"And why is he swathed thus?
What is wrong with him ?" Evan bowed again, and at once began his tale as he had told it to Thorgils.

But he did not say that I came from near Pembroke at all.
Now he named some other place whose name began with "Llan--" as my home.
"The good shipmaster has suffered me to take him home, Lady, subject to your consent," he ended.

"I pray you let it be so." Now the eyes of the princess had grown soft as she heard the tale, and when Evan ended it there was pity in her voice as she answered.
"Surely he may come, and if there is no fitting place for him he shall even have the cabin to himself.

I can be well content in these warm things of mine on deck in this calm air, and he must have all shelter." "Nay, Lady, but there is the fore cabin, where he will be well bestowed," Evan said hastily, beckoning at the same time to his comrades that they might take me from this too unsafe place at once.
He kept himself between me and her as much as he could all this time, and I made no sign.

It seemed to me that I could not, even in my trouble, bring more pain to this soft-eyed princess by raising the groan which was all that I could compass.