Mymother slept in the great chair before the fire, for waiting had weariedher, but she woke as she heard Grim's footstep, and unbarred the door tohim, ready to welcome the guest that she looked for. But he was alone,and on his face was the mark of some new trouble, and that a great one.
He came in and barred the door after him, and then sat down wearily andate for the first time since we had had our meal at sea; and while hedid so Leva asked him nothing, wondering what was wrong, but knowingthat she would hear in good time. And when he had eaten well he spoke.
"The lady is Eleyn the queen. She has been wandering for these many daysfrom place to place, sometimes in the woods, and sometimes in hiding inthe cottages of the poor folk, always with a fear of staying in oneplace, lest Hodulf should find her, for it is known that he is seekingher. Then at last one told her of my ship, and she is here to seek me."
Now one may know what the wonder and pity of my mother was, and shewould fain have gone to her. But Grim had left her at Arngeir's house,for folk were stirring in the town, and there were many who would knowthe queen if they saw her.
"It will soon be known that Arngeir has a guest," my mother said,"whereas none would have wondered had she been here."
"By this time tomorrow it will not matter if Hodulf knows," answeredGrim, "for she will be safe."
"Where will you hide her then and what of Havelok?"
"For those two there is no safety but across the sea, and they are themost precious cargo that I shall ever have carried. Already Arngeir andthe men are at work on the ship, getting the rollers under her keel,that she may take the water with the next tide. I shall sail with thetide that comes with the darkness again, saying that I shall find cargoelsewhere in other ports, as I have done once before."
"I had not looked to say farewell to you quite so soon," my mother said;"but this is right. Now I will have all things ready, that the queenshall be in what comfort she may on the voyage. But it will be well thatnone shall know, even of your seamen, who the passengers are, else willword go to Hodulf in some way hereafter that Havelok has escaped."
"I have thought of that," answered Grim. "It will be best that none, noteven Radbard, shall know who this is whom we have in the house. A chanceword goes far sometimes."
"The boy will tell his name."
"There are many who are named after him, and that is no matter. Do youspeak to him, for it is plain that he has sense enough, and bid him saynaught but that he and his mother have escaped from the town, and, ifyou will, that he escaped in the sack. I will speak to Radbard, andthere will be no trouble. Only Arngeir must know the truth, and that notuntil we are on the high seas perhaps."
So there seemed to be no more fear, and in an hour the house was astir,and there was work enough for all in preparing for the voyage. As forme, I went down to the ship with my father, and worked there.
Now, I will say that not for many a long year did I know who thisfoster-brother of mine was. It was enough for me to be told that he wasthe son of some great man or other with whom Hodulf had a private feud.Nor did I ever speak of that night's work to any, for my father bade menot to do so. Presently I knew, of course, that the lady was Havelok'smother; but that told me nothing, for I never heard her name.
We worked at the ship for three hours or so, stowing the bales of wooland the other little cargo we had; and then my father sent me to thefishing-boats for a pair of oars belonging to the ship's boat that werethere, and, as it fell out, it was a good thing that I and not one ofthe men went. When I came to the place where they were drawn up on thebeach, as we had left them last night, there was a stranger talking tosome of the fisher folk, who were working at their nets not far off; andthough another might have paid no heed to this, I, with the remembranceof last night fresh in my mind, wondered if he was by any chance thereon an errand from Hodulf. I thought that, were I he, I should surelysend someone to know, at least, if the fisher went out last night afterI had spoken with him. So I loitered about until the man went away,which he did slowly, passing close to me, and looking at the boatscarefully, as if he would remember them. Then I went and asked the mento whom he had been speaking what he wanted. They said that theywondered that he had not spoken to me, for he had been asking about myfather and of his ship, and if he took any passenger with him thisvoyage. It would seem that he wanted to sail with us, from all he said.
Certainly he had begun by asking whose boats these were, and wonderedthat a merchant should go fishing at all, when there was no need for himto do so. Also he had asked if Grim had been out last night, and theyhad of course told him that he had not, for neither boat had beenshifted from the berth she had been given when we came in at dusk.
"Ah," he had said, "well did I wot that your merchant would do no nightwork," and so made a jest of the matter, saying that in his country itwere below the state of a merchant to have aught to do with a thrall'swork. He was certainly a Norseman, and they thought that I should findhim with my father. Now I thought otherwise, and also I saw that all wasknown. This man was a spy of Hodulf's, and would go straight back to hismaster. My father must hear of this at once; and I hurried back to theship, and took him aside and told him. And as I did so his face grewgrey under the tan that sea and wind had given it, and I knew notaltogether why.
"Tell Arngeir to come to me," he said; "I am going to the jarl. Tell noone, but go home and say to mother that I shall be with her in an hour.Then come back and work here."
Then he and Arngeir went to Sigurd, and told him all from the beginning.And when the jarl heard, he was glad for the safety of the queen and ofHavelok, but he said that there was no doubt that Denmark was no placefor Grim any longer.
"That is my thought also," said my father; "but now am I Havelok'sfoster-father, and for him I can make a home across the sea, where Iwill train him up for the time that shall surely come, when he shallreturn and take his father's kingdom."
"That is well," the jarl said, "but you have little time. What Hodulfwill do one cannot say, but he may come here with his men behind him toforce me to give you up, and the town will be searched for Havelok, andboth he and the queen will be lost."
"If that is so," my father answered, "we have time enough. Two hours forthe spy to reach his master; one hour for Hodulf to hear him, and tobethink himself; an hour for gathering his men; and four hours, at theleast, in which to get here. Eight hours, at the least, have we, and thetide serves in six. I had thought of waiting till dark, but that is ofno use now. We may as well go, for there are true men here, who willwait to welcome him who flies when he comes again."
"This is a sore wrench for you and yours, good friend and faithful,"Sigurd said, "but it must be. Nevertheless I can make your loss aslittle as it may be. You shall sell all that is yours to me at your ownprice, that you may have the means to make a new home well, wherever youmay choose."
At first my father would not have that, saying that there would be muchtrouble on his account presently.
But Sigurd said that, first, the trouble was not of his making at all;and next, that if Hodulf plundered the place, it was as well to sendaway as much as possible beforehand; and lastly---and this was whattouched my father most---that he must think of his charge.
"Why, old friend, you are giving up all for Havelok, as would I. And amI to have no share in the training of him for the days to come?"
Therewith he waited for no more words, but went to his great chest, andtook thereout chain after chain of linked gold rings, and put them in acanvas bag, without weighing or counting them, and gave them to Grim.
"Lord, here is enough to buy half the town!" my father said.
"What of that? The town is Havelok's by right, and maybe you can buy hima village across seas with it. But give me a full quittance for mypurchase of your goods and cattle and house, that I may have right to them."
That Grim did at once, before witnesses who were called in, nonewondering that he chose thus to secure his property while he was away,because Hodulf might make demands on it. They did not kn
ow that anymoney changed hands, and thought it formal only, and a wise thing to bedone.
After that Grim and Arngeir took leave of the jarl, thanking him, andthey went to our house.
There waited my mother anxiously enough, for she knew from my messagethat there was somewhat new to be told, or my father had not left theship. Nor do I think that what was to be done was altogether a surpriseto her, for she had thought much, and knew the dangers that might cropup. So, being very brave, she strove to make light of the trouble thatleaving her home cost her, and set about gathering the few things thatshe could take.
Now on the hearth sat Withelm, tending the fire, and he heard presentlythat we were all to go to sea; and that pleased him well, for he hadever longed to sail with his father. As for