hat I came for, and he laughed, and I had such a meal
as I have not seen for months. It is in my mind that I left a famine in
that house, so hungry was I. There is no pride about this Berthun, for
he served me himself, and I thanked him."

Then Havelok stopped and passed his hand over his face, and he laughed a
little, uneasy laugh.

"And all the while I could not get it out of my head that he ought to be
kneeling before me."

"Well," he went on after a little, "when I had done, this Berthun asked
me a question, saying that he was a discreet man, and that if he could
help me in any way he would do so. Had I a vow on me? Nothing more than
to earn my keep until the famine was over, I said. I had left poor folk
who would have the more for my absence, and he seemed to think that this
was a wondrous good deed. So I told him that if he could help me in this
I should be glad. Whereon he lowered his voice and asked if I must
follow the way of Gareth the prince. I had not heard of this worthy, and
so I said that what was good enough for a prince was doubtless good
enough for me, and that pleased him wonderfully.

"'Gladly will I take you into my service,' he said, 'if that will
content you.' Which it certainly would; and so I am to be porter again
tomorrow. Then I said that I had a comrade to whom I must speak first.
He said that no doubt word must be sent home of my welfare, and he saw
me as far as the gate."

"Which of you went out of the hall first?" I asked.

"Now I come to think of it, I did. I went to let him pass, as the elder,
though it was in my mind to walk out as if the place belonged to me; and
why, I do not know, for no such thought ever came to me in Witlaf's
house, or even in a cottage; but he stood aside and made me go first."

Now I longed for Withelm and his counsel, for one thing was plain to me,
and that was that with the once familiar things of the kingship before
him the lost memory of his childhood was waking in Havelok, and I
thought that the time my father boded was at hand. The steward had seen
that a court and its ways were no new thing to him, and had seen too
that he had been wont to take the first place somewhere; so he had
deemed that this princely-looking youth was under a vow of service, in
the old way. It is likely that the Welsh name would make him think that
he was from beyond the marches to the west, and that was just as well.

Then Havelok said, "Let us go back to the widow's house a