snivelling till the
tears ran over their armour and mingled with the blood, so that it
dropped down to the earth in a dim, dull, red rain.

My eyes indeed were dry, but then so was my heart; I felt far worse
than weeping came to, but nevertheless I spoke cheerily.

"Dear friends, where are your old men's hearts gone to now? See now!
This is a punishment for our sins, is it? Well, for our forefathers'
sins or our own? If the first, 0 brothers, be very sure that if we
bear it manfully God will have something very good in store for us
hereafter; but if for our sins, is it not certain that He cares for us
yet, for note that He suffers the wicked to go their own ways pretty
much; moreover brave men, brothers, ought to be the masters of
simulacra come, is it so hard to die once for all?"

Still no answer came from them, they sighed heavily only. I heard the
sound of more than one or two swords as they rattled back to the
scabbards: nay, one knight, stripping himself of surcoat and hauberk,
and drawing his dagger, looked at me with a grim smile, and said, "Sir
Florian, do so!" Then he drew the dagger across his throat and he fell
back dead.

They shuddered, those brave men, and crossed themselves. And I had no
heart to say a word more, but mounted the horse which had been brought
to me and rode away slowly for a few yards; then I became aware that
there was a great silence over the whole field.

So I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold no man struck at another.

Then from out of a band of horsemen came Harald, and he was covered
all over with a great scarlet cloth as before, put on over the head,
and flowing all about his horse, but rent with the fight. He put off
his helm and drew back his mail-coif, then took a trumpet from the
hand of a herald and blew strongly.

And in the midst of his blast I heard a voice call out: "0 Florian!
come and speak to me for the last time!"

So when I turned I beheld Arnald standing by himself, but near him
stood Hugh and ten others with drawn swords.

Then I wept, and so went to him weeping; and he said, "Thou seest,
brother, that we must die, and I think by some horrible and unheard-of
death, and the House of the Lilies is just dying too; and now I repent
me of Swanhilda's death; now I know that it was a poor cowardly piece
of revenge, instead of a brave act of justice; thus has God shown us
the right.

"0 Florian! curse me! So will it be straighter; truly thy mother when
she