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historic girls-第14章

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in a ferret's hutch。 But that I know you to be a brave and

dauntless maid; I should say to you〃



But; ere Edith could know what he would say; their conference was

rudely broken in upon。 For a royal page; dashing up to the three;

with scant courtesy seized the arm of the elder girl; and said

hurriedly:



〃Haste ye; haste ye; my lady! Our lord king is even now calling

for you to come before him in the banquet…hall。〃



Edith knew too well the rough manners of those dangerous days。

She freed herself from the grasp of the page; and said:



〃Nay; that may I not; master page。 'T is neither safe nor seemly

for a maid to show herself in baron's hall or in king's

banquet…room。〃



〃Safe and seemly it may not be; but come you must;〃 said the

page; rudely。 〃The king demands it; and your nay is naught。〃



And so; hurried along whether she would or no; while her friend;

Robert Fitz Godwine; accompanied her as far as he dared; the

young Princess Edith was speedily brought into the presence of

the king of England; William H。; called; from the color of his

hair and from his fiery temper; Rufus; or 〃the Red。〃



For Edith and Mary were both princesses of Scotland; with a

history; even before they had reached their teens; as romantic as

it was exciting。 Their mother; an exiled Saxon princess; had;

after the conquest of Saxon England by the stern Duke William the

Norman; found refuge in Scotland; and had there married King

Malcolm Canmore; the son of that King Duncan whom Macbeth had

slain。 But when King Malcolm had fallen beneath the walls of

Alnwick Castle; a victim to English treachery; and when his

fierce brother Donald Bane; or Donald the Red; had usurped the

throne of Scotland; then the good Queen Margaret died in the gray

castle on the rock of Edinburgh; and the five orphaned children

were only saved from the vengeance of their bad uncle Donald by

the shrewd and daring device of the young Princess Edith; who

bade their good uncle Edgar; the Atheling; guide them; under

cover of the mist; straight through the Red Donald's knights and

spearmen to England and safety。



You would naturally suppose that the worst possible place for the

fugitives to seek safety was in Norman England; for Edgar the

Atheling; a Saxon prince; had twice been declared king of England

by the Saxon enemies of the Norman conquerors; and the children

of King Malcolm and Queen Margarethalf Scotch; half

Saxonwere; by blood and birth; of the two races most hateful to

the conquerors。 But the Red King in his rough sort of wayhot

to…day and cold to…morrowhad shown something almost like

friendship; for this Saxon Atheling; or royal prince; who might

have been king of England had he not wisely submitted to the

greater power of Duke William the Conqueror and to the Red

William; his son。 More than this; it had been rumored that some

two years before; when there was truce between the kings of

England and of Scotland; this harsh and headstrong English king;

who was as rough and repelling as a chestnut burr; had seen;

noticed; and expressed a particular interest in the

eleven…year…old Scottish girlthis very Princess Edith who now

sought his protection。



So; when this wandering uncle boldly threw himself upon Norman

courtesy; and came with his homeless nephews and nieces straight

to the Norman court for safety; King William Rufus not only

received these children of his hereditary foeman with favor and

royal welcome; but gave them comfortable lodgment in quaint old

Gloucester town; where be held his court。



But even when the royal fugitives deemed themselves safest were

they in the greatest danger。



Among the attendant knights and nobles of King William's court

was a Saxon knight known as Sir Ordgar; a 〃thegn;〃'1' or baronet;

of Oxfordshire; and because those who change their

opinionspolitical or otherwiseoften prove the most

unrelenting enemies of their former associates; it came to pass

that Sir Ordgar; the Saxon; conceived a strong dislike for these

orphaned descendants of the Saxon kings; and convinced himself

that the best way to secure himself in the good graces of the

Norman King William was to slander and accuse the children of the

Saxon Queen Margaret。



'1' Pronounced thane。





And so that very day; in the great hall; when wine was flowing

and passions were strong; this false knight; raising his glass;

bade them all drink: 〃Confusion to the enemies of our liege the

king; from the base Philip of France to the baser Edgar the

Atheling and his Scottish brats!〃



This was an insult that even the heavy and peace…loving nature of

Edgar the Atheling could not brook。 He sprang to his feet and

denounced the charge:



〃None here is truer or more leal to you; lord king;〃 he said;

〃than am I; Edgar the Atheling; and my charges; your guests。〃



But King William Rufus was of that changing; temper that goes

with jealousy and suspicion。 His flushed face grew still more

red; and; turning away from the Saxon prince; he demanded:



〃Why make you this charge; Sir Ordgar?



