knight out of
question, she would rather take refuge in a convent, than share a throne with
Athelstane, whom, having always despised, she now began, on account of the
trouble she received on his account, thoroughly to detest.
    Nevertheless, Cedric, whose opinion of women's constancy was far from
strong, persisted in using every means in his power to bring about the proposed
match, in which he conceived he was rendering an important service to the Saxon
cause. The sudden and romantic appearance of his son in the lists at Ashby, he
had justly regarded as almost a death's blow to his hopes. His paternal
affection, it is true, had for an instant gained the victory over pride and
patriotism; but both had returned in full force, and under their joint
operation, he was now bent upon making a determined effort for the union of
Athelstane and Rowena, together with expediting those other measures which
seemed necessary to forward the restoration of Saxon independence.
    On this last subject, he was now labouring with Athelstane, not without
having reason, every now and then, to lament, like Hotspur, that he should have
moved such a dish of skimmed milk to so honourable an action. Athelstane, it is
true, was vain enough, and loved to have his ears tickled with tales of his high
descent, and of his right by inheritance to homage and sovereignty. But his
petty vanity was sufficiently gratified by receiving this homage at the hands of
his immediate attendants, and of the Saxons who approached him. If he had the
courage to encounter danger, he at least hated the trouble of going to seek it;
and while he agreed in the general principles laid down by Cedric concerning the
claim of the Saxons to independence, and was still more easily convinced of his
own title to reign over them when that independence should be attained, yet when
the means of asserting these rights came to be discussed, he was still
»Athelstane the Unready,« slow, irresolute, procrastinating, and unenterprising.
The warm and impassioned exhortations of Cedric had as little effect upon his
impassive temper, as red-hot balls alighting to the water, which produce a
little sound and smoke, and are instantly extinguished.
    If, leaving this task, which might be compared to spurring a tired jade, or
to hammering upon cold iron, Cedric fell back to his ward Rowena, he received
little more satisfaction from conferring with her. For, as his presence
interrupted the discourse between the lady and her favourite attendant upon the
gallantry and fate of Wilfred, Elgitha failed not to revenge both her