And if her smile was a little sad, it was plain that Nona the princess was glad as her father to see her guest again, and I will say that to me the sight of her was like a bright gleam in the grey of sadness that was over all things.  It did not seem possible that she and trouble could find place together.

So I greeted her, and she went back to her place quickly, for hardly would Gerent wait for us to speak a few words before he would talk of that which was in all his thoughts; and then came Jago and stood at the door, guarding it as it were against listeners.

Now the old king told me all that I had heard from his thane already, and I must tell what I thought thereof, and that was little enough beyond what I have said, and at last, when he seemed to wait for me to ask him more, I put a question that had come into my mind as I rode, and asked if there might be any chance of Morfed the priest having a hand in the matter.

And at that the king’s frown grew black, and he answered fiercely: 

“Morfed, the mad priest?—­Ay, why had not I thought of him before?  Look you, Oswald, into my hall of justice he came, barefoot and ragged from his wanderings, but a few days before Owen left me; and before all the folk, high and low, who were gathered there he cried out on all those who spoke for peace with the men who owned the rule of Canterbury, and who held traffic with the Saxon who has taken our lands.  And Owen was for speaking him fair, seeing that he was crazed, but I bade him be silent, telling the priest that what was lost is lost, and there needed no more said thereof; and that if the men of Austin and we differed it was not the part of Christian men to make the difference wider, even as Owen and Aldhelm were wont to say.  And at that he raved, and threatened to lay the heaviest ban of the Church on Owen, and on all who held with him, and so he was taken from my presence, and I have seen him no more.  But he was a friend of Morgan.”

“That is the priest who was with Dunwal, surely,” Howel said.

“The same,” I answered—­“and I was warned of him,” and I looked toward the princess, and she smiled a little and flushed.

“I mind how he glared at Oswald across my table,” Howel said.  “But one need fear little from him, as I think.  Who will heed a crazy priest?”

“Many,” answered Gerent.  “The more because they deem him inspired.  I will have him taken and brought to me.”

There fell a little uneasy silence after that outburst of the king’s, but I felt that I had not yet heard all that they would tell me.  So we waited for the old king to speak, and at last he turned suddenly to the princess, setting his thin white hand on her shoulder, and said: 

“Now tell Oswald what foolishness brought you here, Nona, daughter of Howel, that he may say what he thinks thereof.”

“Maybe he also will think it foolishness, King Gerent,” she said in her low clear voice.  “But however that may be, I will tell him, for in what I have to say may be help.  I cannot tell, but because it might be so I begged my father to bring me hither.  It was all that I could do for my godfather.”