Havelok The Dane, Charles Whistler [interesting books to read TXT] 📗

went through, and I could see him no more.

Presently the crowd drifted back to their places, and I heard them talking. Havelok and his strength was likely to be a nine days' wonder in Lincoln, and I was glad that I had asked him not to say whence he was.

"He is some thane's son who is disguised," said one.

"Maybe he is under a vow," said another; and then one chimed in with a story of some prince of Arthur's time, by name Gareth, who hid his state at his mother's command.

"As for me," said the baker, "I think that he is a fisher, as he looks --at least, that is, as his clothes make him."

So even he had his doubts, and I will say that I understood well enough now why my father never brought him here before.

Havelok was long in coming back, as I thought, and I seemed to be wasting time here, and so I bethought me of the other man to whom the old dame had said we might go--namely, the captain of the gate. I should see Havelok if I stood there.

The captain was talking with some of his men as I came up, and of course it was of Havelok that they spoke; and seeing that I wore the same dress as he, they asked me if I knew who he was.

"He is a fisher from the coast," I answered. "I have heard him called Curan."

"Welsh then," the captain answered, somewhat disappointed, as it seemed. "If he had been a Mercian, or even a Saxon, I would have had him here, but a fisher has had no training in arms after all."

"Some of us have," said I.

The captain looked me up and down, and then walked round me, saying nothing until we were face to face again.

"That, I take it, is a hint that you might like to be a housecarl of the king's," he said. "Are you a Lindseyman?"

"I am the son of Grim of Grimsby," I said.

"Why, then, I suppose you would not think of it, seeing that my place is not empty; but if you will dress in that way you must not wonder if I took you for a likely man for a housecarl. We know Grim well by repute. Come in and tell me about the famine, and this new town of yours that one hears of."

Now I could not see Havelok as yet, and so I went into the stone-arched Roman guardroom, and Eglaf the captain fetched out a pot of wine and some meat, and made me very welcome while we talked. And presently I thought that I might do worse than be a housecarl for a time, if Eglaf would have me. I should be armed at least, and with comrades to help if Havelok needed me; though all the while I thought myself foolish for thinking that any harm could come to him who was so strong. Nevertheless, what my father had laid on us all was to be heeded, and I was to be his helper in arms. So presently I told Eglaf that the housecarl's life seemed an easy one, and that it would be pleasant to go armed for a while, if he would have me for a short time, seeing that the famine had left us naught to do.

"Well, there is plenty to eat and drink," he said, "and good lodging in the great hall or here, as one's post may be, and a silver penny every day; but no fighting to be done, seeing that Alsi will sooner pay a foe to go away than let us see to the matter. Doing naught is mighty hard work at times."

Then he asked if I had arms, and I said that I would send for them at once, and that settled the matter. If I chose to come with my own arms I should be welcome.

"I am glad to get you," he said, "for there will be a crowd in the place ere long, for the Witan is to meet, and the thanes will come with their men, and there will be fine doings, so that we need another strong arm or two that we may keep the peace,"

He took a long pull at the wine pot, and then went on, "Moreover, the princess's Danes are sure to want to fight some of the English folk for sport."

"What! is she here?"

"Not yet. They say that she is coming when the Witan meets, because the Witan wants to see her, not because Alsi does. But he dare not go against them, and so it must be."

Now Goldberga, the princess, was, as I have said, Alsi's ward, and was at this time just eighteen, so that it would be time for her to take the kingdom that was hers by right. It was common talk, however, that Alsi by no means liked the thought of giving the wide lands of East Anglia up to her, and that he would not do so if he could anywise help it. Maybe the Witan thought so also, and would see fair play. Ethelwald and his wife Orwenna had been well loved both here and in Norfolk, and it was said that Goldberga their daughter grew wondrous fair and queenly.

