第 41 页

to me. Say naught to any one of this message. Edith._"

"Is the distance far?" he asked the man.

"It is to Croydon, my lord. I have ridden here on horseback."

Wulf at once ordered his horse to be brought to him.

"Will you be back to-night, my lord," Osgod asked, as he mounted, "in case

the king should wish to see you?"

"I shall not be back till late, possibly not until to-morrow I do not tell

you where I am going, in order that if you are asked you may be able truly

to reply that I said nothing before I mounted, as to my destination."

It was just mid-day when Wulf drew up his horse before a modest house

standing in a secluded position a quarter of a mile from the village of

Croydon. Edith met him at the doorway.

"I thank you, Wulf, for answering my request so speedily. There is much

that I would ask you about my lord. I hear of him only by general report,

for although from time to time I send him messages I give him no

opportunity for writing to me, and I know that he has respected my wishes,

and has caused no search to be made for me."

"Harold sometimes speaks to me of you, lady, and has in no way forgotten

you. He did charge me to find out if I could the place of your abode; not

that he would seek an interview with you, but, should there be need, he

might be able to send a message." By this time they were seated in the room

where Edith spent the greater part of her time.

"It is better that we should not meet," she said earnestly. "His mission

is to work and to fight for England; mine to remain apart from all men and

to spend my time in prayers for him. I know that he places great confidence

in you, as indeed he well may, for I heard how you had saved his life, well

nigh at the expense of your own. Is he happy with his new queen?"

"His thoughts at present, lady, are altogether turned to public affairs,

and it is well perhaps that it should be so. I do not think that he

receives much sympathy from the queen, who cares more, I should say, for

her brothers, the northern earls, than for her husband."

"It is scarce a wonder that it should be so," Edith replied; "though it

seems strange to me that any woman could live with Harold without loving

him with all her heart. And yet she may well feel that she, like Harold,

has been sacrificed. There was no shadow of love between them before their

marriage, in fact she may even have hated him, for it was he who brought

ruin and death upon her husband, the Welsh king. She must know that he

only married her in order to gain the firm alliance of her brothers, and

that her hand was given by them to Harold without any reference to her

feelings. I would that the king were happy, even though it were with

another. But it was not for his happiness that I left him, but that England

might be one. Is it true that the army is broken up and the fleet

scattered?"

"It is true, lady. Save for three or four thousand housecarls, there is not

an armed man in readiness to defend England."

"It must be a terrible trial to him."

"It is, my lady. He returned to town yesterday dispirited and cast down at

the failure of the work of months."

"Still they will reassemble rapidly," she said, "when the Normans really

come?"

"Doubtless they will. But the loss of the fleet is greater than that of the

army, for at sea we could have met and almost assuredly have conquered

them, for the Normans are no match for our sailors; whereas to meet so

great an army of trained soldiers, with hastily assembled levies, is to

fight under every disadvantage."

"And is the rumour true which says that Tostig and Harold of Norway are

also preparing for an invasion?"

"All reports that come to us through Denmark are to that effect."

"It is enough to make the stones cry out," Edith said indignantly, "that a

son of Godwin should thus betray England. I never thought it of him. He

was headstrong and passionate; yet as a young man he was loved almost as

much as Harold himself, nay, some loved him more. But it was not on account

of public affairs that I brought you here, but to talk of Harold. I know

nought of his daily doings, of his thoughts, or his troubles. Tell me all

you can of him, Wulf."

For a long time they talked of the king. She had from the first been drawn

towards Wulf by seeing how he loved Harold, and as they talked her tears

often fell.

"I am proud of him," she said at last; "more proud of him than when he was

the light of my life. My sacrifice has not been in vain. He is what I would

have him. One whose thoughts are all fixed upon his country; who gives all

his energy, all his wisdom, all his time to her service. Humbler men can be

happy, but a king has higher duties than others, and for him love and

marriage, wife and children, the joys of the peasant, must be altogether

secondary. The good of his country, the happiness and welfare of tens of

thousands are in his hands; and if in these respects he acts worthily, if

he gains the blessings of his people, he can afford to do without the home

joys that are so much to lesser men. You are sure that he is not unhappy?

If I did but know this, I would be content."

"I do not think he is unhappy," Wulf said confidently. "He has the

applause and love of all men, and the knowledge that all his work is for

the good of his country and his people. He may have regrets, but he has

little time to spend upon them when he has in hand so vast a work, upon

which night and day his every thought is directed."

"I suppose you wish to get back to-night, Wulf?"

"I should greatly prefer it," he said.

"And I would rather that you did not remain here. It may seem inhospitable,

but I feel it would be better so. No one here knows who I am, and at first

my servants were plied with questions whenever they went abroad; but the

wonder has died away, and the villagers have come to believe that I am, as

I gave out, the widow of a court official. Should it be known that a young

thane stayed here the night, it would set them gossiping afresh. Stay and

sup with me before you start."

"And am I to tell the king I have seen you?" he asked.

"What think you yourself, Wulf?"

"I am sure that he would be glad to know. I need not say where you are

living. I will say that you have charged me to keep it secret, and he will

forbear questioning me. But I am sure that it will give him deep pleasure

to know that I have seen you, to learn how you look, how you are living,

how you occupy yourself, and how you think of him. It cannot but be a trial

to him to know nothing of one he so loves. More than once he has told me

that he wondered whether you had entered a convent, whether you were in

health, how you bore yourself, and other matters."

