‘Pardon me, my friends, I do not doubt it a moment. I know enough of the world never to have found a sheep-dog yet who would not, on occasion, help to make away with a little of the mutton which he guarded. Eh, my venerable sir?’ turning to Wulf with a knowing bow.
Wulf chuckled grimly, and said something to the Amal in German about being civil to guests.
‘You will pardon me, my heroic friends,’ said Orestes, ‘but, with your kind permission, I will observe that I am somewhat faint and disturbed by late occurrences. To trespass on your hospitality further would be an impertinence. If, therefore, I might send a slave to find some of my apparitors-’
‘No, by all the gods!’ roared the Amal, ‘you’re my guest now—my lady’s at least. And no one ever went out of my house sober yet if I could help it. Set the cooks to work, my men! The Prefect shall feast with us like an emperor, and we’ll send him home to-night as drunk as he can wish. Come along, your Excellency; we’re rough fellows, we Goths; but by the Valkyrs, no one can say that we neglect our guests!’
‘It is a sweet compulsion,’ said Orestes, as he went in.
‘Stop, by the bye! Didn’t one of you men catch a monk.?’
‘Here he is, prince, with his elbows safe behind him.’ And a tall, haggard, half-naked monk was dragged forward.
‘Capital! bring him in. His Excellency shall judge him while dinner’s cooking’ and Smid shall have the hanging of him. He hurt nobody in the scuffle; he was thinking of his dinner.’
‘Some rascal bit a piece out of my leg, and I tumbled down,’ grumbled Smid.
‘Well, pay out this fellow for it, then. Bring a chair, slaves! Here, your Highness, sit there and judge.’