A stormy scene had meanwhile taken place in an interior chamber of the
palace of the bishop, which had been metamorphosed into a council
chamber for the king. There were present Ethelred himself, his
irrepressible son, the traitor Edric, the bishop, the sheriff of the
shire, and the reeve of the borough, with the captain of the
hus-carles, or royal guard.
"We all need Divine guidance at this moment," said Edric, clasping his
hands meekly; "would you, my lord and king, ask the bishop to open our
proceedings with especial prayer for the grace of meekness."
"Hypocrite!" said Edmund, with a sound like the gnashing of teeth.
The bishop, however, said the form generally used at the meetings of
council, but omitted to notice the special suggestion of Edric.
"The case before us," said the king, "is a difficult and trying one,
but one which we must discharge in our bounden duty towards our
subjects. Perhaps it is well that the accusation so often urged by
backbiters against our faithful subject Edric should--"
"Your majesty begs the question when you call that coward 'faithful.'"
"Silence, Edmund," said the king, sternly, "you are hardly yet of age,
yet you dare to interrupt me. I was going to say that it is a good
thing the accusation should at length be plainly made, and not spoken
in a corner by men who are afraid to speak out."
"Lest they should get the reward of Elfhelm of Shrewsbury," added
Edmund.
The bishop here interposed.
"Prince, remember that God has said, 'Honour thy father.'"
"Has he not somewhere also said, 'Parents, provoke not your children
to anger'?"
"God judge between you, then," said the bishop, "but I warn you that
you appear the greater transgressor."
"Meanwhile," said Edric, "I feel like a man who is being put unjustly
to the torture. What is the accusation against me?--let it be stated
in plain words."
"That just after the army disbanded in October, you visited the camp
of Sweyn, and gave him to understand that the country was at his
mercy, opposition being removed."
"What day of the month?"
"I do not know the exact day."
"Perhaps it was in the Greek calends," said Edric.
"I do not know when the Greek calends are, nor do I want to; my mother
spent her time, I thank God, in teaching me to speak the truth, and to
be true to my country, and not in teaching me outlandish gibberish."
"Still," said the bishop, "it is important to learn the day."
"Alfgar can perhaps inform you, but one day must have been much like
another to him in the Danish camp."
"His statement would need verification," said Ednoth.
"He is as true and brave as any man here."
"Of course, all Danes are true and brave," said Edric.
"He is a Christian."
"Yes; I think he became one on St. Brice's day," suggested Edric.
"To save his life, no doubt," said the sheriff.
Meanwhile Ethelred had changed colour, and Edric cried out:
"Have we not forgotten in whose presence we are? The king, who was
quite ignorant of the mistaken zeal which misinterpreted his wishes
that day, cannot bear to be reminded of it. He is all too merciful and
gentle for such days as ours."
"I suppose he put on mourning for Elfhelm," whispered Edmund in the
bishop's ear.
"Forget not that he is your father."
"We are wasting time," said the king. "Edric, what is your answer to
this accusation?"
"That when the army disbanded I went on pilgrimage to the shrine of
St. Joseph at Glastonbury, and can produce, in the time requisite for
a messenger to go and return, an attestation to that effect. Here," he
said, putting his hand to his bosom, and drawing out a reliquary, "is
a holy thorn plucked from St. Joseph's tree."
"Art thou not ashamed, my son, to have brought such a charge against
the venerator of the Saints, one of the few in whom faith yet lives?"
"No, for I do not believe he was ever there at all."
"Witness the holy thorn."
"Thorns may be plucked in bushels round Dorchester or any other
place."
"It is a question of pure testimony," said the bishop.
"It is," added the sheriff and the reeve.
"Then, may I produce my witness?" said Edmund.
"Certainly," said the king.
"By all means," added Edric.
The bishop called an attendant, and ordered him to fetch Alfgar.
"Before he enters I must remind you all," said Edric, "that the word
of a Dane is to be opposed to that of a Christian."
"I have already said that Alfgar is a Christian."
