aarfager, and of Harald
Haardraarder, and of that other Harold, who, though a Saxon, died
bravely for his kingdom when his brother betrayed him, and I held out my
hand and gave him the clasp of friendship."

The old man paused, but after a brief reflection proceeded:

"We made him welcome and we loved him. He knew the world and could tell
us many-things. He knew the story of Norway and the Vikings, and the
Sagas were on his tongue. Cnut loved him and followed him, and she (the
pause which always indicated her who filled his thoughts)--she, then but
a girl, laughed and sang for him, and he sang for her, and his voice was
rich and sweet. And she went with him to fish and to climb, and often,
when Cnut and I were in the field, we would hear her laugh, clear and
fresh from the rocks beside the streams, as he told her some fine story
of his England. He stayed here a month and a week, and then departed,
saying he would come again next year, and the house was empty and silent
after he left. But after a time we grew used to it once more and the
winter came.

"When the spring returned we got a letter--a letter to her--saying he
would come again, and every two weeks another letter came, and I went
for it and brought it to--to her, and she read it to Cnut and me. And at
last he came and I went to meet him, and brought him here, welcome as
if he had been my eldest born, and we were glad. Cnut smiled and ran
forward and gave him his hand, and--she--she did not come at first,
but when she came she was clad in all that was her best, and wore her
silver--the things her mother and her grandmother had worn, and as she
stepped out of the door and saluted him, I saw for the first time that
she was a woman grown, and it was hard to tell which face was brighter,
hers or his, and Cnut smiled to see her so glad."

The old man relapsed into reflection. Presently, however, he resumed:

"This time he was gayer than before:--the summer seemed to come with
him. He sang to her and read to her from books that he had brought,
teaching her to speak English like himself, and he would go and fish up
the streams while she sat near by and talked to him. Cnut also learned
his tongue well, and I did also, but Cnut did not see so much of him as
before, for Cnut had to work, and in the evening they were reading and
she--she--grew more and more beautiful, and laughed and sang more. And
so the summer passed. The autumn came, but he did not go, and I was well