"You have done well," the baron said when he had concluded. "Guy,
you may learn from these young Saxons that even pages may be called
upon to do work of more importance than handing wine-cups and
standing behind their lord on state occasions. Had it not been for
their readiness and courage Harold might have lain weeks in prison,
maybe months, while the count was striving to wring the utmost
ransom from him. The lads would doubtless have been slain had they
been detected in making their escape or overtaken on the way, and
the attempt was therefore one that required courage as well as
devotion to their lord. I doubt not that you would exhibit both
qualities did opportunity offer, but I question whether you could
have walked the distance they did, and that on such scanty fare.
We Normans are too apt to trust wholly to our horses' legs to the
neglect of our own, and although I have no doubt that you could
ride as far as a horse could carry you, I warrant that you could
hardly have performed on foot the journey from Beaurain in twice
the time in which they did it. They must have exercised their legs
as well as their arms, and although in a campaign a Norman noble
depends upon his war horse both on the march and on the day of
battle, there may often be times when it is well that a knight
should be able to march as far as any of the footmen in the army.
Well, Agnes, and what have you to say to these Saxon youths? Methinks
your eyes are paying more attention to them than to your missal.
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