But Edric had already, by his adroit suggestion about St. Brice's day,
predisposed the company to doubt the genuineness of Alfgar's
conversion.
A long pause succeeded, which no one seemed to care to break. Ethelred
was anxious for his favourite; the traitor himself was studying how to
meet the accusation; the Prince was furious, and was striving in vain
to repress his surging passions, the others were perplexed.
The messenger returned after a time to say that Alfgar had left the
palace.
"Left the palace!" said Edmund.
"About half-an-hour since."
"There is some vile treason here," said Edmund.
"Treason! on whose part?" said Edric.
"Thine, villain."
"I am glad you think so, for you give me an opportunity of
demonstrating to the court how unreasonable your hatred makes you, and
how unjust. I have not left the king's presence since your first
appearance."
"It is true," said Ethelred.
Edmund was completely baffled.
"It appears to me," said the king, "that he fears the discovery of his
villainy, and has taken himself off. I will offer a fitting reward to
the man who shall produce him; meanwhile, it is useless to continue
this scene."
"Wait at least a few minutes," said Edmund, and went forth himself.
Vainly he sought through all the courts of the palace--once he thought
Alfgar, whose fidelity he never suffered himself to doubt, might be in
the chapel, and went there in vain.
At last he found a servitor who had seen him go with some men into the
city, and hurried forth in search of him. He passed through all the
streets inflaming the curiosity of the watchmen; the darkness (for
there were very few lamps or lights of any kind, in those days, for
public use) was intense, a drizzling rain was falling, and at length,
weary, wet, and dispirited, he returned to the palace, and found that
the council, tired of waiting, had at length broken up.
The bishop offered him hospitality, evidently sympathising with his
distress, and once suggested a doubt of the fidelity of his page, but
Edmund repelled it instantly.
"He is true as life," he said.
"But the king himself is witness that Edric has not left his
presence."
"If not, he has plenty of villains about him to anticipate his orders,
vile as Godwin, port-hund of Shrewsbury. Depend upon it they have
murdered him, but if so, I will have vengeance, such vengeance--I will
challenge the villain Edric to single combat."
"The Church would forbid it."
"Do you then sympathise with the hypocrite?"
"Alas, my son! who can read the heart of man? I know not what to
think."
"But you could read the history of the last campaign. A fool might--I
beg pardon--were not all our plans known beforehand? Did not all our
enterprises fail? Were not all our ambushes anticipated? Did we not
fall into all theirs? If they had had a prophet like Elisha, who told
the king of Israel all Benhadad said in his council chamber, they
couldn't have managed better. Can you explain this?"
"No, my son."
"Then I can, for I heard Sweyn say that they had a friend in the
English camp."
"Then you actually put your head in the lion's mouth, prince?" and the
good bishop, purposely to relieve the prince's mind, drew out from him
all the story of his late adventures.
Deep was the distrust which Ednoth himself entertained of the
fair-speaking Edric, yet he would not encourage the Etheling in
further ill-timed opposition to his father.
So at last Edmund slept, and trusted that with the morn he should find
Alfgar; but the morn came, and all his inquiries were vain.
The chamber in which Alfgar was confined contained a box-like recess
for the straw bed, a chair, and a rough table, and these were all the
comforts at his disposal, but they were enough for one in that hardy
age. It was very strongly built, not a loose plank about it, although
the wind found its way through numerous crevices, to the slight
discomfort of the inmate.
But not one hour of sleep could Alfgar take all that night. What would
the Etheling think of him? was his constant thought, he who had saved
his life at the risk of his (the Etheling's) own. Must he not think
that the lad whose life he had saved had been false to him? and this
thought was agony to the faithful and true heart of the prisoner.
He scarcely doubted for one moment into whose hands he had
fallen--that he was in Edric Streorn's power. The only thing he could
not quite comprehend was, why they had thought it worth while to
imprison him, when murder would seem the more convenient mode of
removing an unpleasant witness.
