," said a deep voice behind the girls, who
turned and found the hermit standing at their side. "But, Hilda," he
continued, "God does not always answer our prayers in the way we
expect--sometimes because we pray for the wrong thing, and sometimes
because we pray that the right thing may come to us in the wrong way. I
like best to end my petitions with the words of my dear Saviour Jesus
Christ--`Thy will be done.' Just now it would seem as if war were
ordained to go on, for a scout has just come in to say that King Harald
with his fleet is on the other side of yonder point, and I am sent to
fetch thee down to a place of safety without delay."

"Who sent thee?" demanded Ada.

"Thy foster-father."

"Methinks we are safe enough here," she said, with a gesture of
impatience.

"Aye, if we win the day, but not if we lose it," said the old man.

"Come," said Hilda, "we must obey our father."

"I have no intention of disobeying him," retorted the other, tossing her
head.

Just then Alric ran up with a look of anxiety on his swelled and
blood-stained face.

"Come, girls, ye are in the way here. Haste--ah! here comes Erling--and
Glumm too."

The two young men ran up the hill as he spoke.

"Come with us quickly," cried Erling; "we do not wish the King's people
to see anyone on this mound. Let me lead thee down, Hilda."

He took her by the hand and led her away. Glumm went forward to Ada,
whose old spirit was evidently still alive, for she glanced at the
hermit, and appeared as if inclined to put herself under his protection,
but there was something in Glumm's expression that arrested her. His
gruffness had forsaken him, and he came forward with an unembarrassed
and dignified bearing. "Ada," he said, in a gentle but deliberate
voice, while he gazed into her face so earnestly that she was fain to
drop her eyes, "thou must decide my fate _now_. To-day it is likely I
shall fight my last battle in my fatherland. Death will be abroad on
the fiord, more than willing to be courted by all who choose to woo him.
Say, dear maid, am I to be thy protector or not?"

Ada hesitated, and clasped her hands tightly together, while the
tell-tale blood rushed to her cheeks. Glumm, ever stupid on these
matters, said no other word, but turned on his heel and strode quickly
away.

"Stay!" she said.

She did not say this loudly, but Glumm heard it, turned round, and
strode back again. Ada silently placed her hand in his--it tr