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made as soon as you had left; for, two days later, meeting William

of London in the presence of the king, I told him that I had inquired

further into the matter, and had found that you were by no means

the aggressor in the quarrel with young Fitz-Urse, for that he had

fingered his dagger, and would doubtless have drawn it had there

not been many bystanders. I also said that, with all respect to

the bishop, it would have been better had he not inclined his ears

solely to the tale of his page, and that under the circumstances

it was scarcely wonderful that, being but a boy, you had defended

yourself when you were, as you deemed, unjustly accused.

"The prelate sent at once for his page, who stoutly denied that he

had touched the hilt of his dagger, but I too had sent off for

Ulred, the armourer, and he brought with him a gossip who had also

been present. I asked the king's permission to introduce them, and

they entirely confirmed your story. Fitz-Urse exclaimed that it was

a Saxon plot to do him harm, and I could see that the bishop was

of the same opinion; but the king, who is ever anxious to do justice,

declared at once that he was sure that the two craftsmen were but

speaking the truth. He sternly rebuked Fitz-Urse as a liar, and

signified to the bishop that he would do well to punish him severely

by sending him back to Normandy, for that he would not tolerate his

presence at court--an order which the bishop obeyed with very bad

grace. But at any rate the lad was sent away by a ship a week later.

"After the bishop had left the audience-chamber the king said that

he was afraid he had acted with harshness to you, as it seemed that

the fault was by no means wholly on your side, and that I could at

once recall you if I wished to do so. I thanked his majesty

dutifully, but said I thought it were best in all ways that for a

time you should remain away from court. In the first place, you

deserved some punishment for your want of respect for the bishop,

to whom you should have submitted yourself, even if you had thought

him unjust. In the second place, as Fitz-Urse had been sent away,

it would create an animosity against you on the part of his countrymen

at court were you to reappear at once; and lastly, that I considered

it would be to your benefit to pass at least some months on your

estates, learning your duties as thane, and making the acquaintance

of your people. Therefore, I wished you to continue at Steyning.

It will assuredly be pleasant for you to know that you are no longer

to be considered as being there in consequence of having fallen

under the king's displeasure, but simply because it is my wish that

you should for a time dwell among your people, and fit yourself to

be a wise lord to them."

Wulf was much pleased at the receipt of this letter, partly because

the fact that he had been sent away in disgrace stung him, and he

had felt obliged frankly to acknowledge to the neighbouring thanes

that he had been sent down on account of a quarrel with a Norman

page; but chiefly because it showed the kindly interest that Harold

felt in him, and that although absent he had still thought of him.

It was nigh ten months before he heard again. During that time he

had grown a good deal, and although he would never be tall, his

frame had so widened out that it was evident he would grow into an

exceptionally powerful man.

At sixteen he was still a boy, and although his position at Steyning,

where, although still under the nominal tutelage of the earl's

steward, he was practically lord and master, accustomed to play the

part of host within its walls, and that of feudal lord over the

wide estates, had given him the habits of authority and the bearing

of one who respected himself, the merry expression of his face,

aided by a slight upward turn of his nose, showed that in other

respects he was unchanged. He had learned with his weapons all that

Leof could teach him. He could wield a light battle-axe, and with

his sword could turn aside or sever an arrow however sharply shot

at him, provided that he had time to mark its flight. With a

quarter-staff he was a match for any youth on the estate, and he

could hurl a dart with unerring aim.

Osgod had sprung up into a powerful young fellow, taller than his

master by well-nigh a head, and his equal in exercises requiring

strength rather than quickness and skill. His duties at table had

been delegated to another, for there was a certain clumsiness in

Osgod's strength that no teaching could correct; and in his eagerness

to serve his master he so frequently spilled the contents of a cup,

or upset a platter, that even Egbert acknowledged that it was

hopeless to attempt to make a skilful servitor of him.

The earl's second letter contained only the words:

"Come up to London as soon as you receive this. Leave Egbert in

charge of everything as before."

Although the time had not seemed long, and his occupations were so

varied that he had never felt dull since he had come down, Wulf was

delighted to receive the summons. He had, unconsciously to himself,

begun to feel restless, and to wonder whether Earl Harold had

altogether forgotten his existence.

"We are going back to London, Osgod," he shouted.

"I am right glad of it," the young giant said, stretching his arms

lazily. "I am grievously tired of the country, and had it not been

that nothing would induce me to leave your service, I have thought

sometimes that I would gladly be back again in my father's smithy,

hammering away on hot iron. I used to think it would be the grandest

thing possible to have nothing to do, but I have found that one can

have too much of a good thing. Certainly I am glad to be going back,

but I am not sure whether it won't be worse at court than it is

here."

"Perhaps we may not be staying there," Wulf said encouragingly.

"Maybe the earl is going to start on some expedition; though we

have heard of no trouble, either in the North or in Wales. But even

if I stay at court, Osgod, you will often be able to be away, and

can spend some hours a day at the smithy, where, if you like, you

can take off your smock and belabour iron to your heart's content.

I should say you would be a rare help to your father, for, as Leof

says, for a downright solid blow there are not many men who could

surpass you."

Osgod laughed. "Leof has not forgiven that blow I dealt him a month

ago, when I flattened in his helmet with my blunted axe and stretched

him senseless on the ground; in faith, I meant not to hit so hard,

but he had been taunting me with my slowness, and seeing an opening

for a blow at his head I could not resist it, and struck, as he was

always telling me to do, quickly."

"You well-nigh killed him," Wulf said, shaking his head; "he has

not taken an axe in his hand since, at least not with either of us.

He said to me the first time I invited him to a bout, it was high

time a man should give up teaching when he came to be struck senseless

by a boy."

