Whereat I felt somewhat foolish; but it did not seem to me that I had done aught to deserve quite so much coldness, not being a stranger by any means.

So I would even try to find the way to a better understanding, and I thought that maybe the sight of me had brought back some of the terror of last night.
"Now, I hope that the rough doings of the feast have not been troublous to you, Lady Elfrida," I said, trying with as good a grace as I could not to see her cold looks.
I saw that she did indeed shrink a little from them as I spoke, even in the passing thought.
But she answered: "Such things are best forgotten as soon as may be.

I do not wish to hear more of them." "Nevertheless," I answered, "there are some who will not forget them, and I fear that you must needs be ready to hear of your part in them pretty often." "Ay," she said somewhat bitterly, "I suppose that I am the talk of the whole place now." "If so, there would be many who would be glad to be spoken of as you must needs be.

There is nought but praise for you." Then she turned on me, and the trouble was plain enough in a moment.
"But for yourself, Thane, there would have been nought that I could not have put up with.

But little thought for me was there when you made me the jest of your idle comrades over that foolish cup of the king's." That was a new way of looking at the matter, in all truth.