ho I was. Then he stayed, and we fell on him and
bound him without giving him a chance to cry out. Whereon he told
all, and it is an evil tale."

He paused, and wiped his forehead, looking round as if he would
have any man but himself tell it; but none else spoke.

"Yesterday Gymbert's men sawed the floor through and made this
trapdoor. Then they waited underneath, and the king fell, as they
had expected, into the ready arms that waited him. There were
Gymbert and half a dozen of his men. The cushion stayed his cry,
and he was helpless. Yet he was very strong, and so Gymbert
snatched his own sword from his side and smote off his head. Out by
the river they had a cart waiting, and they bore him away at speed.
We saw and followed the wheel tracks till we lost them, and could
do no more. Then we bound and gagged the man, and have haled him
halfway down the passage till we need him again. That is all."

Then I said, with a cold wrath on me, "At whose orders was this
done?"

The Mercian shook his head, glancing at his comrades. The other
Mercian had come to hear from the council chamber.

"The man could not or would not tell; but I pray you think not that
this is done by Offa. The one thing that the man begged us was that
he might not be delivered to the king. And he said that Gymbert and
his men would hide till Offa's wrath was past."

"There is but one other at whose word this could have been done," I
said.

"Ay," said Witred, "I know. Yet Ethelbert was to be the bridegroom
of our princess. Is it possible that Gymbert has looked so high,
and would take him from his way?"

And at that one of the other Mercians answered bluntly:

"You speak of what is not possible, and you know it. Who but that
one of whom we ken would have seen that those who wrought here with
saw and axe were not disturbed? Let us say at once that the thing
has been wrought by the hand of Quendritha, and have done with it.
Which of us does not know that she is capable of it, and has never
dared say so yet till this minute?"

Then said Witred, "That is the truth, thanes. Now what will you,
for the time goes on? This man said that it was thought that the
deed would not be known till waking time in the morning. It is not
midnight yet."

We looked at one another, for what was best we could not say. It
was more than likely that the queen had planned against some too
early discovery of the deed, and even now waited for any sign which
should tell