Pray the All-Father Odin--nay, that is heresy for which
I might burn if you or the wenches told it to the priests--pray God, I
mean, that He may grant you a better, as He did to old Thorgrimmer,
if the tale be true, Thorgrimmer whose sword you wear and have wielded
shrewdly, as that French knight knows in hell to-day."
"Who was Odin?" I asked.
"The great god of the North. Did not your mother tell you of him? Nay,
doubtless she was too good a Christian. Yet he lives on, Nephew. I say
that Odin lives in the blood of every fighting man, as Freya lives in
the heart of every lad and girl who loves. The gods change their names,
but hush! hush! talk not of Odin and of Freya, for I say that it is
heresy, or pagan, which is worse. What would you do now? Why came you to
London?"
"Because my mother bade me and to seek my fortune."
"Fortune--what is fortune? Youth and health are the best fortune,
though, if they know how to use it, those who have wealth as well may go
further than the rest. Also beauteous things are pleasant to the sight
and there is joy in gathering them.
Pages:
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102