〃Because of its truth; beausire;〃 said the faithless knight。 〃For

what other cause hath this false Atheling sought sanctuary here;

save to use his own descent from the ancient kings of this realm

to make head and force among your lieges? And; his eldest

kinsgirl here; the Princess Edith; hath she not been spreading a

trumpery story among the younger folk; of how some old

wyrd…wif'1' hath said that she who is the daughter of kings shall

be the wife and mother of kings? And is it not further true that

when her aunt; the Abbess of Romsey; bade her wear the holy veil;

she hath again and yet again torn it off; and affirmed that she;

who was to be a queen; could never be made a nun? Children and

fools; 't is said; do speak the truth; beausire; and in all this

do I see the malice and device of this false Atheling; the friend

of your rebellious brother; Duke Robert; as you do know him to

be; and I do brand him here; in this presence; as traitor and

recreant to you; his lord。〃



'1' Witch…wife or seeress。





The anger of the jealous king grew more unreasoning as Sir Ordgar

went on。



〃Enough!〃 he cried。 〃Seize the traitor;or; stay; children and

fools; as you have said; Sir Ordgar; do indeed speak the truth。

Have in the girl and let us hear the truth。 'Not seemly'? Sir

Atheling;〃 he broke out in reply to some protest of Edith's

uncle。 〃Aught is seemly that the king doth wish。 Holo! Raoul!

Damian! sirrah pages! Run; one of you; and seek the Princess

Edith; and bring her here forthwith!〃



And while Edgar the Atheling; realizing that this was the gravest

of all his dangers; strove; though without effect; to reason with

the angry king; Damian; the page; as we have seen; hurried after

the Princess Edith。



〃How now; mistress!〃 broke out the Red King; as the young girl

was ushered into the banquet…hall; where the disordered tables;

strewn with fragments of the feast; showed the ungentle manners

of those brutal days。 〃How now; mistress! do you prate of kings

and queens and of your own designsyou; who are but a beggar

guest? Is it seemly or wise to talk;nay; keep you quiet; Sir

Atheling; we will have naught from you;to talk of thrones and

crowns as if you did even now hope to win the realm from mefrom

me; your only protector?〃



The Princess Edith was a very high…spirited maiden; as all the

stories of her girlhood show。 And this unexpected accusation;

instead of frightening her; only served to embolden her。 She

looked the angry monarch full in the face。



〃 'T is a false and lying charge; lord king;〃 she said; 〃from

whomsoever it may come。 Naught have I said but praise of you and

your courtesy to us motherless folk。 'T is a false and lying

charge; and I am ready to stand test of its proving; come what

may。〃



〃Even to the judgment of God; girl?〃 demanded the king。



And the brave girl made instant reply: 〃Even to the judgment of

God; lord king。〃 Then; skilled in all the curious customs of

those warlike times; she drew off her glove。 〃Whosoever my

accuser be; lord king;〃 she said; 〃I do denounce him as foresworn

and false; and thus do I throw myself upon God's good mercy; if

it shall please him to raise me up a champion。〃 And she flung her

glove upon the floor of the hall; in face of the king and all his

barons。



It was a bold thing for a girl to do; and a murmur of applause

ran through even that unfriendly throng。 For; to stand the test

of a 〃wager of battle;〃 or the 〃judgment of God;〃 as the savage

contest was called; was the last resort of any one accused of

treason or of crime。 It meant no less than a 〃duel to the death〃

between the accuser and the accused or their accepted champions;

and; upon the result of the duel hung the lives of those in

dispute。 And the Princess Edith's glove lying on the floor of the

Abbey hall was her assertion tha
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