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llowed." Here Edric interrupted--"I do not sit here to be judged, but to judge. These accusations cannot be heard." "There is a judgment seat above where you will not be able to make that plea," said the prisoner solemnly. "Alfgar," said the bishop, "this counter-accusation cannot be received; have you aught else to urge?" "None. I commit my cause to God." The court retired. The pause was long and painful. It afterwards transpired that the bishop pleaded in Alfgar's favour, while Herstan ably seconded him; but all was in vain. Edric's eloquence, and the strong circumstantial evidence against the prisoner, carried the day, and the ealdorman even proposed that execution should be speedy, "lest," he whispered, "Canute should interfere to screen his instrument." It was a dangerous game, but he thought the services he had rendered the Danish cause enabled him to play it safely. They returned. All men saw the verdict in their faces. Edric spoke with great solemnity. "We find the prisoner guilty." There was a dead pause. "I appeal to the judgment of God. I demand the ordeal cf fire," said Alfgar {xix}. "It cannot be denied," said the bishop, who had anticipated the appeal. "I myself will see to the preliminaries; and it may take place tomorrow morning in St. Frideswide's church." Edric and his sympathisers would fain have denied the claim, but they could not resist the bishop, backed as he was by the popular voice, for the cry, "The ordeal! yes, the ordeal!" was taken up at once by the populace. While he was hesitating, his brother Goda appeared amongst the crowd. "Canute," he whispered, "draws nigh Oxenford. He has heard what is going on." Edric trembled, but soon recovered himself. However, it was not a time to deny justice. The following morning the church of St. Frideswide was crowded at the early mass. All the friends of the accused were there, and Edric with all his party. The holy service was about to commence, when the crowd at the church door moved aside; a passage was speedily made though the crowd, and three or four ecclesiastics, one habited as a royal chaplain, escorted a stranger, to whom all paid instinctive reverence, yet hardly knowing why, for he was only clad in the ordinary robes worn by noblemen amongst the English. He was led to the choir, and placed where Edmund had knelt by Edric's side some days previously. Edric saw him, and exchanged glances, after which th
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