"Yea, and how?" quoth Walter.

Said Arnold: "When thou wert gone, in a few days' wearing, thy
father sent thy wife out of his house back to her kindred of the
Reddings with no honour, and yet with no such shame as might have
been, without blame to us of those who knew the tale of thee and
her; which, God-a-mercy, will be pretty much the whole of the city."

"Nevertheless, the Reddings took it amiss, and would have a mote
with us Goldings to talk of booting. By ill-luck we yea-said that
for the saving of the city's peace. But what betid? We met in our
Gild-hall, and there befell the talk between us; and in that talk
certain words could not be hidden, though they were none too seemly
nor too meek. And the said words once spoken drew forth the whetted
steel; and there then was the hewing and thrusting! Two of ours
were slain outright on the floor, and four of theirs, and many were
hurt on either side. Of these was thy father, for as thou mayst
well deem, he was nought backward in the fray; but despite his
hurts, two in the side and one on the arm, he went home on his own
feet, and we deemed that we had come to our above. But well-a-way!
it was an evil victory, whereas in ten days he died of his hurts.
God have his soul! But now, my master, thou mayst well wot that I
am not come to tell thee this only, but moreover to bear the word of
the kindred, to wit that thou come back with me straightway in the
swift cutter which hath borne me and the tidings; and thou mayst
look to it, that though she be swift and light, she is a keel full
weatherly."

Then said Walter: "This is a bidding of war. Come back will I, and