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yourself prudently. We Saxons are over given to hasty words, and

this is a fault. I myself, as all men know, have no love for the

Normans, but no one has heard me speak against them. The king loves

them, as is but natural, seeing that he was brought up amongst them,

and I have not withstood his wishes in the matter, trying only that

a certain amount of preferment in the land should be bestowed upon

those who are its owners and not strangers to it and its tongue.

You will ride this afternoon for Steyning, Wulf, but I hope it will

not be long before you are back again. If I had my own way in the

matter, I should think that sufficient had already been said and

done in so trifling a matter as a boys' quarrel; but as it has been

brought before our king by a bishop, it is in the king's eyes a

serious business, for assuredly he himself would have borne a reproof

from William of London more meekly than you did, and having therefore

become a church matter, it is altogether beyond my power to interfere.

At any rate, a short sojourn on your estate will do you no harm;

it is sometime since you were there, and it is a good thing that

the lord of the soil should be well known by those over whom he is

placed."

Wulf bowed deeply and withdrew. The prospect of a visit for a few

weeks or even months to Steyning was not a terrible one. It was

some years since he had stayed there for any time. He had been two

years at Waltham, and since his father's death had been for the

most part with Harold, and the thought of an unrestricted life and

of spending his time as he chose, hunting and hawking, and going

about among his tenants, was by no means unpleasant. He was quite

satisfied that Harold was not seriously angered with him, and for

anything else he cared little.

As he understood that his duties as a page were at present at an

end, he thought he would first call upon Ulred the smith, to ask

him if he had seen Walter Fitz-Urse handle his dagger, and also to

tell Osgod that he was going away for a time. He found the smith

at work.

"Good morning, Master Wulf; though this is not the first time I

have seen you today, for I was at hand when you had that quarrel

with the Norman page."

"Yes, I caught sight of your face, Ulred. It was about that I have

come to you. The bishop has made complaint against me to the king,

and Earl Harold has ordered me to go down to Steyning for a time.

Of course I acted wrongly in speaking as I did to the bishop, but

so far as Walter Fitz-Urse is concerned I maintain that I did no

wrong. I told my lord as much, and that the Norman put hand upon

his dagger. The earl said that if I could prove that it would benefit

my case. I told him that I had seen you close by, but that I did

not know whether you saw the page do it."

"Assuredly I did," the smith replied, "and had my cudgel in readiness

to tap him on the wrist if he had drawn his dagger. I would testify

the same before King Edward himself."

"Thank you, Ulred, I will tell my lord so."

"I am sorry you are to be sent away from court. That is a bad job,

Master Wulf, and Osgod here will miss you greatly."

"That shall I," the lad said. "Could you not take me down with you,

young master? You could teach me there how to comport myself as

your squire, so that when the time comes that you need one, I should

know my duties. Besides, you could practise on me with sword and

battle-axe."

"I could not do much in the way of teaching you, Osgod, seeing as

yet I am myself but a learner, but I should be glad, in truth, to

have you with me, and it would be good for me to keep up my practice

in arms. I shall feel almost like a stranger there, and should like

to have one I know with me. I could ask Earl Harold to let me have

a horse for you from his stables, where he has two or three score

doing nothing."

"With your favour, sir, I would rather trust to my own feet. I am

a stout walker, and though I shall not be able to keep up with you,

I think that each night I can get to the hostelrie where you may

put up; but, if not, it matters little, I can make my way after you

and join you there--that is, if my father will give me permission

to go."

"You may as well go sooner as later," the smith said. "Since you

have taken into your head that you will be Master Wulf's man, I see

not that it will benefit you remaining in the forge. You know enough

now to mend a broken rivet and to do such repairs to helm and armour

as may be needed on an expedition; therefore, if the young thane

is minded to take you I have naught to say against it."

"Then so shall it be," Wulf said, "I shall see my Lord Harold before

I start, and will tell him that you are minded to be my man, and

that I am minded so to take you. He will not object, I am sure, but

it were best to ask him, since, when I return to court, I shall

have you about me."

"When do you start, Master Wulf?"

"I am ordered to go to-day; therefore, as soon as I have

seen the earl again I shall be off."

"Where will you sleep to-night?"

"I shall ride to Guildford this afternoon."

"Then you had better lay aside your hammer at once, Osgod,"

the smith said, "and don fresh clothes, and make your best suit

into a bundle and start without delay; it is but ten o'clock,

and you may be at Guildford before sunset. 'Tis but thirty

miles, and eight hours' walking will take you there. If the young

thane tells you that Lord Harold makes objection to his taking

you, you can turn your face backward to-morrow and no harm

will be done."

"I shall overtake you before you are half-way, Osgod, and

can then take you up behind me on my horse; and now I will

go back to the palace. I may have to wait some time before I

can see Earl Harold. From sunrise to sunset he has but a few

moments to himself, and I shall have to watch my time to get

a word with him."

It was not, indeed, until two o'clock in the afternoon that

Wulf had a chance of speaking to the duke. Then, seeing that

he was for the moment alone, he entered the room and stood

with bowed head waiting for Harold to address him.

"So you have come to say good-bye, Wulf," the latter said kindly;

"it is best so, boy. A time in the country will do you good, and

there will be much for you to do down there. I have ordered two of

my men to be in readiness to mount and ride with you, for I would

not that you should go unattended. One of them will bear a message

from me and a letter under my hand to the steward, and will tell

him that although you will, of course, remain as my ward until you

come of age, you are in all respects to be treated as if you were

already my sworn man, and thane. It would be well if you could

gather among your tenants twenty stout men as house-carls. The

steward is ordered to pay to you whatever moneys you may require,

and to account for them to me when he sends me in his checkers.

