But as I had to wait a day or two while the messenger went and the arms
came from home, I saw Havelok meet the steward on the next day: and a
quaint meeting enough it was, for Berthun hardly knew how he should
behave to this man, whom he had made up his mind was a wandering prince.
There was the crowd who waited for the call for porters, as ever; hut
the steward would have none of them, until he saw his new man towering
over the rest, and then he half made a motion to unbonnet, which he
checked and turned into a beckoning wave of the hand, whereon the idlers
made their rush for him, and Havelok walked through and over them, more
or less, as they would not make way for him. But so good-naturedly was
this done, that even those whom he lifted from his path and dropped on
one side laughed when they saw who had cleared a way for himself, and
stood gaping to see what came next.
"Ho--why, yes--Curan--that was the name certainly. I have been
looking for you, as we said," stammered the steward.
"Here am I, therefore," answered Havelok, "and where is the load?"
"Truth to tell, I have bought but this at present," said the steward,
pointing to a small basket of green stuff on the stall at which he stood.
"Well, I suppose there is more to come," Havelok said, taking it up; "it
will be a beginning."
"I will not ask you to carry more than that," Berthun began.
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