e. Then he looked away again,
and tried to seem unheeding, but it was of no use; his eyes came
back to me.

"You seem to have met our friend before, Shipmaster," said Nona,
whose eyes were dancing.

"I cannot have done so, Princess," he answered. "But on my word, I
never saw so strange a likeness to one I do know."

"I trust that is a compliment to my friend," she said.

"Saving the presence of the one who is like the man I know, I may
say for certain that it is nought else to him."

I turned away somewhat smartly, for I wanted to laugh, and this was
getting personal. The princess was not unwilling, I think, that it
should be more so.

"Now you have offended the present, and I shall have to say that
the absent need not be so."

"Nor the present either, Princess. See here, Lord, the man you are
so wondrous like in face did the bravest deed I have seen for many
a day. Moreover, he saved the life of a king thereby. Shall I tell
thereof?"

Now this was a new tale to Nona, for, as may be supposed, I had not
said that it was myself who handled Morgan so roughly, as I told
the tale of his end. It would have seemed like boasting myself
somewhat, as I thought, so I did but say that he was dragged away
from the king in time. Nor had I spoken of Elfrida. The tale was
told hurriedly, and when it was done there had been no thought but
of Owen. It was greater news here that he lived than that Ina had
narrowly escaped.

So she glanced round at me in some surprise, and then turned again
to Thorgils.

"Some time you shall, for I love your songs. Not now, for we have
not time."

"Thanks, Lady. It will be a good song, and is shaping well in my
mind. There is a brave lady therein also."

"Well, you have not told us who the brave man is.

"Did I not know that Oswald, son of Owen the Cornish prince, was by
this time in Glastonbury, I should have said he was here, so great
is the likeness. It is a marvel.

"Now, Lord, you will forgive me, no doubt."

"Ay, freely," I said, turning round sharply. "That is, if your
friend has a sword as good as this," and I shewed him the gemmed
hilt of Ina's gift from beneath the folds of my great cloak.

He stared at it, and then at my face again, and I took off my cap
to him with a bow.

"It is strange that a shipmaster knows not his own passenger," I
said.

But he was dumb for a moment, and his mouth opened. Nona laughed at
him and clapped her hands with glee, and I must laugh also