ddenly to claim you
for a bride. Stay, you need not go so quickly, or toss your head in
pride. I will stand by my word, and let him keep who wins. But I have
a word to say to you, Branwen. Come along with me."

Wooers among the ancient Albionites were not, it would seem, celebrated
for politeness--some of them, at least! The chief seized the shrinking
girl by the wrist as he spoke, and led her out of the house and into a
neighbouring thicket, where he bade her sit down on a fallen tree.

"Now," he said, sitting down beside her, and putting his arm round her
waist, despite her objections, "this young turkey-cock has fairly won
Hafrydda, and he is welcome to her for all that I care--that is, if he
lives to claim her hand after our next meeting, for, since I've seen
your pretty face, Branwen, I would rather wed you than the fairest lass
that ever owned to Norland blood. What say you to take the princess's
place and become my wife?"

"Oh! no, no," exclaimed Branwen, in great distress, trying to disengage
his arm, "you love Hafrydda, and it is impossible that you can love us
both! Let me go."

"I'm not so sure that I ever really cared for the princess," replied the
chief; "but of this I am quite sure, that I never loved her half as much
as I love you, Branwen."

The girl tore herself away from him, and, standing up with flushed face
and flashing eyes, exclaimed--

"Shame would crush you, if you were a brave man, for uttering such a
speech. But you are _not_ brave; you are a coward, and your late
opponent will teach you that. Be sure that I will never consent to wed
one who is a disgrace to manhood."

A fierce scowl crossed Gunrig's swarthy countenance, but it passed in a
moment, and a look of admiration replaced it as he looked up with a
smile.

"I like maids with your temper," he said, still keeping his seat, "but
you forget that if the king so wills it, you shall be compelled to
accept me, and I think the king will scarce dare to thwart my wishes,
especially now that another man has a right to the princess."

"I defy you," returned the girl, still at a white heat of indignation,
"and if the king tries to force me to wed you, I will defy him too! The
young stranger will be my champion--or, if he should refuse, there are
other ways by which a helpless girl may escape from tyrants."

She turned with these words and fled. Gunrig sprang up to pursue, but,
fortunately for the girl, a modest bramble, that s