These house-carls will, of course, be paid. There must be ample

store of armour at Steyning for them, for your father was followed

by forty house-carls when he went with me to the Welsh wars. One

of the men who goes with you is a stout man-at-arms and is one of

my own house-carls; he will remain with you and will instruct your

men in arms and teach them to fight shoulder to shoulder. There may

be bad times ere long, and it is upon trained troops and not upon

hasty levies that we must most depend. In time I trust you will be

able to place fifty such men in the field, but at present twenty

will suffice. Have you aught to say to me before you go?"

"Yes, my lord; first, to thank you for your kindness, and to say

that I will carry out your instructions; secondly, to tell you that

Ulred the smith saw Walter Fitz-Urse handle his dagger, and was

standing ready to knock it from his hand did he draw it. Lastly,

that Ulred's son Osgod, who is a stout lad a year older than myself,

and for his age well accustomed to arms, desires to be sworn as my

man and to serve me in hall and in field. I like him much and have

almost daily practised with him in arms, and I should be glad to

have him with me if you see no objection."

"Not at all, Wulf; it is well that a man should have at his side

one in whom he can altogether trust, be he of gentle blood or simple

man-at-arms."

"Then I may take him down with me, my lord?"

"Yes, if it pleases you. Can he ride?"

"Not as yet, my lord, I will see that he is instructed down at

Steyning. He started to walk this morning, understanding that if

you refused him permission to be my man he would at once return.

We shall overtake him on the road."

"Bid one of your escort take him up behind," the earl said, "I like

his spirit. See that he is fittingly apparelled. You shall hear

from me ere long."

Half an hour later Wulf mounted, and with his two followers rode

from Westminster.

CHAPTER II.

COUNTRY LIFE.

Far from being depressed, Wulf felt his spirits rise as he rode

away on his banishment from court, for instead of feeling it a

disgrace he regarded it as a step forward in life. Earl Harold

could certainly, had he been so inclined, have smoothed down the

angry prelate, and could have retained him at court; but by the way

he had spoken, Wulf was convinced that the earl let him go because

he thought that it was good for him to be away. For four years he

had been under tutelage, first at Waltham, and then at the court.

In the last position his life had indeed been a pleasant one, for

as one of Harold's pages he had mixed with all the noble youths of

the court, and had had a place at every festive gathering. Still,

he had been but a page, and treated as a boy. Now he was to go

forth, and to learn his duties as his father's successor.

Harold's steward, who had since the thane's death acted as the

earl's agent in the management of the estate, would instruct him

doubtless in his civil duties, while the soldier who rode behind

him would teach him how to lead men in battle, and how to make the

fighting force of the estate efficient. Beyond these duties his

time would be his own. He would have responsibilities, but they

would be the responsibilities of a thane towards his tenants, and

not of a page towards his master. He was going away a boy, but if

it pleased Harold that he should remain away for two years he would

return a thane. A young one, indeed, but one who had learned the

duties of his station, and who, if needs be, could take his place

in the field of battle at the head of his followers. For, even

putting aside the Normans, from whom the earl seemed to think the

greatest danger would come, there was never any long cessation of

fighting in England.

There were the Welsh, who were always turbulent; the Danes of

Northumbria, who were still a distinct people, although throughout

the rest of England their identity was fast being merged into that

of the Saxons. There were the Norsemen, still ready to take every

opportunity of interfering in the affairs of England, or, if none

offered, to plunder and harry the coast. There were the earls of

Mercia, who bore no great love to the house of Godwin, and who

resented the ascendency of the West Saxons. Lastly, there was

Harold's brother Tostig, a fiery and turbulent noble, now Earl of

Northumbria, who was jealous of Harold, ever ready to join in plots,

and in close alliance with Norway already; he had several times

withstood the royal authority, and would assuredly again become a

fomenter of trouble should he see a favourable opportunity. At the

king's death, if not before, that opportunity would be sure to

present itself. Harold would be certainly chosen king by the people

of London and by the West Saxons, but almost as certainly would his

claim be disputed by the earls of Mercia on one hand, and by Tostig

and the Danes on the other. Wulf was sure, therefore, that the work

spent in preparing his tenants to take the field when called upon

to do so, would not be wasted.

Full of these thoughts he rode for some miles from Westminster

without addressing himself to the two men behind him; then, bethinking

him that these were trusted followers of the earl, and had been

specially told off by him to accompany and stay with him, he called

them up to his side. Wulf had donned a riding suit instead of court

attire, which, in deference to the king's partiality for the Normans,

was, even among the staunchest opposers of the foreigners, a

compromise between Saxon and Norman fashions. He now wore a tunic

of a bright green cloth, girded in at the waist and reaching only

to the knee. Over this was worn a garment closely resembling the

Roman toga, though somewhat less ample. The folds in front fell

below the waist, but it was looped up at each shoulder by a brooch,

leaving the arms bare. His legs were clad in tightly-fitting trousers,

and his feet in somewhat high shoes. On his head he wore a cap in

shape closely resembling the Phrygian bonnet. He was armed with a

dagger, and a short sword, which hung by a leather strap, two or

three inches long, from his belt. The outer garment had a hood which

could in bad weather be drawn over the head.

The man who was the bearer of Harold's orders to the steward wore

a civilian dress, not unlike that of Wulf's. He occupied the position

of a confidential scribe to Harold. The other wore the garb of a

soldier. He was clothed from head to foot in a tight fitting leather

suit, upon which were sewn iron rings overlapping each other, and

strongly resembling in appearance the chain-armour of later days.

His casque, with a curtain of leather similarly covered and affording

a protection to the neck, cheeks, and throat, hung from his saddle-bow,

and he wore a cap with a long projecting peak, while a cloak was

thrown over his shoulders and fell almost to his feet.