we were fitted out fresh by the
king's bounty in blue and scarlet jerkins and hose, and we swaggered
after that with the best, as one may suppose.

Berthun had the ordering of that business, and he came and sat with
Eglaf in the gatehouse and talked of it.

"Pity that you do not put your man Curan into decent gear," the captain
said. "That old sailcloth rig does not do either him or you or the court
credit."

"That is what I would do," said the steward, "but he will not take aught
but the food that he calls his hire. He is a strange man altogether, and
I think that he is not what he seems."

"So you have told me many times, and I think with you. He will be some
crack-brained Welsh princeling who has been crossed in love, and so has
taken some vow on him, as the King Arthur that they prate of taught them
to do. Well, if he is such, it is an easy matter to make him clothe
himself decently. It is only to tell him that the clothes are from the
king, and no man who has been well brought up may refuse such a gift."

"But suppose that he thanks the king for the gift. Both he and the king
will be wroth with me."

"Not Curan, when he has once got the things on; and as for Alsi, he will
take the thanks to himself, and chuckle to think that the mistake has
gained him credit for a good deed that he never did."

"Hush, comrade, hush!" said Berthun quickly; "naught but good of the king!"

"I said naught ill. But if Woden or Frey, or whoever looks after good
deeds, scores the mistake to Alsi as well, it will be the first on the
count of charity that--"

But at this Berthun rose up in stately wise.

"I may not listen to this. To think that here in the guardroom I should
hear such--"

"Sit down, comrade," said Eglaf, laughing, and pulling the steward into
his seat again. "Well you know that I would be cut to pieces for the
king tomorrow if need were, and so I earn free speech of him I guard. If
I may not say what I think of him to a man who knows as much of him as
I, who may?"

"I have no doubt that the king would clothe Curan if I asked him," said
Berthun stiffly, but noways loth to take his seat again.

"But it is as much as your place is worth to do it. I know what you
would say."

Berthun laughed.

"I will do it myself, and if Alsi does get the credit, what matter?"

Wherefore it came to pass that as I was on guard at the gate leading to
the town next day I saw a most noble-looking man coming towards me, and
I