I think she would come to me until others could be found."
"Go then," he granted. "Thorkel shall see to it that men and horses are ready
when you are." He held out his hand, but when she took it in both of hers and
would have saluted it reverently, he would not let her but instead raised her
fingers to his lips. An odd note was in his voice. "Heavy is it for my tongue
to say farewell to you, Frode's daughter," he said, "for your friendship has
surpassed most other things in pleasantness to me."
Frank liking mingled with gratitude and reverence as she looked up at him. "I
have got great kindness and favor from you, King Canute; I pray that you will
be very happy with your Queen."
A moment he pressed his lips to her hand; then gently set it free. "I give you
thanks," he returned, "but happiness is for me to wish you. The best you can
ask for me is that sometime I shall become what you believed me to be the day
you came to me at Scoerstan."
She tried to tell him that she believed him that now,--but something in her
forbade the untruth. She could do no more than leave him, with a mute gesture
of farewell.
Perhaps her gaze was not quite clear as she crossed the room, for she did not
see that the door-curtains were moving until she was close upon them, when
they were thrust apart to admit the form of Rothgar Lodbroksson.
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