"
So Mara passed into the nunnery, and unless she has been one of the
veiled sisters whom one sees in their places at the time of mass, I
do not know that I have ever set eyes on her again. I do not think
that it was the saddest end for her.
CHAPTER XVII. HOW OSWALD FOUND A HOME, AND OF THE LAST PERIL OF OWEN THE
PRINCE.
All that winter, and through the spring, men toiled at the great
fortress, but Ina went back presently to Glastonbury, or to others
of his houses, after his wont, now and then riding even from far to
us to see how all went. And I was fully busy in the new province,
for we made a roll of those who owned land there, that all might be
known to the king, and that matter was set in my hand for those
reasons which had made me useful already in quieting the country.
Moreover, the years at Malmesbury had made me able to write well,
and now I was glad that I had learnt, though indeed it went sorely
against the grain with me to do so at the time. Truly, I had to go
on this errand of the king's with sword in one hand and pen in the
other, but I daresay I did better, and fared less roughly, than
would one who could not speak to the British freemen in their own
tongue. At least, if a man was sullen when I came to him, he was,
as a rule, pretty friendly when I left, for he knew that no harm
was meant him, and that to be on this roll meant that on his lands
he was to bide in peace.
Pages:
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401