will
word go to Hodulf in some way hereafter that Havelok has escaped."

"I have thought of that," answered Grim. "It will be best that none, not
even Radbard, shall know who this is whom we have in the house. A chance
word goes far sometimes."

"The boy will tell his name."

"There are many who are named after him, and that is no matter. Do you
speak to him, for it is plain that he has sense enough, and bid him say
naught but that he and his mother have escaped from the town, and, if
you will, that he escaped in the sack. I will speak to Radbard, and
there will be no trouble. Only Arngeir must know the truth, and that not
until we are on the high seas perhaps."

So there seemed to be no more fear, and in an hour the house was astir,
and there was work enough for all in preparing for the voyage. As for
me, I went down to the ship with my father, and worked there.

Now, I will say that not for many a long year did I know who this
foster-brother of mine was. It was enough for me to be told that he was
the son of some great man or other with whom Hodulf had a private feud.
Nor did I ever speak of that night's work to any, for my father bade me
not to do so. Presently I knew, of course, that the lady was Havelok's
mother; but that told me nothing, for I never heard her name.

We worked at the ship for three hours or so, stowing the bales of wool
and the other little cargo we had; and then my father sent me to the
fishing-boats for a pair of oars belonging to the ship's boat that were
there, and, as it fell out, it was a good thing that I and not one of
the men went. When I came to the place where they were drawn up on the
beach, as we had left them last night, there was a stranger talking to
some of the fisher folk, who were working at their nets not far off; and
though another might have paid no heed to this, I, with the remembrance
of last night fresh in my mind, wondered if he was by any chance there
on an errand from Hodulf. I thought that, were I he, I should surely
send someone to know, at least, if the fisher went out last night after
I had spoken with him. So I loitered about until the man went away,
which he did slowly, passing close to me, and looking at the boats
carefully, as if he would remember them. Then I went and asked the men
to whom he had been speaking what he wanted. They said that they
wondered that he had not spoken to me, for he had been asking about my
father and of his ship, and if he took an