And
it would be shame, even as these two thanes have said, not to give a
guest a chance to have his pleasure. I pray you, thanes, pluck up
spirit, and follow the ealdorman."
Now, though Wislac's words seemed idle at the beginning, there was that
in his last words which brought several of the younger thanes to their
feet, looking angrily at him, and one asked if he meant to call that
assembly "nidring".
"Not I," said Wislac, smiling peacefully, "seeing that you have done
naught to deserve that foul name; but being a beaten man, as I said, I
need a chance to prove that I am not 'nidring' myself, so please you."
And they could not take offence at his tone, yet they saw well what he
meant; and this in the end touched them very closely, for they were in
the same case as he, but with more right, being of Somerset, to wipe out
their defeat. But maybe there would have been a quarrel if Eanulf had
not spoken.
"Peace, thanes," he said. "Heregar is right, and we must avenge our
dead. Wulfhere is right, and for the land's sake we must give these
Danes a lesson to bide at home. Wislac is right, and this defeat must be
wiped out. Now say if you will help me to raise the levy afresh?"
"Aye, we will," said the thanes, but there was not that heartiness in
their tones that one might have looked for.
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