ndered here and there looking at
things, though not going far from me; and while I was thus alone on the
bridge, a man I knew by sight came and leaned on the rail by me, and
told me that he had just seen the most handsome man and the goodliest to
look on that was in the kingdom, as he thought.

"Yonder he stands," he said, "like a king who has fallen on bad times. I
mind that I thought that Alsi, our king, would look like that, before I
saw him, and sorely disappointed was I in him therefore. Now I wonder
who yon man may be?"

I did not say that I knew, but I looked at Havelok, and for the first
time, perhaps because I had never seen him among strangers before, I
knew that he was wondrous to look on. Full head and shoulders was he
above all the folk, and the Lindseymen are no babes in stature. And at
the same moment it came to me that it were not well that men should know
him as the son of Grim the fisher. If my father, who was the wisest of
men, had been so careful for all these years, I must not be less so; for
if there were ever any fear of the spies of Hodulf, it would be now when
his foe might be strong enough in years to think of giving trouble. Not
that I ever thought much of the said Hodulf, seeing how far off he was;
but my father had brought me up to dread him for this brother of mine.
Certainly by this time Hodulf knew that Grim had come to England in
safety, for the name of the new town must have come to his ears: and if
Grim, then the boy he had given to him.

The man who spoke to me went away soon, and Havelok strolled back to me.

"I would that the cook, or whoever he is, would come," he said. "I grow
weary of this crowd that seems to have naught to do but stare at a
stranger."

"What shall we ask, when he does come? and supposing that there is a
place for but one of us?" I said.

"Why, then, the one it fits best will take it, and the other must seek
some other chance. That is all."

"As you will, brother," I answered, "but I would rather that we should
be together."

"And I also. But after all, both will be in Lincoln, and we must take
what comes. It is but for a little while, and we shall not like to
burden that good old dame by being too hard to please. We want somewhat
to do until we can go home, not for a day longer, and I care not what it
is."

"That is right," I said; "and the sooner I see one of our folk coming
over this bridge with a full basket of fish, the better I shall like it.
Bu