s godfather.

"What know you of our faith, my son?" said the monk in his gentle
voice.

Now of his own accord Raud faced to the eastward, and clasping his
hands before him, spoke the words of the Creed, slowly and
haltingly maybe, but with knowledge thereof, and all that little
company, standing hushed until he ended, answered "Amen" with one
voice.

Then again, untaught by us he turned to the west, where the sun was
even now sinking, and lifting his right hand very solemnly he put
away from him the false gods of his forefathers, and the golden
sunlight made his face very glorious, as I thought.

"It is well, my son," said the old monk.

So he was baptized, and I gave him the new name of Cyneward
{xxii}, for the memory of Eadmund the King and what he did for
him in saving him from torture as best he might. And surely he was
the first fruit of the martyrdom of him whose head he had borne.

Then when all was done he took up his burden again, softly and
reverently, saying:

"Life I took, and life has been given me. This is not the old way
of life for life, but it is better."

So he gave back the head to the monks, and they, wondering at him,
but greatly rejoicing, took it, and stood awhile pondering where we
might safely bestow it.

Then came one of the villagers, telling of a stone-walled chamber
that had been a well in days long gone by, hard by the church
porch. That we found after some labour, moving much ruin from over
it, and therein we placed the bones and head of our king, covering
it again until better days should come. And I, thinking of my
riches in the hands of Ingild, promised that when it might be done
I would see to raising the church afresh, to be over the ashes of
the king.

So our little company parted, and Cyneward, who had been Raud, and
I went back with the elder monk and the farm folk to our place,
going slowly in the warm twilight, with our hearts at rest, and
full of the wonders we had seen that day.

Only one thing would the monk and I ask Cyneward, for we wondered
how he had learned our faith so well. And that he answered gladly.

"Ever as Wulfric and I escaped from the vengeance of Ingvar towards
Hedeby I wondered that one should be strong enough to defy the Asir
and their godar for the sake of the new faith. So I sat in the
church of Ansgar among the other heathen and heard somewhat. And
again in London of late, where Guthrum will have no man harmed for
his religion, I have lis