never be as quick or hit as strongly as you do."

"Oh yes, you will, Beorn. Age is nothing. You see you were sick and
ailing till you were fifteen years old, so those years counted for
nothing, and instead of being two years older than I am you are
many years younger. In another four or five years you will come to
your full strength, and will be able to strike a far heavier blow
than I can now; although I do not say heavier than I may be able
to do then, as you are neither so wide nor so deep chested as I am.
But what does it matter, one only fights sometimes. You have other
advantages, you are gentler in speech and manner and have a handsome
face. When we were pages together the bower-maidens of the queen
always made much of you, while they called me impudent, and would
give me many a slap on the cheek."

"Well, you deserved it richly, Wulf, for you were always playing
tricks upon them-hiding their distaffs or tangling their thread,
and giving them pert answers when they wanted you to do their
errands. Well, I hope we shall be always great friends, Wulf. Your
estates lie not far from mine, and though we can scarce be called
neighbours we shall be within a day's ride of each other, and I
trust that we shall fight together under the good earl, and often
spend our time at each other's houses, and hunt and feast together."

"I hope we shall be much together, Beorn," Wulf said warmly, "and
that we shall be sworn friends; but as for feasting, I care but
little for it. We Saxon thanes are too fond both of food and wine-cup,
and though I am no monk I would that our customs could be altered.
I hate foreigners, but their ways are in many respects better than
ours. The Normans, it is true, may not be much better than we are,