Early on the following day he heard some people approach the door of
the house, and heard them admitted. Shortly afterwards a firm step
ascended the stair, and the door opened.
Edric Streorn stood before him.
The captor eyed his captive with a look of conscious pride, and said
with some complacence, "You see, and perhaps repent, your rashness in
the accusation you made."
"It was true."
"I do not think it worth my while to deny it here; but what of
that?--I am an Englishman by birth, but (let us say) a Dane by choice.
You are a Dane by the fortune of birth, but an Englishman by choice;
the worse choice, you will find, of the two."
Alfgar felt confused.
"But I did not come here to exchange compliments with you, nor to
prove, as to the fools you have chosen to serve, that I was on
pilgrimage at the time you name. I have a direct purpose in detaining
you here, for I have lately seen Sweyn."
"Traitor!"
"I thought we had agreed that we could not throw stones at each other
on that account. Well, the gentle Sweyn has taken your evasion very
much to heart, and earnestly desires to repossess himself of your
person; but for this, my easiest plan would have been to rid myself of
so troublesome a witness in a more speedy manner, and you might ere
this have fed the fishes of the Thames.
"Therefore," he continued, "unless you can satisfy me of two or three
points, I shall deliver you to Sweyn."
Alfgar thought at first that this was simply an idle threat, since it
would be almost impossible to convey him secretly through the country
to the Isle of Wight. Edric understood his thoughts.
"You forget," he said, "that Sweyn will shortly be here; your friend,
the Etheling, may have told you that, if you did not know it before;
he is telling it to everybody, but no one believes him. Only think, no
one will believe that Sweyn could be so audacious, and they think
that, listening behind walls and in cupboards, the Etheling, perhaps,
drank too much of what he found there--and that was all. Well, when
Sweyn comes, he may, if he will, make a public example to all
apostates in your honoured person; meanwhile Edmund thinks you have
deserted him."
No torturer ever seemed to take a keener pleasure in the throes of his
victim, than Edric in the mental agony he kindled in the breast of his
unhappy prisoner.
"But I said I might release you, or at least mitigate your fate, on
one condition, that you answer me a plain question directly and
plainly. Under what name does Edmund travel, and what disguise, and
does he purpose to trust himself in the Danish camp again? Where is he
at present residing? he has disappeared from the palace."
"Monster!" said Alfgar, "you tempt like Satan. Away, and leave me to
my fate."
"You will think better of it by and by when confinement upon bread and
water has tamed you. I will come once more, but it will be the last
time; and, mark you, should your people be defeated--the Danes I
mean--still your escape would not necessarily follow; the house might
take fire, it is of timber, and would soon burn down; a sad misfortune
it would be.
"Good morning. I am going to mass with the king; shall I say a Pater
and an Ave for you, since you are prevented from being there. The
saints have you in their holy keeping!"
His manner throughout had been like that of a cat playing with a
mouse, and there was quite a gratified smile upon his lips as he went.
Strange to say, Alfgar felt less miserable after he was gone. The
wickedness of Edric seemed so great, his hypocrisy so unblushing, that
in his simple faith Alfgar could not believe that he would be allowed
to succeed. Many a holy text in the Psalms came to his mind, and
seemed to assure him of Divine protection.
"I myself have seen the ungodly in great power; and flourishing like a
green bay tree.
"I went by, and, lo! he was gone; I sought him, but his place could
nowhere be found.
"Seek innocency, and take heed to the thing that is right: for that
shall bring a man peace at the last."
"So, come what will," said he, "I will trust in Him and never will I
save my life by uttering one word which might betray the innocent."
In this manner days lengthened into weeks. He tried in vain to open
any intercourse with his ferocious jailor, whose ward was sometimes
shared by a comrade, when there was much ungodly revelry below, and
snatches of Danish war songs mingled with profane oaths. The deep,
deep bay of the mastiff sometimes gave warning of the advent of a
stranger, or of the step heard from the distance, in the still deep
night; but this was all that Alfgar could learn of the outer world,
from which he was banished at so critical a moment.