wife?"

"Ay, but what knight's? Would it please either of us, brother,
if, as may well chance, he should be some stranger?"

Now Wulf swore a great oath, then flushed to the roots of his
fair hair, and was silent.

"Ah!" said Godwin; "you do not think before you speak, which it
is always well to do."

"She swore upon the quay yonder"--broke in Wulf.

"Forget what she swore. Words uttered in such an hour should not
be remembered against a maid."

"God's truth, brother, you are right, as ever! My tongue runs
away with me, but still I can't put those words out of my mind,
though which of us--"

"Wulf!"

"I mean to say that we are in Fortune's path to-day, Godwin. Oh,
that was a lucky ride! Such fighting as I have never seen or
dreamed of. We won it too! And now both of us are alive, and a
knighthood for each!"

"Yes, both of us alive, thanks to you, Wulf--nay, it is so,
though you would never have done less. But as for Fortune's path,
it is one that has many rough turns, and perhaps before all is