“Said I not rightly, my Elgiva?”
The eyes of the fair enemy of the abbot flashed fire, and she exchanged some very significant words with her mother, Ethelgiva, who occupied the next chair.
“Come, my fairy-given [xxvi] one, you must not be too hard on Redwald, who doubtless did his best—
“How was it, Elfric?”
“The devil was certainly on Dunstan’s side: he and no other could have betrayed our coming, for betrayed it was.”
“How long had he left when you reached the abbey?”
“Only an hour or two; but there was a sound of mocking laughter, doubtless caused by his incantations, which kept us for some hours forcing doors and the like.”
“And you could discover no cause?”
“None whatever; however, we found he had taken the Foss Way for the coast, and followed, and nearly caught him.”
“What prevented you?”