Then they all looked one on the other, and spake not. And the Kingsaid: "Speak, some one of you, without fear; this is no time for tarrying."
Thereon spake an elder, the oldest of them, and said: "Lord, this is the very truth, that none of us here present are meet for this office: whereas,among other matters, we be all unmeet for battle; some of us have neverbeen warriors, and other some are past the age for leading an host. Tosay the sooth, King, there is but one man in Meadham who may do whatthou wilt, and not fail; both for his wisdom, and his might afield, and theaccount which is had of him amongst the people; and that man is EarlGeoffrey, of the Southern Marches."
"Ye say sooth," quoth the King; "but is he down in the South, or nigherto hand?"
Said the elder: "He is as now in Meadhamstead, and may be in thischamber in scant half an hour." So the King bade send for him, and therewas silence in the chamber till he came in, clad in a scarlet kirtle and awhite cloak, and with his sword by his side. He was a tall man, biglymade; somewhat pale of face, black and curly of hair; blue-eyed, thin-lipped, and hook-nosed as an eagle; a man warrior-like, and somewhatfierce of aspect. He knelt down by the King's bedside, and asked him ina sorrowful voice what he would, and the King said: "I ask a greatmatter of thee, and all these my wise men, and I myself, withal, deem thatthou canst do it, and thou alone--nay, hearken: I am departing, and Iwould have thee hold my place, and do unto my people even what I woulddo if I myself were living; and to my daughter as nigh to that as may be.I say all this thou mayst do, if thou wilt be as trusty and leal to me after Iam dead, as thou hast seemed to all men's eyes to have been while I wasliving. What sayest thou?"