he, and so gained speech with her once more. Yet would the abbess
be present, reading the while; but I might tell my love all that had
befallen me, and she rejoiced, bidding me go fight and win myself renown
in the good cause of my own country.

And when I left her I felt that I must indeed be strong for the sake of
her, and by reason of her words, which would be in my mind ever.

Now one day when I went to see the horses and ride out with Wulfhere and
Wislac, the collier came and hung about, seeming to wish to ask
somewhat. And when I noticed this and bade him speak, he prayed me that
I would give him arms, and let him follow me to the coming fighting.
Arms, save those I wore, I had none, but I promised him such as I could
buy him with what remained of the money I had found, which might be
enough, seeing that we lived at free quarters with the bishop, and had
little expense. As for the other money, I left that with the abbess
after I had seen Alswythe, for it was less mine than hers.

But I asked Dudda if he were able to use a sword. Whereupon he grinned,
and said that Brother Guthlac tended the abbot's mule, and had taught
him much when he came to the stables daily. He also showed me a bruised
arm and broken head in token of hard play with the ash plant between
them.

"Here is the said Guthlac," said Wulfhere; and there was the reader of
Beowulf coming, with frock and sleeves tucked up, from out the stables.
So I called him, and asked him to try a bout with the collier, telling
him why.

At first he denied all knowledge of carnal warfare, but I reminded him
of his reading of Beowulf, saying that, if he knew naught of fighting,
the verses would have had none of that fire in them. So, in the end,
they went to it, and I saw that Guthlac was well used to sword play, and
was satisfied also with his pupil.

Then I asked Guthlac whence he got his skill in arms, and why he was
shut up thus inside four walls.

"Laziness, Thane," he answered, telling me nothing of the first matter
at all. Nor would he. But I found afterwards that he had been lamed
once, and tended by the monks, and so had bided in the abbey, liking the
life, though he had been a stout housecarle to some thane or other.

Then Wislac must ask him if there were any more of his sort in the
abbey, and seeing that we meant no harm, and looking on me as an ally in
that matter of the reading, he said there were five more, "whom Heregar
the Thane knew, if he wo