“Ay, there’s the cover off the dish!” said Corinius, “and a pretty mess within. Y’are woman-mad, every jack of you, and this blears your eyes to think me sick o’ the same folly. Thou and thy little dark-eyed baggage, that I dare swear hath months ago forgot thee for another. Heming here and I know not what sweet maid his young heart doteth on. Gro, ha! ha!” and he fell a-laughing. “Wherefore the King saddled me with this Goblin, he only knoweth, and his secretary the Devil: not I. By Satan, thou hast a starved look i’ the eyes giveth me to think the errand I sent thee to Krothering gates did thee no good. My cat’s leering look showeth me that my cat goeth a catterwawing. Dost now find the raven’s wing a seemlier hue in a wench’s hair to set thy cold blood a-leaping than tawny red? Or dost think this one hath a softer breast than thy Queen’s to cushion thy perfumed locks?” With that word spoken, all three of them leaped from their seats. Gro, with a face ashen gray, said, “At me thou mayst spit what filth thou wilt. I am schooled to bear with it for Witchland’s sake and until thine own venom choke thee. But this shalt thou not do whiles I live, thou or any other: to let thy bawdy tongue meddle with Queen Prezmyra’s name.” Corinius sat still in his chair in a posture of studied ease, but his sword was ready. His great jowl was set, his insolent blue eyes scornfully looked from one to another of those lords where they stood menacing him. “Pshaw!” said he, at last. “Who brought her name into it but thyself, my Lord Gro? not I.” “Thou wert best not bring it in again, Corinius,” said Heming. “Have we not well followed thee and upheld thee? And so shall we do henceforth. But remember, I am King Corund’s son. And if thou speak this wicked lie again, it shall cost thee thy life if I may.” Corinius threw out his arms and laughed. “Come,” said he, standing up, with much show of jolly friendliness, “’twas but a jest; and, I freely acknowledge, an ill jest. I’m sorry for it, my lords. “And now,” said he, “come we again to the matter. Krothering Castle will I not forgo, since ’tis not my way to turn back for any man on earth, no not for the Gods almighty, once I have ta’en my course. But I will make a bargain with you, and this it is: that we to-morrow do assault the hold a last time, using all our men and all our might. And if, as I think is most unlikely and most shameful, we get it not, then shall we fare away and do according to thy counsel, O Laxus.” “’Tis now four days lost,” said Laxus. “Thou canst not retrieve them. Howso, be it as thou wilt.”