'Do they say, then, that I am a widow?' asked Emma in a strange, hard voice, with so awful a calm in it, that the thick-skinned Sir Alain, who was little wont to heed the tears or shrieks of women, or to spare them in any respect if they stood in his way, shuddered as he heard it. He thought the countess was going mad.
'I fear,' answered Sir Hoël, 'there is no doubt the earl is slain, St. Nicholas rest his soul!'
'Then, gentlemen,' asked Emma in the same strange tone, 'what is to be done?'
'God knows!' exclaimed Sir Hoël, the great tears running down his furrowed face, and dripping upon his hauberk.
'Noble lady,' said Sir Alain eagerly, speaking for the first time, 'it is well known that the wrath of the Primate, and of his master, William the Norman, is principally enkindled against the countrymen of the late earl. Thy safety, most noble countess, is, of course, what every man in the garrison would give his life to insure, therefore my humble counsel, for what it may be worth, is that thou shouldest at once take ship with the trusty Bretons under my command, and make for Bretagne, and thy late husband's estates of Guader and Montfort.'
'What is thy counsel, Sir Hoël?' demanded Emma, still with the same unnatural calm.
'Dear lady, I would advise thee as doth Sir Alain.'
'But would not the garrison, thus bereft of half their numbers, fall an instant prey to the enemy?' asked Emma.
'It is not William's policy to provoke the Saxons, and to his own countrymen he is ever complacent,' urged De Gourin, with the same eagerness. 'Therefore my meaning is, that the castle be surrendered at once, in which case the garrison would probably be softly dealt with, we Bretons being out of the way; whereas further resistance will be useless, and will but further provoke their vengeance, the style of which we have seen.'
'Art thou of this advice also, Sir Hoël?' demanded Emma.