Whereon the king waved his hand, and said that they should be sent down with the oxen.
Now, I did not think that this pleased the men of the court.

There was a sort of uneasy murmur for a time, and then there was a silence, which grew somewhat awkward at last.

I thought it was time for us to go, for there was nothing else to say, but the bishop came forward.

He had been speaking with Phelim for some time, and now told Myrkiartan how that Hakon was a good Christian man and had saved the hermit brotherhood even now.

That story made the black looks pass at once, and after that it was easy to take our leave and make our way out of the tent; and glad enough I was to be in the open once more.