"What is to come is all dim and unknown, but if it does come to
pass that I may ever have home of my own again, I would that there
was one of these brothers to teach me and mine."

"That might easily be," I answered.

"They would not go to a heathen land?" she said in surprise.

"Maybe not these hermits, but some man like to them would. I have
heard them talk of men who are held in the greatest honour because
they have dared to do so."

Thereafter she said nothing, but in her face grew a great content.
We came to the shore and looked on the bare timbers of the wreck,
and with all my heart I would that they were not quite so plain to
be seen. The tides were slack now, and the water did not hide them
in the least, even at the full flood. Moreover it was calm enough.

"Malcolm," she said presently, "do you and Bertric want to go with
the prince and see if there is fighting?"

She looked in my face quickly and half turned away, and I wondered
what she was thinking. For a moment I had a foolish thought that
mayhap she expected us to be full of longing for the weapon play,
and that to please her I might say somewhat which would tend that
way. But I bethought myself and answered her frankly:

"I must speak for myself," I said; "but I think it will be the same
with Bertric. I have no mind to meddle with the affairs of another
man until I am sure that he needs my help. I cannot say that I do
not like a fair fight when there is good reason for it; but there
is no wisdom or courage in going out of the way to seek for one."

So I laughed, and she laughed also, as relieved.

"I feared lest I held you back from the game you love," she said.

"If we were alone--" I said, and there stopped, for I had said too
much. No doubt if she had not been here we should have been off
with Dalfin at once with light hearts.

"Then I do stay you," she said, catching my meaning.

Whereon it came to me that I had better say what I meant outright.

"We need no better reason for staying. That we have you to care for
is good, and in that care is more honour to us than we might win in
fighting in a quarrel which is not ours."

"Little honour can you win here, Malcolm," she said half sadly, and
yet smiling. "Yet I know what you mean, and I thank you both."

Now, a thought which had been growing up in my heart for these many
days came to the surface, as it were, and I had almost spoken it. I
knew that if this charge were taken from me I