"King Canute, I willingly admit myself the block-head you called me." Ulf Jarl
hastened to declare in his good-natured roar. "When I saw you take your point
away from Edmund's breast, that day, my heart got afraid that you were obliged
to do it to save yourself. Even after I heard how you had made a bargain to
inherit after each other, I never suspected what kind of a plan was in your
mind."
And Eric of Norway smote his thigh with the half resentful laugh of a man who
has been told the answer to a riddle which he has given up. "I will confess
that your wit surpasses mine in matters of cunning. I did suspect that you
might think it unfeasible to kill him before the face of his army, but I had
no idea that it would be possible to get the land from him both according to
law and without further fighting or loss of men. On a lucky day is the King
born who has a mind like this!"
One after another, all the nobles echoed the sentiment; until even the mob of
soldiers found courage to voice their minds.
"His wit is made out of Sleipnir's heels!" "Skroppa herself could not be
foreknowing about him!" "I am as glad now as I was disappointed when I saw him
take his blade off the Ironside--" "When I saw that, I thought I would turn
English--" "They will try now to turn Danish." "You speak well, for he will
get great fame on account of his wisdom.
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