"Not much of a boy," Osgod replied, "seeing that I stand over six

feet high, and got my muscles hardened early at the forge. However,

he bears me no ill-will; all he ever said to me on the matter was,

'I am glad to see that you can shake off your sluggishness sometimes,

Osgod; I should have been less earnest in my advice to you to strike

more quickly if I had thought that you were going to do it at my

expense. Keep those blows for your master's enemies, lad. If you

deal them to his friends you will lessen their number.'"

"Have my horse brought round at once, Osgod, have the wallets packed,

and be ready to start in an hour's time. I cannot go without riding

over to say good-bye to the prior and some of the monks. Do you,

when you have packed, follow me; it is not greatly out of the way,

and I shall meet you on the road. A short half-hour will suffice

for me there."

"So Harold has sent for you, Wulf?" the prior said, when the young

thane told him that he was on the point of starting for London.

"'Tis as well. Come back when you may, you will now be fit to rule

at Steyning, and to rule well, but I foresee that we are likely to

have you but seldom down here. You are in good train to rise high

among Englishmen. You already possess the favour of Earl Harold,

who is, in all respects but name, King of England. You possess far

more learning than most young men of your rank, and as Harold rightly

thinks much of such knowledge, you are likely, if you live, to learn

more. But better than this, so far as your prospects are concerned

in the troubled times that may be coming, you are quick witted and

ready. I hear that you are already very proficient in arms, and a

match for most grown men. Best of all, so far as your future happiness

is concerned, you have a kind heart and a good disposition. You

could scarce be a page of Earl Harold's and not be a true Englishman

and patriot; therefore, my son, I think that I can predict a bright

and honourable future for you if Harold lives and reigns King of

England. Be steadfast and firm, lad. Act ever in what your heart

tells you is the right; be neither hasty nor quarrelsome. But,"--he

broke off with a smile, "you have had one lesson that way already.

Now I will detain you no longer. _Pax vobiscum_, may God keep

and guard you! If opportunity offer, and a messenger comes this

way, write me a few lines; news of you will be always welcome at

Bramber."

Leaving the prior, Wulf paid a hurried visit to the chambers where

the monks were engaged in their various avocations, and then started

at a canter and met Osgod coming along with a sumpter-horse carrying

the wallets, a store of provisions for the way, and Wulf's arms and

armour fastened to the crupper of his saddle.

"You have done well, Osgod," Wulf said as he turned his horse, and

at a quieter pace proceeded beside him. "I forgot to give you any

directions or to speak about your bringing a pack-horse with you,

but I am glad you thought of it, for our steeds would have been

heavily burdened had all that baggage been divided between them."

"We go back more heavily laden than we came," Osgod remarked. "My

wardrobe was then of the scantiest, and your own has been considerably

added to since we came here. Truly, Wulf, I feel that I have changed

mightily in this year, and can scarce believe that it is but a

twelvemonth back since I flung down my hammer and started on my

tramp to Guildford with a change of clothes dangling from the end

of my cudgel. I was glad when you and your party overtook me, for

I was badly scared once or twice when I met a rough fellow or two

on the way, though, fortunately, they did not deem me worth robbing.

We could give a good account of four or five of such knaves now."

"There has been a change indeed, Osgod, and in me as much as in

you, though I have not shot up into such huge proportions. I was a

page then, and had learned but to obey. I am a boy still, but I

have begun to learn to rule; at any rate, to rule myself. I have

not conquered my fault of hastiness altogether."

Osgod smiled broadly.

"You are quick in temper still, Wulf. You remember it was but

yesterday that you rated me soundly because I had fed your hawks

early, and they were too lazy to fly when you wanted them."

"Well, it was annoying," Wulf laughed; "and you deserved rating,

since you have been told over and over again that the hawks were

not to be fed early in the morning. Besides, the rating did you no

harm."

"None at all, master. I know that you mean not what you say, and

hard words break no bones. I should have thought no more of it had

you yourself not remarked that you were still somewhat hasty of

temper."

"I was wrong, Osgod," Wulf said, holding out his hand, "but you

know that I love you, and that though your carelessness and

forgetfulness chafe me sorely at times, I mean not what I say."

"I know it, master, and I would not have you other than you are. I

suppose it is the thickness of my skull that prevents me from taking

in all that I am told, and perhaps if I had more to do I might do

it better. I shall be able to play my part when it comes to hard

blows, and you must remember that no one can excel in all things.

A staghound is trusty and sure when on the chase, but he could not

be taught to fetch and to carry and to perform all sorts of tricks

such as were done by the little mongrel cur that danced to the order

of the mountebank the other evening. My father always said I was a

fool, and that, though for a piece of rough hammering I was by no

means amiss, I should never learn the real intricacies of repairing

fine armour. Everything has its good, you see, Master Wulf; for had

my father thought better of me in his trade, I doubt if he would

ever have given me leave to quit it, and go as your man."

"I have no doubt that is so, Osgod, and heartily glad am I that you

showed no genius for smith's work. Nature evidently intended you

to damage casques and armour rather than to repair them. You have

not got all my clothes with you," he added, as he looked round at

the led horse.

"No indeed, Wulf," Osgod said, "nor a quarter of them, for in truth

your wardrobe has grown prodigiously since we came here. I had to

talk it over with Egbert, having but little faith in my own wits.

He advised me to take the two suits that were most fitted for court,

saying that if he heard you were going to remain there he would

send on the rest in charge of a couple of well-armed men."

"That is the best plan, doubtless," Wulf agreed. "My hawking suit

and some of the others would be useless to me at court, and it would

have been folly to have burdened ourselves with them if we are

likely to return hither shortly."

"Where shall we stop to-night?" Osgod asked.