"May the penalty be heavy and bitter, we pray you, holy bishops," said Gwen, "that the curse be lifted from us. Always very ill fortune dogs the breach of a vow!" "Lady, I would have silence about me," said David, "that I may pray Our Lord for grace to discern rightly between Teilo my son and my brother and Llywel who is in Paradise." ... After a brief pause: "What pleadest thou, Cynyr? By whose permission hast thou betaken thyself to the life of a solitary? Wilt thou confess thy sins, and return to the faithful congregation?" "Dewi mab Sandde, with you will I go," the young man replied. "With me? but not with Teilo? Speak out thy mind, and fear not." "Not with Teilo. His rule is too harsh: I cannot bow myself to such authority." "Thou must go with my brother Teilo, being his pupil and servant." "I will abide here in Llywel's cell, and gather about me my own Côr, and rule it. Or I will live beneath the ordinance of David. Let him[10] not cast me away; for of all saints he is the most efficacious! I would be a holy man, even as he is. But, look you, the legions of Satan do compass me about, and make hideous my nights and my days. There is also an evil, fair woman, Indeg daughter of Maenarch, who plagues me whenever I do meet with her; and her spirit is with me continually, to trouble me, when she herself is absent! Pray for me, for the love of the Lord!" [10] David. Cynyr uses the third person singular of courtesy. "O Cynyr," said David meditatively, "hast thou the gift of obedience, I wonder?... Thou hast taken thy final vows before the Holy Sacrament?" he added suddenly. Cynyr hung his head, and grew even paler than he had been before. "No, no. My consecration should have been at the Paschal Feast of last year. I fled Llandaff the week before. This I told to blessed Llywel before he took me in." "Why, Teilo," said the bishop of Mynyw, "I had heard that this Cynyr had deserted the furrow that he had undertaken to plough. Where is the truth in this?" "My overseer of the disciples did speak of his consecration," was the other bishop's answer. "Thou hast said that his vows were taken?" "I did think that they were," said Teilo. "Llandaff has done the youth great wrong!" cried David. A dull red crept into the face of Teilo, but he did not utter a word.