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"
It
is
sad
enough
,
"
replied
Athelstane
;
"
but
I
trust
they
will
hold
us
to
a
moderate
ransom
--
At
any
rate
it
can
not
be
their
purpose
to
starve
us
outright
;
and
yet
,
although
it
is
high
noon
,
I
see
no
preparations
for
serving
dinner
.
Look
up
at
the
window
,
noble
Cedric
,
and
judge
by
the
sunbeams
if
it
is
not
on
the
verge
of
noon
.
"
"
It
may
be
so
,
"
answered
Cedric
;
"
but
I
can
not
look
on
that
stained
lattice
without
its
awakening
other
reflections
than
those
which
concern
the
passing
moment
,
or
its
privations
.
When
that
window
was
wrought
,
my
noble
friend
,
our
hardy
fathers
knew
not
the
art
of
making
glass
,
or
of
staining
it
--
The
pride
of
Wolfganger
's
father
brought
an
artist
from
Normandy
to
adorn
his
hall
with
this
new
species
of
emblazonment
,
that
breaks
the
golden
light
of
God
's
blessed
day
into
so
many
fantastic
hues
.
The
foreigner
came
here
poor
,
beggarly
,
cringing
,
and
subservient
,
ready
to
doff
his
cap
to
the
meanest
native
of
the
household
.
He
returned
pampered
and
proud
,
to
tell
his
rapacious
countrymen
of
the
wealth
and
the
simplicity
of
the
Saxon
nobles
--
a
folly
,
oh
,
Athelstane
,
foreboded
of
old
,
as
well
as
foreseen
,
by
those
descendants
of
Hengist
and
his
hardy
tribes
,
who
retained
the
simplicity
of
their
manners
.
We
made
these
strangers
our
bosom
friends
,
our
confidential
servants
;
we
borrowed
their
artists
and
their
arts
,
and
despised
the
honest
simplicity
and
hardihood
with
which
our
brave
ancestors
supported
themselves
,
and
we
became
enervated
by
Norman
arts
long
ere
we
fell
under
Norman
arms
.
Far
better
was
our
homely
diet
,
eaten
in
peace
and
liberty
,
than
the
luxurious
dainties
,
the
love
of
which
hath
delivered
us
as
bondsmen
to
the
foreign
conqueror
!
"
"
I
should
,
"
replied
Athelstane
,
"
hold
very
humble
diet
a
luxury
at
present
;
and
it
astonishes
me
,
noble
Cedric
,
that
you
can
bear
so
truly
in
mind
the
memory
of
past
deeds
,
when
it
appeareth
you
forget
the
very
hour
of
dinner
.
"
"
It
is
time
lost
,
"
muttered
Cedric
apart
and
impatiently
,
"
to
speak
to
him
of
aught
else
but
that
which
concerns
his
appetite
!
The
soul
of
Hardicanute
hath
taken
possession
of
him
,
and
he
hath
no
pleasure
save
to
fill
,
to
swill
,
and
to
call
for
more
.
--
Alas
!
"
said
he
,
looking
at
Athelstane
with
compassion
,
"
that
so
dull
a
spirit
should
be
lodged
in
so
goodly
a
form
!
Alas
!
that
such
an
enterprise
as
the
regeneration
of
England
should
turn
on
a
hinge
so
imperfect
!
Wedded
to
Rowena
,
indeed
,
her
nobler
and
more
generous
soul
may
yet
awake
the
better
nature
which
is
torpid
within
him
.
Yet
how
should
this
be
,
while
Rowena
,
Athelstane
,
and
I
myself
,
remain
the
prisoners
of
this
brutal
marauder
and
have
been
made
so
perhaps
from
a
sense
of
the
dangers
which
our
liberty
might
bring
to
the
usurped
power
of
his
nation
?
"
While
the
Saxon
was
plunged
in
these
painful
reflections
,
the
door
of
their
prison
opened
,
and
gave
entrance
to
a
sewer
,
holding
his
white
rod
of
office
.
This
important
person
advanced
into
the
chamber
with
a
grave
pace
,
followed
by
four
attendants
,
bearing
in
a
table
covered
with
dishes
,
the
sight
and
smell
of
which
seemed
to
be
an
instant
compensation
to
Athelstane
for
all
the
inconvenience
he
had
undergone
.
The
persons
who
attended
on
the
feast
were
masked
and
cloaked
.
"
What
mummery
is
this
?
"
said
Cedric
;
"
think
you
that
we
are
ignorant
whose
prisoners
we
are
,
when
we
are
in
the
castle
of
your
master
?
Tell
him
,
"
he
continued
,
willing
to
use
this
opportunity
to
open
a
negotiation
for
his
freedom
,
--
"
Tell
your
master
,
Reginald
Front-de-Boeuf
,
that
we
know
no
reason
he
can
have
for
withholding
our
liberty
,
excepting
his
unlawful
desire
to
enrich
himself
at
our
expense
.
Tell
him
that
we
yield
to
his
rapacity
,
as
in
similar
circumstances
we
should
do
to
that
of
a
literal
robber
.
Let
him
name
the
ransom
at
which
he
rates
our
liberty
,
and
it
shall
be
paid
,
providing
the
exaction
is
suited
to
our
means
.
"
The
sewer
made
no
answer
,
but
bowed
his
head
.
"
And
tell
Sir
Reginald
Front-de-Boeuf
,
"
said
Athelstane
,
"
that
I
send
him
my
mortal
defiance
,
and
challenge
him
to
combat
with
me
,
on
foot
or
horseback
,
at
any
secure
place
,
within
eight
days
after
our
liberation
;
which
,
if
he
be
a
true
knight
,
he
will
not
,
under
these
circumstances
,
venture
to
refuse
or
to
delay
.
"
"
I
shall
deliver
to
the
knight
your
defiance
,
"
answered
the
sewer
;
"
meanwhile
I
leave
you
to
your
food
.
"
