the nobility and
clergy, who feared the imperious temper of Elfrida, determined to thwart
her schemes. To put an end to the matter, Dunstan the monk, the
all-powerful king-maker of that epoch, had the young prince anointed and
crowned. The whole kingdom supported his act, and the hopes of Elfrida
were seemingly at an end.

But she was a woman not to be easily defeated. She bided her time, and
affected warm regard for the youthful king, who loved her as if he had
been her own son, and displayed the most tender affection for his
brother. Edward, indeed, was a character out of tone with those rude
tenth-century days, when might was right, and murder was often the first
step to a throne. He was of the utmost innocence of heart and amiability
of manners, so pure in his own thoughts that suspicion of others found
no place in his soul.

One day, four years after his accession, he was hunting in a forest in
Dorsetshire, not far from Corfe-castle, where Elfrida and Ethelred
lived. The chances of the chase led him to the vicinity of the castle,
and, taking advantage of the opportunity to see its loved inmates, he
rode away from his attendants, and in the evening twilight sounded his
hunting-horn at the castle gates.

This was the opportunity which the ambitious woman had desired. The
rival of her son had put himself unattended within her reach. Hastily
preparing for the reception she designed to give him, she came from the
castle, smiling a greeting.

"You are heartily welcome, dear king and son," she said. "Pray dismount
and enter."

"Not so, dear madam," he replied. "My company will miss me, and fear I
have met with some harm. I pray you give me a cup of wine, that I may
drink in the saddle to you and my little brother. I would stay longer,
but may not linger."

Elfrida returned for the wine, and as she did so whispered a few words
to an armed man in the castle hall, one of her attendants whom she could
trust. As she went on, this man slipped out in the gathering gloom and
placed himself close behind the king's horse.

In a minute more Elfrida reappeared, wine-cup in hand. The king took the
cup and raised it to his lips, looking down with smiling face on his
step-mother and her son, who smiled their love-greeting back to him. At
this instant the lurking villain in the rear sprang up and buried his
fatal knife in the king's back.

Filled with pain and horror, Edward involuntarily dropped the cup and
spurred his horse