and come with them; and when he
bade them look to it that he was naked, and laughed doubtfully, they
neither laughed in answer, nor offered him any raiment, but still would
have him arise, and he did so perforce. They brought him with them out
of the chamber, and through certain passages pillared and goodly, till
they came to a bath as fair as any might be; and there the serving-men
washed him carefully and tenderly, the old men looking on the while. When
it was done, still they offered not to clothe him, but led him out, and
through the passages again, back to the chamber. Only this time he must
pass between a double hedge of men, some weaponed, some in peaceful
array, but all clad gloriously, and full chieftain-like of aspect, either
for valiancy or wisdom.

In the chamber itself was now a concourse of men, of great estate by
deeming of their array; but all these were standing orderly in a ring
about the ivory chair aforesaid. Now said Walter to himself: Surely all
this looks toward the knife and the altar for me; but he kept a stout
countenance despite of all.

So they led him up to the ivory chair, and he beheld on either side
thereof a bench, and on each was laid a set of raiment from the shirt
upwards; but there was much diversity betwixt these arrays. For one was
all of robes of peace, glorious and be-gemmed, unmeet for any save a
great king; while the other was war-weed, seemly, well-fashioned, but
little adorned; nay rather, worn and bestained with weather, and the
pelting of the spear-storm.

Now those old men signed to Walter to take which of those raiments he
would, and do it on. He looked to the right and the left, and when he
had looked on the war-gear, the heart arose in him, and he called to mind
the array of the Goldings in the forefront of battle, and he made one
step toward the weapons, and laid his hand thereon. Then ran a glad
murmur through that concourse, and the old men drew up to him smiling and
joyous, and helped him to do them on; and as he took up the helm, he
noted that over its broad brown iron sat a golden crown.

So when he was clad and weaponed, girt with a sword, and a steel axe in
his hand, the elders showed him to the ivory throne, and he laid the axe
on the arm of the chair, and drew forth the sword from the scabbard, and
sat him down, and laid the ancient blade across his knees; then he looked
about on those great men, and spake: "How long shall we speak no word to
each