"As a King?"
"Yea, lady. As such have I been owned by all at Winchester. I
should be at Westminster for my Coronation, save that I turned from
my course to win her who shall share my crown."
"Is it even thus, Henry?" said Edgar. "Hast not thought of other
rights?"
"Of that crazed fellow Robert's?" demanded Henry. "Trouble not
thine head for him! Even if he came back living from this Holy War
in the East, my father had too much mercy on England to leave it to
the like of him."
"There be other and older rights, Sir Henry," said the Abbess.
Henry looked up for a moment in some consternation. "Ho! Sir
Edgar, thou hast been so long a peaceful man that I had forgotten.
Thou knowest thy day went by with Hereward le Wake. See, fair Edith
and I know one another--she shall be my Queen."
"Veiled and vowed," began the Abbess.
"Oh, not yet! Tell her not yet!" whispered Edith in David's ear.
"Thou little traitress! Wed thy house's foe, who takes thine
uncle's place? Nay! I will none of thee," said David, shaking her
off roughly; but her uncle threw his arm round her kindly.
At that moment a Norman knight spurred up to Henry with some
communication that made him look uneasy, and Christina, laying her
hand on Edgar's arm, said: "Brother, we have vaults. Thy troop
outnumbers his. The people of good old Wessex are with thee! Now
is thy time! Save thy country. Restore the line and laws of Alfred
and Edward."
"Thou know'st not what thou wouldst have, Christina," said Edgar.
"One sea of blood wherever a Norman castle rises! I love my people
too well to lead them to a fruitless struggle with all the might of
Normandy unless I saw better hope than lies before me now! Mind
thee, I swore to Duke William that I would withstand neither him nor
any son of his whom the English duly hailed. Yet, I will see how it
is with this young man," he added, as she fell back muttering,
"Craven! Who ever won throne without blood?"
Henry had an anxious face when he turned from his knight, who, no
doubt, had told him how completely he was in the Atheling's power.
"Sir Edgar," he said, "a word with you. Winchester is not far off--
nor Porchester--nor my brother William's Free companies, and his
treasure. Normans will scarce see Duke William's son tampered with,
nor bow their heads to the English!"
"Belike, Henry of Normandy," said Edgar, rising above him in his
grave majesty. "Yet have I a question or two to put to thee. Thou
art a graver, more scholarly man than thy brother, less like to be
led away by furies. Have the people of England and Normandy sworn
to thee willingly as their King?"
"Even so, in the Minster," Henry began, and would have said more,
but Edgar again made his gesture of authority.
"Wilt thou grant them the charter of Alfred and Edward, with copies
spread throughout the land?"
"I will."
"Wilt thou do equal justice between English and Norman?"
"To the best of my power."
"Wilt thou bring home the Archbishop, fill up the dioceses, do thy
part by the Church?"
"So help me God, I will."
"Then, Henry of Normandy, I, Edgar Atheling, kiss thine hand, and
become thy man; and may God deal with thee, as thou dost with
England."
The noble form of Edgar bent before the slighter younger figure of
Henry, who burst into tears, genuine at the moment, and vowed most
earnestly to be a good King to the entire people. No doubt, he
meant it--then.
And now--far more humbly, he made his suit to the Atheling for the
hand of his niece.