Had he foreseen whither that envy would have led him; had he foreseen the hideous and fratracidal day of February 22d, 1071, and that fair boy’s golden locks rolling in dust and blood,--the wild Viking would have crushed the growing snake within his bosom; for he was a knight and a gentleman. But it was hidden from his eyes. He had to “dree his weird,”--to commit great sins, do great deeds, and die in his bed, mighty and honored, having children to his heart’s desire, and leaving the rest of his substance to his babes. Heaven help him, and the like of him! But he turned to young Arnulf. “Give me your man, boy!” Arnulf pouted. He wanted to keep his Viking for himself, and said so. “He is to teach me to go ‘leding,’ as the Norsemen call it, like you.” Robert laughed. A hint at his piratical attempts pleased his vanity, all the more because they had been signal failures. “Lend him me, then, my pretty nephew, for a month or two, till he has conquered these Friesland frogs for me; and then, if thou wilt go leding with him--” “I hope you may never come back,” thought Robert to himself; but he did not say it, “Let the knight go,” quoth Baldwin. “Let me go with him, then.” “No, by all saints! I cannot have thee poked through with a Friesland pike, or rotted with a Friesland ague.” Arnulf pouted still. “Abbot, what hast thou been at with the boy? He thinks of naught but blood and wounds, instead of books and prayers.” “He is gone mad after this--this knight.” “The Abbot,” said Hereward, “knows by hearing of his ears that I bid him bide at home, and try to govern lands in peace like his father and you, Sir Marquis.” “Eh?” The Abbot told honestly what had passed between Hereward and the lad, as they rode to St. Bertin. Baldwin was silent, thinking, and smiling jollily, as was the wont of the Debonair. “You are a man of sense, beausire. Come with me,” said he at last. And he, Hereward, and Robert went into an inner room. “Sit down on the settle by me.” “It is too great an honor.” “Nonsense, man! If I be who I am, I know enough of men to know that I need not be ashamed of having you as bench-fellow. Sit down.” Hereward obeyed of course. “Tell me who you are.” Hereward looked out of the corner of his eyes, smiling and perplexed. “Tell me and Robert who you are, man; and be done with it. I believe I know already. I have asked far and wide of chapmen, and merchants, and wandering knights, and pirate rascals,--like yourself.” “And you found that I was a pirate rascal?” “I found a pirate rascal who met you in Ireland, three years since, and will swear that if you have one gray eye and one blue--” “As he has,” quoth Robert. “That I am a wolf’s head, and a robber of priests, and an Esau on the face of the earth; every man’s hand against me, and mine--for I never take but what I give--against every man.”