knew on what errand we had come well
enough. But they were courteous, and we were given quarters in the town
at once, that we might see Alsi with the first light in the morning.

I will not say that we had a quiet night there, for we did not trust
Alsi; but we had no need to fear. In the morning Eglaf came to bid us to
the palace to speak with the king.

"This is about what I expected, when I heard of the mistake that our
king had made," he said, "and so far you are in luck. It is not everyone
who is a fisher one day and captain of the courtmen next, as one might
say. I like the look of your men, and I am going to take some of the
credit of that to myself, for a man has to learn before he can command."

"I will not deny your share in the matter," I answered, laughing, "for
had it not been for my time with you I had been at sea altogether. Now,
shall we have to fight you?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Who knows what is in the mind of our king? I do not, and you know
enough of him by this time to be certain that one cannot guess. He may
be all smiles and rejoicing that his dear niece has come back safely, or
just the other way. He has been very careful how he has dealt with the
Norfolk thanes of late, and what that means I do not know."

Then he asked what had become of Griffin, and I told him. I do not think
that he was surprised, for some word of the matter had reached here by
the news that chapmen bring from all parts.

Now there was no more time for talk, for we came to the hall; and we
went in, Arngeir leading, and the rest of us following two by two. The
hall was pretty full of thanes and their men, and it was just as I had
last seen it. Alsi sat alone on his high seat, and there was no man with
him on the dais. I thought that he looked thinner and anxious.

Arngeir went up the hall at once, and stood before the king, and greeted
him in the English way, which seemed strange to me after the two years
of Danish customs; and then Alsi bade him tell his errand.

"I have come from Goldberga of East Anglia, and from Havelok the Dane,
her husband, to say that she has returned to her land, and would ask
that you would give her the throne that you have held for her since the
day that her father made you her guardian. It has been said that she
might ask you to give account of your management of the realm to her;
but that she does not wish to do, being sure that all will be rightly
done in the matter, and she