I had learned one thing though, and that was that we should have Ethelwald's Danes here shortly, and that I did not like; but after all, what did these few men of an old household know of the past days in Denmark? There had been no going backwards and forwards between the two countries since the king died ten years ago. Nevertheless I was glad that I had found a friend in Eglaf, and that I was to be here.

Then I got up to go, and the captain bade me come as soon as I could, for he could talk to me as he could not to the men, maybe. So I bade him farewell, and went slowly back, down the street, sitting down in the old place.

It was not long after that before Havelok came, and I saw Berthun the steward come as far as the gate with him, and stand looking after him as he walked away; then Eglaf came out, and both looked and talked for a while, and therefore, as soon as I knew that Havelok saw me, I went away and across the bridge to a place that was quiet, and waited for him there.

"Well, brother," I said, "you have had a long job with the cook. What is the end of it all?"

"I do not know," he answered slowly. "That is to be seen yet."

I looked at him, for his voice was strange, and I saw that he seemed to have the same puzzled look in his eyes as he had last night when we came first into the city. I asked if anything was amiss.

"Nothing," he said; "but this is a place of dreams. I think that I shall wake presently in Grimsby."

We walked on, and past the straggling houses outside the stockade, and so into the fields; and little by little he told me what was troubling him.

Berthun the steward had said nothing until the palace was reached, and had led him to the great servants' hall, and there had bidden him set down his load and rest. Then he had asked if he would like to see the place, and of course Havelok had said that he would, wondering at the same time if this was all the pay that the porters got. So he was shown the king's hall, and the arms on the wall, and the high seat, and the king's own chamber, and many more things, and all the while they seemed nothing strange to Havelok.

"This Berthun watched me as a cat watches a mouse all the while," he said, "and at last he asked if I had ever seen a king's house before. I told him that I had a dream palace which had all these things, but was not the same. And at that he smiled and asked my name. 'Curan,' I said, of course; and at that he smiled yet more, in a way that seemed to say that he did not believe me. 'It is a good name for the purpose,' he said, 'but I have to ask your pardon for calling you by the old giant's name just now.' I said that as he did not know my name, and it was a jest that fitted, it was no matter. Then he made a little bow, and asked if I would take any food before I went from the place; so I told him that it was just what I came for, and he laughed, and I had such a meal as I have not seen for months. It is in my mind that I left a famine in that house, so hungry was I. There is no pride about this Berthun, for he served me himself, and I thanked him."

Then Havelok stopped and passed his hand over his face, and he laughed a little, uneasy laugh.

"And all the while I could not get it out of my head that he ought to be kneeling before me."

"Well," he went on after a little, "when I had done, this Berthun asked me a question, saying that he was a discreet man, and that if he could help me in any way he would do so. Had I a vow on me? Nothing more than to earn my keep until the famine was over, I said. I had left poor folk who would have the more for my absence, and he seemed to think that this was a wondrous good deed. So I told him that if he could help me in this I should be glad. Whereon he lowered his voice and asked if I must follow the way of Gareth the prince. I had not heard of this worthy, and so I said that what was good enough for a prince was doubtless good enough for me, and that pleased him wonderfully.

"'Gladly will I take you into my service,' he said, 'if that will content you.' Which it certainly would; and so I am to be porter again tomorrow. Then I said that I had a comrade to whom I must speak first. He said that no doubt word must be sent home of my welfare, and he saw me as far as the gate."

"Which of you went out of the hall first?" I asked.

"Now I come to think of it, I did. I went to let him pass, as the elder, though it was in my mind to walk out as if the place belonged to me; and why, I do not know, for no such thought ever came to me in Witlaf's house, or even in a cottage; but he stood aside and made me go first."

Now I longed for Withelm and his counsel, for one thing was plain to me, and that was that with the once familiar things of the kingship before him the lost memory of his childhood was waking in Havelok, and I thought that the time my father boded was at hand. The steward had seen that a court and its ways were no new thing to him, and had seen too that he had been wont to take the first place somewhere; so he had deemed that this princely-looking youth was under a vow of service, in