"Tell him then, Wulf. You can tell him that great as has been my grief over

our separation, I can yet feel happy in my solitude in knowing how nobly he

is doing his kingly work, and that I have never wavered in my assurance

that I was right when I bade him go. Tell him that I have no thought of

entering a cloister; that I have my old servants and my garden and

needle-work; that I spend much of my time in ministering to my poorer

neighbours, and that I am getting to be loved by them. Say that my health

is good, and that I have every comfort I need save his presence. Tell him

that if I fall ill, and the leeches say that I shall die, I shall send for

him to see me once again, but that in such manner only will we meet in this

life; and that it is my prayer that he will not seek to alter my

resolution, for that the pain of parting again would be more than the joy

of seeing him. He is another woman's now, and that by my act, therefore it

would be a grievous sin for us, loving each other as we do, to meet again,

unless he or I was on a death-bed."

The supper was served early, and when it was eaten Wulf's horse was brought

round to the door.

"Am I to come again?" he asked.

She did not answer for a time. "Not unless I send for you, Wulf. Our

meeting has given me much pleasure, and I shall be the happier for it, but

for a time our talk of the past and present will unsettle me and stir up

afresh regrets and longings. Therefore, it were best that you come not

again until I send for you."

The darkness was just closing in when Wulf rode into Westminster.

"The king has twice asked for you, my lord," Osgod said, as he alighted.

"The last time a quarter of an hour since."

Wulf at once went to the king's closet, where he was at work with two or

three secretaries, to whom he was dictating.

"I want you, Wulf," the king said as he entered. "Where hast been?" Wulf

glanced at the secretaries, and Harold bade them retire till he summoned

them again. Wulf then related at length his interview with Edith. Harold

listened in silence.

"I am right glad at your news," he said, when the latter had finished. "It

is just what I thought she would do. Her words are lofty and wise; truly a

king can little hope for happiness such as that which is in the reach of

the humblest of his subjects. But we will talk of this again. For the

present I must think of public business. News has been brought me by a sure

hand from Denmark that the fleet of Norway has sailed. 'Tis said that

Harold has called out a levy of half the fighting men of his kingdom, and

that he has five hundred war-ships besides transports. His son, Magnus, has

been left behind to rule Norway with the title of king. Harold intends to

conquer England and reign here. I must lose no moment in sending the news

to the northern earls. Doubtless it is on their coast he will first land.

There is no one I would sooner trust than yourself, and you shall be my

messenger.

"I have the letters already written to them, warning them that every man

capable of bearing arms should be summoned to their standard, and every

preparation made to repulse the foe. Of help at present I can give them

none; my army is dispersed, my shores undefended, and at any moment

William's fleet may appear off the coast. Let them meet the Norwegians,

while I meet the Normans. It is for you to press upon them the counsels I

give in my letters; and I would that you should remain with them, sending

messages to me from time to time, giving me full tidings of what takes

place at York and how they fare in their struggle with Harold of Norway,

and, as I fear, with my brother Tostig. They met you at Northampton, and

they know the confidence I place in you and the services you rendered in

the Welsh campaign. However, although they may receive you well I fear that

your counsel will go for nought. They are haughty and headstrong, and

assuredly they will not be guided by one of my thanes. Do not, therefore,

press the matter with them, or risk incurring their anger. I want you to

stand well with them, for so only can you learn their views and keep me

informed of what is doing. Being assured that you would undertake the duty

I have highly commended you to them as my representative at York, and I

doubt not that you will be well received. Brothers-in-law though they are I

can count on but little aid from them in our struggle with the Normans, but

there they will be fighting for their own earldoms and will do their best,

though I fear the result, for they have been deaf to my entreaties to keep

an army on foot, and the hurried levies of the North will scarce stand

against the mighty army Harold Hardrada is bringing against them."

"I will start immediately, my lord."

"Here is a royal order upon all governors and thanes to give you changes of

horses and to aid you in all ways. Take that giant of yours with you, he is

a faithful fellow and is not wanting in sense; you will find him of great

use there. You will, of course, accompany the earls to the field. Watch

well how the levies fight, it is long since they have been called upon to

meet a foe, and I would fain know how much they can be trusted on the day

of battle. As your own horse has travelled to-day take two of my best, here

is an order to the head of the stables to deliver them to you. Is there

aught else that I can do for you?"

"Nothing, my lord. I understand your wishes, and will follow them as

closely as I can."

"Do not expose yourself too much on the field of battle, Wulf. I cannot

spare you, and therefore charge you not to be rash, and if matters go ill

to provide for your safety as far as you may."

Wulf found Osgod awaiting him in the hall below.

"I thought you might require me, master, so I waited till you had seen the

king."

"You did well, Osgod. I am starting on a journey to York and you are to

accompany me. We ride armed, so get on your coat of mail and take your

favourite axe, then carry this order to the stables and tell them to have

the two horses ready at the gates in half an hour's time; then go to the

kitchen and eat a hearty meal and put up some bread and cold meat in a

wallet. We shall ride fast and with few stoppages, for I have the royal

order for change of horses everywhere."

"That is good news, my lord. After dawdling away the last four months doing

nothing I am glad to hear that there is a chance of striking a strong blow

on someone, though who it is I know not."

"Now go, Osgod, I have also to change my clothes and drink a horn of ale

and eat something, though I supped but three hours since. Put my gayest

suit into the saddle-bag, for I may stay some time at York, and must make a

fair show, going as I do as Harold's messenger."

The journey was accomplished at an extraordinary rate of speed, Harold's

order procuring them a change of horses when ever they stopped; and they

but once halted for a few hours' sleep. Wulf found that Edwin and Morcar

were both at York, and alighted at the gate of their residence. Announcing