"And thou, Thetralde?"
"So thou wishest to know whether I would be happy at the thought of all our days resembling this one, and our living together?"
"Yes, my charming Princess!"
The young maid remained pensive, holding in her delicate fingers a half opened chestnut husk. Presently she raised her head and broke the silence with the question: "Vortigern, is it far from here to thy country?"
"It took us more than a month to come here from Brittany."
"Vortigern, what a beautiful journey that would make!"
"What sayest thou?"
Thetralde made a charming gesture commanding silence: "Hast thou any money about thee?"
And proceeding to detach from her belt a little embroidered purse, she emptied its contents into her lap. There were several heavy pieces of gold and a large number of smaller pieces of silver and copper. Two of the latter, one of silver and one of copper, and both of about the size of a denier, were pierced and tied together by a thread of gold. "This is all my treasure," the girl observed.
"Why are these two pieces tied together?" inquired Vortigern, with a look of curiosity.