Nevertheless, I had to put up with it, till he ended with a verse or two of praise of our host and of the princess who loved the songs of the bard, and so took his applause with a happy smile and went and sat down, while Nona bade her maidens bear a golden cup and wine to him.
Then the princess turned to me with a quiet smile that had some mischief in it.
"This last is more than I had thought to hear, Thane," she said; "you told us nought of yourself and the lady Elfrida when we rode from the hermit's." And so she must ask me many questions, under cover of some chant which the old bard began, and she drew my tale from me easily enough, and maybe learnt more than I thought I told her, for before long she said: "Then it seems that, after all, you are not so sure that the lady is pleased with you for your vow ?" And in all honesty I was forced to own that I was not.

I suppose I showed pretty plainly that I thought myself aggrieved in the matter, for the princess smiled at me.
"Wait till you see how she meets you when you return, Thane.

No need to despair till then." It came into my mind to say that I did not much care how I was met, but I forbore.

Maybe it was not true.

And then the princess and the three or four other ladies who were present rose and left the table, and thereafter we spoke of nought but sport and war, and I need not tell of all that.