at
once, and silently, or they will take warning and bring more men."

They ran out, leaving a dozen with me. Edric's men were yet in the
street, and now they drew near the door, listening as I thought.

"How shall you escape?" I said to the goldsmith.

"Out of the back way, lord, and up the meadows to the ford if the
ferryman is asleep. But I must go before the house is beset."

"Keep the gold for your service," I said, "for I think that the
silver penny has saved me."

So he thanked me, and crept away easily enough. I suppose that
Edric's men had no orders that had made provision for trouble with
me of this sort, and that they hardly knew what had happened. But
it was likely that they would send word to Edric directly, when
they began to be sure that something had gone amiss. They tried the
door again, but without much heart. My men wanted to throw it open
and charge out on them, but I would not suffer it. So long as they
loitered outside we had time to get away. Then some of them tried
the gate of the courtyard behind the house, but the men had barred
that after the goldsmith had gone out. And all the while the horses
were being saddled silently, and they would be ready in a few
minutes.

The earl's men spoke now outside the door, and I could hear what
they said.

"Let us break in and see what has befallen Godric."

"Nay, the hall is full of men now. Let us go back."

"It was Godric's own fault. He had no reason to smite the porter,
who stayed him not."

Then I thought that the men knew not what their errand was, and
were to take orders from the slain man. Thus there would be no
fighting in the street when we came out.

So it was, for when the horses were ready, the stablemen of the
house threw open the great gates of the courtyard, which was beside
the house, as it happened, and we rode out quietly, but with
weapons ready, and they did but shrink together and stare when they
saw us. There were about thirty of them in all.

Now I would not give Edric any reason to blame me to Eadmund, and
so I wheeled my men to the right, away from the bridge and along
the great road towards London, and letting them go on slowly, I
called to a man who stood foremost.

"This is a sorry business," I said; "but your leader had no right
to smite my man, and one waxes hasty when a man behaves thus. He
was an unmannerly messenger."

"Aye, lord, he was," the men said.

"Well, then, tell your earl that I have even now le