It was true that Englishmen laughed at the promise. The King of
England was chosen by the nation, and Edward had no shadow of right
to bequeath the throne even to one of his sons much less to a foreign
prince, who, although related to himself by marriage, had no drop
of English blood in his veins. Still, that the promise should ever
have been made rankled in the minds of the English people, the more
so as the power of Normandy increased, and the ambition as well as
the valour of its duke became more and more manifest According to
English law the promise was but an empty breath, absolutely without
effect or value. According to Norman law it constituted a powerful
claim, and Duke William was assuredly not a man to let such a claim
drop unpressed.
Wulf had heard all this again and again, and the prior of Bramber
had explained it to him in all its bearings, showing him that little
as Englishmen might think of the promise given by Edward so long
ago, it would be likely to bring grievous trouble on the land at
his death. He might perhaps have said more in reference to William's
visit had not Beorn at once accepted the invitation to ride with
young De Burg to his father's castle.
CHAPTER VI
RELEASE OF THE EARL
In a few minutes the three horses were brought out. Wulf and Beorn
were much pleased with the animals that had been placed at their
service. They were powerful horses, which could carry a knight in
his full armour with ease, and seemed full of spirit and fire.
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