have shown, and I was ready forit, seeing that even I had seen the likeness to the king as I rememberedhim.
"Keep that thought to yourself for a while, Mord," I said. "It is in mymind that you are right, but the time has not yet come for me to know."
"That is wisdom, too," he answered; "for if once he gathers a following,there is a bad time in store for Hodulf. And it will be better that wefall on him unawares, before he knows that Havelok, son of Gunnar, lives."
"We fall on him?"
"Ay, you and I, mail on chest and weapon in hand, with Havelok to leadus. What? think you that I would hold back when Gunnar's son is calling?"
"Steady, friend," I said, laughing; "men will be looking at us."
So he was silent again; and now I thought that the time of which myfather spoke had surely come, for it was plain that Havelok was a manwhom men would gladly follow as he went to win back his kingdom. And Iwent and fetched Withelm from where he sat, and so we three talked longand pleasantly, until it was time for us to go forth from the hall. Andwe thought that it was good for Arngeir to come here, for the secret wascoming to light of itself, as it were, and we would have him speak withMord.
CHAPTER XIV. THE CRAFT OF ALSI THE KING.
Now Alsi the king went from the feast with a new and cruel thought inhis mind under the smiling face that he wore, and long he sat in his ownchamber, chin on hand and eyes far off, thinking; and at last he calledBerthun.
"What is the name of this big knave of yours?" he asked, when thesteward stood before him.
"He calls himself Curan, lord."
"Calls himself. Well, it is likely that he knows his own name best. Ishe Welsh, therefore?"
"So I think, lord."
"You might have been certain by this time, surely. I like Welshmen aboutthe place, and I was giving you credit for finding me a good one. Whencecomes he?"
Now it was on Berthun's tongue to say that he thought that Curan camefrom the marshland, yet clinging to his own thoughts of what he was. Hedid not at all believe that he came from that refuge of thralls. But hemust seem certain unless he was to be laughed at again.
So he said, "He comes from the marsh-country."
"Does he speak Welsh?"
"I have heard him do so to the market people, if he happened to meet aBriton there."
"Why, then, of course he is Welsh: and here have I found out in twominutes what you have taken I do not know how long to think about. Goto, Berthun; you grow slow of mind with good living."
The king chuckled, and Berthun bowed humbly; but now the steward wasdetermined to say no more than he was obliged in answer to morequestions. Also he began to hope that Alsi would ask nothing about theclothes this man of his wore, else he would be well laughed at forspending his money on a stranger.
But Alsi seemed pleased with himself, or else with what he had heard,and went on.
"Has this Curan friends in the town?"
"None, lord, so far as I know."
"Let me tell you that you may know a man's friends by the company hekeeps. With whom does he talk?"
"None come to seek him, lord, except one of the housecarls--the bigman to whom you spoke tonight. Seldom does he go into the town, and thenonly the porters seem to know him, for he was among them, as a stranger,when I met him first."
"A big man will always make an acquaintance with another," Alsi said,"and the porters are the lowest in the place. One may be sure that hehas left his friends in some starving village in the marsh, and has nonehere. That will do, Berthun. Take care of him, for I may have use forhim. But next time you hire a man, use your wits to learn somewhat ofhim, if it is too much trouble to ask."
So Berthun was dismissed, and went out in a bad temper with himself. Yethe knew that he would have been laughed at for a fool if he had saidthat he thought Curan more than he seemed.
Now Alsi was alone, and he fell to thought again. By-and-by it was plainto be understood what his thoughts had been, and they were bad. Andafter he had slept on them they were no better, seeing what came ofthem. But I think that he was pleased to find that Havelok was, as hethought, a Welsh marshman, and well-nigh friendless, for so he would bethe more ready to do what he was bidden; though, indeed, there seemedlittle doubt that the plan Alsi made for himself would find no stumblingblock in Curan, if it might meet with a check elsewhere. That, however,was to be seen.
Well pleased was Alsi the king with somewhat, men said in the morning.
But there was one who rose heavy and sorely troubled, and that was theLady Goldberga, for all the fancies that had been brought to her by thevision had come to nothing, or worse than nothing, as she looked onHavelok and saw in the cook's knave the very form of him of whom she haddreamed, and whom she could not forget. Glad had she been to go to herown chamber and away from the kindly ladies who could not know her realtrouble; but not even to her old nurse did she tell what that was. Herone thought now was to seek someone who was skilful in the reading ofdreams, and so find some new hope from it all. But no one could tell herof such a one here, unless it were to be a priest of Woden, and that shewould not hear of.
Then, early in the morning, Alsi sent for her, saying that he wouldspeak with her alone for a while. So she went to him, where he sat inthe chamber beyond the high place; and he greeted her kindly, askingafter her rest, and saying that he hoped that the sudden faintness hadhurt her not. Then he led her to a seat, and bade her rest while hetalked of state affairs.
"For it must be known to you, my niece, that the Witan thinks it timethat you should take your father's kingdom."
Now Goldberga knew that, and had long made up her mind that when thetime came she would not shrink from the burden of the crown.
It may well have been that Alsi thought that she would wish to wait fora time yet, for he did not seem altogether pleased when she answered,"If the Witan thinks right, I am ready."
"But," he said, "there is one thing to come before that. The Witan mustknow who your husband shall be. And that is reasonable, for he will havea share in ruling the kingdom."
Then said Goldberga, "They need have no fear in that matter, for I willwed none but a king or the heir of a king."
"Well," said Alsi, dryly enough, "they are not so plentiful as areblackberries, and there may be two words to that."
"I am not anxious to be wedded," answered the princess, "and I can wait.It is, as you say, a matter that is much to the country."
Then Alsi tried another plan, seeing that Goldberga was not at all putout by this. So he forced a cunning smile that was meant to be pleasant,and said, "I had thought that your mind ran somewhat on Ragnar."
He looked to see the lady change colour, but she did not.
"Ragnar is my cousin," she said, "or a good brother to me, if you will.Moreover, until the other day when he met me in London by some goodfortune, I had hardly seen him since my father died."
"What think you of Griffin?"
"Nothing at all, for nidring he is," answered Goldberga with curling lip.
Now that angered Alsi, for he had so much to do with that business; andif Griffin was to be called thus by his fault, he was likely to lose afriend.
"I would have you remember," he said, "that in all this choosing itremains for me to give consent or withhold it."
"I shall only ask your consent to my wedding such a man as I have toldyou of, uncle--a king or a king's son."
"So," said Alsi, "you would choose first, and ask me afterwards,forsooth! That is not the way that things are to be between us. It isfor me to choose, and that according to the oath which I took when yourfather made me guardian of you and his realm."
"Yet," said Goldberga very gently, "I think that my father would nothave meant that I should be the only one not to be asked."
"I can only go by what I swore, and that I will carry out. I promised tosee you married to the most goodly and mightiest man in the land."
"That can be none but a king, as I think."
Now Alsi grew impatient, for he meant to se
ttle one matter before hewent much farther.
"I will say at once that I can have no king over the East Angliankingdom. It is not to be thought of that after all these years I shouldhave to take second place there. You will hold the kingdom from me, andI shall be overlord there. I will send you some atheling who can keepthe land in order for you, but there shall be no king to bring that landunder the power of his own kingdom."
That was plain speaking, and it roused Goldberga.
"Never have you been overlord of my kingdom," she said. "Well have youruled it for me while I could not rule it myself, and for that I thankyou heartily. But it is not right that I should seem to hold it from you."
"That is to be seen,"