one of those violentfits of sneezing to which of late he had become unpleasantly subject.
"Oh! ye--ye--y-ha! yes;--excuse me, king, but since I went to that HotSwamp, something seems to have gone wrong wi'--wi'--ha! my nose."
"Something will go worse wrong with it, chief, if you go on like that.I thought the last one must have split it. Well, what know you aboutCormac?"
"That he appears to be a very good fellow. I can say nothing more abouthim than that, except that your son seems to think he owes his life tohis good nursing at a critical point in his illness."
"I know that well enough," returned the king, "for Bladud has impressedit on me at least a dozen times. He seems to be very grateful. Indeedso am I, and it would please me much if I had an opportunity of showingmy gratitude to the lad. Think you that there is any chance of findingout where he has disappeared to?"
"Not the least chance in the world."
"Indeed!" exclaimed the king in surprise. "That is strange, for Bladud,who has just left me, says that he has the best of reasons for believingthat we shall have certain news of him tomorrow. But go, Gadarn, andconsult my doctor about this complaint of yours, which interruptsconversation so awkwardly. We can resume our talk at some other time."
Gadarn obediently went, holding his sides as if in agony, and sneezingin a manner that caused the roof-tree of the palace to vibrate.
Returning to his own room he found the little old woman in grey awaitinghim.
"You've been laughing again, father," she said. "I see by thepurpleness of your face. You'll burst yourself at last if you go onso."
"Oh! you little old hag--oh! Cormac--oh! Branwen, I hope you won't bethe death of me," cried the chief, flinging his huge limbs on a couchand giving way to unrestrained laughter, till the tears ran down hischeeks. "If they did not all look so grave when speaking about you, itwouldn't be so hard to bear. It's the gravity that kills me. But come,Branwen," he added, as he suddenly checked himself and took her hand,"what makes you look so anxious, my child?"
"Because I feel frightened, and ashamed, and miserable," she answered,with no symptom of her sire's hilarity. "I doubt if I should havefollowed Bladud--but if I had not he would have died--and I don't liketo think of all the deceptions I have been practising--though I couldn'tvery well help it--could I? Then I fear that Bladud will forget Cormacwhen he learns to despise Branwen--"
"Despise Branwen!" shouted Gadarn, fiercely, as his hand involuntarilygrasped the hilt of his sword. "If he did, I would cleave him from hisskull to his waist--"
"Quiet you, my sweet father," said Branwen, with a little smile, "youknow that two can play at that game, and that you have a skull and awaist as well as Bladud--though your waist is a good deal thicker thanhis. I'm not so sure about the skull!"
"I accept your reproof, child, for boastfulness is hateful in a warrior.But get up, my love. What would happen if some one came into the roomand found a little old hag sitting on my knee with her arm around myneck?"
"Ah, true, father. I did not think of that. I'm rather given to notthinking of some things. Perhaps that inquisitive servitor may be--no,he's not there this time," said Branwen, reclosing the door and sittingdown on a stool beside the chief. "Now come, father, and learn yourlesson."
Gadarn folded his hands and looked at his child with an air of meekhumility.
"Well?"
"Well, first of all, you must tell the king tomorrow, at the right time,that I have just come back, and am very tired and shall not appear tillyou take me to him while the other people are being presented. Then youwill lead me forward and announce me with a loud voice, so that no oneshall fail to hear that I am Branwen, your daughter, you understand?Now, mind you speak well out."
"I understand--with a shout, something like my battle-cry!"
"Not exactly so loud as that, but so as Bladud shall be sure to hearyou; and he will probably be near to his father at the time."
"Just so. What next?"
"Oh, that's all you will have to do. Just retire among the othercourtiers then, and leave the rest to me."
"That's a very short lesson, my little one; would you not like to beintroduced to Bladud too? He does not know you, you know."
"Certainly not; that would ruin all--you dear old goose. Just doexactly what I tell you, and you will be sure to go right."
"How like your dear mother you are, my little one, in your modestrequirements!"
Having finished the lesson, the little old woman retired to a remotepart of the palace which, through Hafrydda's influence, had beenassigned to her, and the great northern chief, unbuckling hissword-belt, called lustily for his mid-day meal.
Customs at that date, you see, were more free-and-easy than they arenow, and less ceremonious. The visitors at the palace of King Hudibraswere expected only to appear at the royal board at the evening mealafter all the business or pleasure of each day was over. At all othertimes they were supposed to do as they pleased and shout for food asthey happened to require it.
It is perhaps unnecessary to comment on the exceeding convenience ofthis custom, leaving, as it did, every one to follow the bent ofinclination, from earliest morn till dewy eve, with the prospect of anenjoyable _reunion_ after dark--during which, of course, the adventuresof each were narrated, exaggerated, underrated, or commented on, as thecase might be, and the social enjoyments were enhanced by warlike andsentimental song as well as by more or less--usually more than less--thrilling story.
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.
THE DENOUEMENT.
It was a sunny, frosty, glorious forenoon when King Hudibras awoke tothe consciousness of the important day that was before him, and theimportunate vacuum that was within him.
Springing out of bed with a right royal disregard of appearances hesummoned his servitor-in-waiting and ordered breakfast.
In the breakfast-room he met the queen, Hafrydda, Bladud, and Dromas--the latter being now considered one of the family--and these fiveproceeded to discuss and arrange the proceedings of the day during theprogress of the meal.
"You will join in the sports, of course, son Dromas," said the king,"and show us how the Olympic victors carry themselves. Ha! I shouldnot wonder if a few of our lads will give you some trouble to beatthem."
"You may be right, father," returned the young man, modestly, "for oneof your lads has already beaten me at most things."
"You mean Bladud?" returned the king.
"Dromas is only so far right," interposed the prince. "It is true thatwhere mere brute force is required I usually have the advantage, butwhere grace and speed come into play I am lost."
Of course Dromas would not admit this, and of course Hafrydda's faircheeks were crimsoned when the youth, accidentally looking up, caughtthe princess accidentally gazing at him; and, still more of course, theking, who was sharp as a needle in such matters, observed theirconfusion and went into a loud laugh, which he declared was only theresult of merry thoughts that were simmering in his brain.
The reception was to be held in the large hall of the palace. No ladieswere to be presented, for it must be remembered that these werebarbarous times, and woman had not yet attained to her true position!Indeed, there was to be no ceremony whatever--no throne, no crown, nogold-sticks in waiting or other sticks of any kind. It was to be a sortof free-and-easy conversazione in the presence of the royal family,where, just before the sports began, any one who was moved by thatambition might hold personal intercourse with the king, and conversewith him either on the affairs of State, or on private matters, orsubjects of a more light and social kind--such as the weather.
At the appointed hour--which was indicated by that rough and ready butmost natural of sun-dials, the shadow of a tree falling on a certainspot--the royal family adjourned to the large hall, and theunceremonious ceremony began.
First of all, on the doors being thrown open a crowd of nobles--orwarriors--entered, and while one of them went to the king, and began anearnest entreaty that war might be declar
ed without delay against acertain chief who was particularly obnoxious to him, another saunteredup to the princess and began a mild flirtation in the primitive manner,which was characteristic of the sons of Mars in that day--to theunutterable jealousy of Dromas, who instantly marked him down as a fitsubject for overwhelming defeat at the approaching games. At the sametime the family doctor paid his respects to the queen and began toentertain her with graphic accounts of recent cases--for doctors had noobjection to talking "shop" in those days.
We have said that no ladies were admitted to places of publicimportance, such as grand-stands or large halls, but we have alsopointed out that the ladies of the royal family and their female friendsformed an