fingers?

"Whence hast thou this? Whence came it?" he shrieked, with a rabble of
ill words; and for a moment it seemed he would have crushed me in his
great sinewy clenched hands as I stood there before him. His face was
scarlet that before was only red. Great black veins started up upon his
forehead, and his round blue eyes were straining out of the flesh in
which they were enclosed.

I stood firm before him, and humbly showed him that the second scroll
fell out of the first. Then he turned suddenly upon his heel and went
towards the window, and looking forth upon the bay below in a few
moments calmed himself, read what was writ on the first scroll, and with
an air of unconcern tossed them to a corner of the table.

"Thou knowest naught of these papers, lad?" he said at length.

"Naught, my lord, in good faith, save that I bore them hither."

"And thou didst well to do that," he said, "for here is a matter
dangerous to me, as thou sawest by mine anger. Your good abbot hath done
well to send me this letter by thee."

I answered not, since it was not for me to speak, and yet I craved to
know what could be in the second scroll to move him so.

"May I return with your grace's greeting or other message to my lord?" I
said.

"Ay, and by word of mouth," he said. "We exiled men well-nigh forget to