thou wert a Dane and I a Saxon;
and thou a king's niece, and now a king's sister, and I but tracing two
descents to thegn's rank."

Moved and marvelling at this touch of sentiment in the calm earl, in whom
indeed such sentiment was rare, Githa roused herself from her musings,
and said, simply and anxiously:

"I fear my lord is not well, that he speaks thus to Githa!"

The Earl smiled faintly.

"Thou art right with thy woman's wit, wife. And for the last few weeks,
though I said it not to alarm thee, I have had strange noises in my ears,
and a surge, as of blood, to the temples."

"O Godwin! dear spouse," said Githa, tenderly, "and I was blind to the
cause, but wondered why there was some change in thy manner! But I will
go to Hilda to-morrow; she hath charms against all disease."

"Leave Hilda in peace, to give her charms to the young; age defies Wigh
and Wicca. Now hearken to me. I feel that my thread is nigh spent, and,
as Hilda would say, my Fylgia forewarns me that we are about to part.
Silence, I say, and hear me. I have done proud things in my day; I have
made kings and built thrones, and I stand higher in England than ever
thegn or earl stood before. I would not, Githa, that the tree of my
house, planted in the storm, and watered with lavish blood, should wither
away."

The old Earl paused, and Githa said, loftily:

"Fear not that thy name will pass from the earth, or thy race from power.
For fame has been wrought by thy hands, and sons have been born to thy
embrace; and the boughs of the tree thou hast planted shall live in the
sunlight when we its roots, O my husband, are buried in the earth."

"Githa," replied the Earl, "thou speakest as the daughter of kings and
the mother of men; but listen to me, for my soul is heavy. Of these our
sons, or first-born, alas! is a wanderer and outcast--Sweyn, once the
beautiful and brave; and Wolnoth, thy darling, is a guest in the court of
the Norman, our foe. Of the rest, Gurth is so mild and so calm, that I
predict without fear that he will be warrior of fame, for the mildest in
hall are ever the boldest in field. But Gurth hath not the deep wit of
these tangled times; and Leofwine is too light, and Tostig too fierce.
So wife mine, of these our six sons, Harold alone, dauntless as Tostig,
mild as Gurth, hath his father's thoughtful brain. And, if the King
remains as aloof as now from his royal kinsman, Edward the Atheling,
who"--the Earl hesitated and l