Resistance maintained in forests and swamps, as was done by
the Bretons and Welsh, may weary out a foe, but a conqueror can wish for
nothing better than that the defeated may assemble themselves in towns and
castles, where he can slowly, perhaps, but surely destroy them piecemeal."
The time passed quickly and pleasantly at Steyning. Wulf studied hard for
three or four hours a day, looked after his tenants, hunted and hawked,
doubled the number of his company of housecarls, and often rode over to the
priory of an evening. He now took his place naturally among the thanes in
that part of the country, the reputation he had gained in the two wars
giving him a standing among them, to which, from his youth, he would not
otherwise have been entitled. In accordance with Harold's advice he went
three times during the year up to court, where he generally met Beorn, who
spent the greater part of his time there.
"How you can like all this formality and ceremony is more than I can
imagine, Beorn."
"I don't care either for the formality or the ceremony, but I like the
amusement and the gaiety, and should ask with much more reason how can you
like to spend your time studying parchments and reading the doings of those
old Romans, when you might be enjoying yourself here. The matter is
altogether beyond me."
"I like it for itself, and I like it because it may some day be of great
service to me."
"You see you are ambitious, Wulf, and I am not.
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