or," she
said; "but now it will be done. I pray you set this on his heart,
that it may go to his grave with him."

"There it shall most surely be, lady," I said. "I am honoured in
the duty."

"Go!" she said faintly; "and farewell."

I rose up hastily, and went back to my horse, while the lady who
had spoken just now busied herself in caring for her mistress.
Selred took my arm and walked aside with me.

"You must not come back to East Anglia," he said. "I know that you
would fain see the lady of Thetford, but it were useless danger for
you. I will tell her all that you have done, now; and if in after
days you may come to us, do so. Bide and tend Sighard and Hilda,
and mind that there is sore peril to both of them so long as
Quendritha lives. She is shut up now, but all the more has her mind
freedom to plan and plot the fall of those who have seen her at her
worst. One cannot shut up such a woman as she, but she will have
her ways of learning all she will, and her tools are many."

"I would that you could bide here," I said.

"I also; but I must pass eastward with this poor lady and these
others. Yet I am sure that Offa will do all honour to our king. He
has been seen by none as yet save his pages. They whisper that he
is fasting, and bowed with shame and grief."

For a little longer we spoke, and then we must part. The sad train
of the princess went on, and swung into the eastward track which
she would take, and the archbishop signed to us to follow him. And
that was the last which any man in Mercia saw of the fair princess
who had been the pride of the land, for she came safely to far
Crowland, in the fenland, and there pined and died.

It is said that the parting between her and her terrible mother was
such that men will tell little thereof. I know that in that time
some strange gift of prophecy came over the maiden, and she
foretold the death of her who planned the deed, even to the day,
and the awesome manner of it; and that also she wept for the
knowledge given her that the deed should bring the end of the line
of Offa and the fall of Mercia--things which no man could think
possible at this time, so that she seemed to rave. More things
strange and terrible, I heard also, but them I will not set down.
Mayhap they were not true.

Now we went on slowly up the hill, and at last rode into the gates.
There men loitered idly, as yesterday; for the head of the house
sat silent and moody in his chamber, and non