till every face grew longer and longer, as Pelagia went on interpreting and misinterpreting; and at last the giant smote his hand upon his knee, and swore a great oath that Asgard might rot till the twilight of the gods before he went a step farther up the Nile.
'Curse the monk!' growled Wulf.

'How should such a poor beast know anything about the matter ?' 'Why should not he know as well as that ape of a Roman governor ?' asked Smid.
'Oh, the monks know everything,' said Pelagia.

'They go hundreds and thousands of miles up the river, and cross the deserts among fiends and monsters, where any one else would be eaten up, or go mad at once.' 'Ah, the dear holy men! It's all by the sign of the blessed cross!' exclaimed all the girls together, devoutly crossing themselves, while two or three of the most enthusiastic were half-minded to go forward and kneel to Philammon for his blessing; but hesitated, their Gothic lovers being heathenishly stupid and prudish on such points.
'Why should he not know as well as the prefect?
Well said, Smid! I believe that prefect's quill-driver was humbugging us when he said Asgard was only ten days' sail up.' 'Why ?' asked Wulf.
'I never give any reasons.

What's the use of being an Amal, and a son of Odin, if one has always to be giving reasons like a rascally Roman lawyer?
I say the governor looked like a liar; and I say this monk looks like an honest fellow; and I choose to believe him, and there is an end of it.' 'Don't look so cross at me, Prince Wulf; I'm sure it's not my fault; I could only say what the monk told me,' whispered poor Pelagia.
'Who looks cross at you, my queen ?' roared the Amal.

'Let me have him out here, and by Thor's hammer, I'll--' 'Who spoke to you, you stupid darling ?' answered Pelagia, who lived in hourly fear of thunderstorms.