let the Christian folk be unharmed?"

"Little will our people care," he said, "when once they have
settled down, what gods a man worships. Nor would I have any
meddled with because of their faith."

"Now am I most willing to help you," I said; "and I will say
this--so are you likely in the end to be hailed king indeed."

"That is well," he answered, flushing a little. "But there is one
man whom I will never ask to own me as king, and that is yourself.
But if you do so of your own will, it will be better yet."

So we parted, each as I think pleased with the other, and I knew
that East Anglia had found a wise ruler in Guthrum the Dane.

Straightway now I told my people the good news that Reedham was
safe. The longships came up to Norwich time after time now; and
there had been but one thought among us, and that was that our
place could not have escaped the destruction that had fallen on all
the shore and riverside villages.

Then Ingild said:

"These Danes have come as our forefathers came here, to take a new
and better country for themselves, but the strife between them and
us is not as the strife between alien peoples. They are our kin,
but between us and the Welsh was hatred of race. They will settle
down, and never will East Anglia pass from Danish hands, even if
Ethelred of Wessex makes headway enough to be owned as overlord of
England by them. Now therefore is there one place in all England
where peace has come, and to that place I would go to end my days.
Here in London the tide of war will ebb and flow ever. Let me go
down with you to Reedham, my son, that I may die in peace."

So we did but wait until he had set all his affairs in order,
selling his house and merchandise and the like. Then we hired a
ship that came from the Frankish coast and waited for cargo in the
Thames, and sailed at the end of July to Reedham. With us were
Egfrid and Eadgyth and my mother and Cyneward, who would by no
means leave me, and to whom Guthrum willingly gave leave to go with
us.

We came easily to Reedham, and very strange it was to me to see two
Danish longships lying in our roads, while our own shore boats were
alongside, the men talking idly together on deck or over gunwale in
all friendliness. Stranger yet it was to see the black ruins of
farms and church on the southern shores of the river mouth, and at
Reedham all things safe and smiling as ever.

Then was a wondrous welcome for us on our little staithe, and all