“No, noble Cedric⁠—Richard of England !⁠—whose deepest interest⁠—whose deepest wish, is to see her sons united with each other.⁠—And, how now, worthy Thane! hast thou no knee for thy prince?”

“To Norman blood,” said Cedric, “it hath never bended.”

“Reserve thine homage then,” said the Monarch, “until I shall prove my right to it by my equal protection of Normans and English .”

“Prince,” answered Cedric, “I have ever done justice to thy bravery and thy worth⁠—Nor am I ignorant of thy claim to the crown through thy descent from Matilda, niece to Edgar Atheling, and daughter to Malcolm of Scotland . But Matilda, though of the royal Saxon blood, was not the heir to the monarchy.”

“I will not dispute my title with thee, noble Thane,” said Richard, calmly; “but I will bid thee look around thee, and see where thou wilt find another to be put into the scale against it.”

“And hast thou wandered hither, Prince, to tell me so?” said Cedric⁠—“To upbraid me with the ruin of my race, ere the grave has closed o’er the last scion of Saxon royalty?”⁠—His countenance darkened as he spoke.⁠—“It was boldly⁠—it was rashly done!”

“Not so, by the holy rood!” replied the King; “it was done in the frank confidence which one brave man may repose in another, without a shadow of danger.”

“Thou sayest well, Sir King⁠—for King I own thou art, and wilt be, despite of my feeble opposition.⁠—I dare not take the only mode to prevent it, though thou hast placed the strong temptation within my reach!”