FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   >>  
they cried; and one--he who knew me at Cannington after the first fight--added: "Aye, Thane, you made us strong again on the hill the other day-- blaming us rightly. Praise us now if that may be." Then I cast about for what to say, not being a great hand at speaking, though maybe, when real occasion is, the words have come fast enough. Howbeit, this was in coolness. But I knew that they were worthy of praise, so I said: "Well have ye done, every man of you, even as I knew ye would when once ye turned to bay. And if the Danes come again, as I think they will not speedily, fight as ye fought at Stert, and there will be victory again." Then they cheered and shouted again, louder than before; and I made to leap down, but they would not suffer me. Then said I: "Let me go, for I have an errand." Whereupon the men who held the shield, and could hear me amid the slackening uproar, asked where I would go, and being dazed by the noise and tumult, like an owl in daylight, I must needs answer, without thinking; "To the great nunnery." And the end of that foolishness was that they bore me thither, for it was not far, with a great crowd of all sorts following and shouting. And there must I stand with all that tail after me while they beat on the gates in such sort that the poor nuns must have thought the Danes at their doorstep. But I held up my hand for silence, not thinking it would come; but as it were by nature longing for it. And instantly all the crowd was hushed, and that surprised me, though when I told Wulfhere thereof he said it was no wonder. Seeing which I begged them all to go away and not scare the holy women, who were used to quiet in the place. And then I remembered the honour the honest warriors had meant this for, and thanked them, bidding them make allowances for my being put out at first. Then took they off their helms and shouted thrice; and then fled rapidly, for the gates opened behind me, and there was the abbess herself, with her cheeks red, and her eyes burning bright in anger, as I thought, while behind her peeped all her nuns at the crowded street, and at myself standing shamefaced on the steps, doffing my helm as I saw her. But instead of being angry, she held out both her hands, and spoke kindly, saying; "Never has our quiet place heard such clamour before; but we women will not be behind the men in welcoming Heregar;" and so she bade the nuns come forward, laying her hands on my
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   >>  



Top keywords:
thought
 

thinking

 

shouted

 

warriors

 

honour

 
remembered
 
honest
 

bidding

 
allowances
 

thanked


surprised

 

Wulfhere

 
thereof
 

hushed

 
instantly
 

silence

 
nature
 
longing
 

thrice

 

Seeing


begged

 

Cannington

 

kindly

 

forward

 

laying

 

Heregar

 

welcoming

 

clamour

 

burning

 

cheeks


rapidly

 
opened
 

abbess

 

bright

 

shamefaced

 
doffing
 

standing

 
peeped
 

crowded

 
street

strong
 

speaking

 
louder
 
cheered
 

victory

 

suffer

 
shield
 

errand

 
Whereupon
 

fought