ill sell it to none but
yourself."

Now we went aft slowly, and presently Havelok and the jarl were alone by
the steering oar, by design on our part.

"This seems to be somewhat special," said Sigurd. "What is it?"

Havelok took the ring from his pouch, and set it in the jarl's hand
without a word; and long Sigurd looked at it. I saw the red on his cheek
deepen as he did so, but he said never a word for a long time. And next
he looked at Havelok, and the eyes of these two met.

"This is beyond price," said the jarl slowly. "Not my whole town would
buy this. It is such as a queen might wear and be proud of."

"Should I show it to Hodulf the king, therefore?" asked Havelok, with
his eyes on those of the jarl.

"Let no man see it until I know if I can buy it," answered Sigurd.
"Trust it to my keeping, if you will, for I would have it valued maybe."

"It is my wife's, and you must ask her that."

Then Havelok called Goldberga from her cabin under the after deck, and
the jarl greeted her in most courtly wise.

"I will trust it with you, Jarl Sigurd," she said, when he asked her if
he might keep the ring for a time. "Yet it is a great trust, as you
know, and it will be well to show the ring to none but men who are true."

"It is to true men that I would show it," he answered, with that look
that had passed between him and Havelok already; and I was sure that he
knew now pretty certainly who we were. Yet he could not say more at this
time, for the many men who waited for Havelok must be told somewhat of
his coming first.

Now men were gathering on the wharf to see the newcomers, and so the
jarl spoke openly for all to hear.

"Come up to my hall, all of you, and take a meal ashore with me; for
good is the first food on dry land after days at sea and the fare of the
ship."

So he went across the gangway, and to his horse, and rode away quickly,
calling back to us, "Hasten, for we wait for you. And I will find you
lodgings in the town for the time that you bide with us."

Now at first that seemed somewhat hazardous, for we had meant to stay in
the ship, lest we should have to fly for any reason suddenly. But it
seemed that we had no choice but to do as he bade us, and we could not
doubt him in any way. We should go armed, of course, as in a strange
place; and, after all, unless Hodulf heard of us, and wanted to see us,
he was not to be feared as yet. So I fell to wondering where our
lodgings would he, and if the