that the ogre intended to insult him he understood well enough.

Hereward had hoped to find giants in Cornwall: and behold he had found one
at once; though rather, to judge from his looks, a Pictish than a Cornish
giant; and, true to his reckless determination to defy and fight every man
and beast who was willing to defy and fight him, he turned on his elbow
and stared at Ironhook in scorn, meditating some speech which might
provoke the hoped-for quarrel.

As he did so his eye happily caught that of the fair Princess. She was
watching him with a strange look, admiring, warning, imploring; and when
she saw that he noticed her, she laid her finger on her lip in token of
silence, crossed herself devoutly, and then laid her finger on her lips
again, as if beseeching him to be patient and silent in the name of Him
who answered not again.

Hereward, as is well seen, wanted not for quick wit, or for chivalrous
feeling. He had observed the rough devotion of the giant to the Lady. He
had observed, too, that she shrank from it; that she turned away with
loathing when he offered her his own cup, while he answered by a dark and
deadly scowl.

Was there an adventure here? Was she in duress either from this Ironhook
or from her father, or from both? Did she need Hereward's help? If so, she
was so lovely that he could not refuse it. And on the chance, he swallowed
down his high stomach, and answered blandly enough,--

"One could see without eyes, noble sir, that you were worth any ten common
men; but as every one has not like you the luck of so lovely a lady by
your side, I thought that perchance you might hand over some of your