There shall be a company of porters, therefore, which
a man must join before he shall do this work, save that every stranger
who comes shall be suffered to take a burden once, and then shall be
told of this company, and the custom that is to be. And I will that this
old man shall see to this matter."
And then he stopped suddenly, and seemed to start as a great shout went
up from the men, a shout as of praise; and his eyes looked again on
them, and that wonderingly.
"They will keep this law," said the old man. "Well have you spoken."
"I have said a lot of foolishness, maybe," answered Havelok. "For the
life of me I could not say it again."
"There is not one of us that could not do so," said his adviser. "But
bide you here, master, in the town?"
"I am in service at the palace."
Then the old man turned round to the others and said, "This is good that
we have heard, and it is nothing fresh, for all trades have their
companies, and why should not we? Is this stranger's word to be kept?"
Maybe there were one or two of the rougher men who held their peace, for
they had had more than their share of work, but from the rest came a
shout of "Ay!" as it were at the Witan.
"Well, then," said Havelok suddenly, getting down from his seat and
giving his loaf to the old man, "see you to it; and if any give trouble
hereafter, I shall hear from the cook, and, by Odin, I will even come
down and knock their heads together for them.
Pages:
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140