of Witless, Jester to a noble and free-born man, Cedric of Rotherwood, called the Saxon, And I, Gurth, the son of Beowulph, the swineherd " "Thou art mad," said Front-de-Boeuf, interrupting the reader. "By St Luke, it is so set down," answered the Templar.
But Tostig shines only from his brother's light; and if Gurth were more ambitious, Gurth alone could be Harold's rival." The Norman, much satisfied with the information thus gleaned from the abbot, who, despite his ignorance of the Saxon tongue, was, like all his countrymen, acute and curious, now rose to depart.
Gwen nodded several times. "Same experience," said she. "Why is it they will?" The story fancies it referred, a long time since, to this vice of Goody Marrable's. No doubt Gurth the Swineherd would have made tea on the same lines, had he had any to make. The Countess lost interest in the tea question, and evidently had something to say. Therefore Gwen said: "Yes, mamma!
"Nay," said Wamba, "never think I envy thee, brother Gurth; the serf sits by the hall-fire when the freeman must forth to the field of battle And what saith Oldhelm of Malmsbury Better a fool at a feast than a wise man at a fray."
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