e garments to her an hour ago. She stands
in need of a taste of Teboen's rod to teach her promptness."

Little Dearwyn, watching the doorway with fluttering color, cried out
eagerly, "Here she is, lady!"

There she was, in truth, standing on the threshold with crimson cheeks
and flashing eyes. At the sight of her every huntsman uttered a whistle
of amazement, then settled into an admiring stare; and Canute, glancing
over his shoulder, laughed outright.

"What!" he said. "Have you tired of woman's clothes already?"

For, once more, Frode's daughter was attired in a man's short tunic
and long silken hose. It was a suit much richer than the old one, since
silver embroidery banded the blue, and precious furs lined the cloak;
but that fact was evidently of little comfort to her, as her eyes were
full of angry tears, and she deigned the King no answer whatever.

"I am obliged to pay dearly for your amusement, lady," she said
bitterly.

Elfgiva chimed her bell-like laughter. "I will not deny that you pay
liberally for my trouble, sweet. Does it not add spice to her stories,
maidens, to see her habited thus? She looks like one of the fairy lords
Teboen is wont to sing of."

"She holds her head like Emma of Normandy," the King said absently.

In wide-eyed surprise, Elfgiva looked up at him. "Ethelred's widow?
Never did I hear that you had seen her! Why has this been passed over in
silence? I have abundance of questions to ask about her garments and her
appearance. When saw you her? And where?"

Canute stirred uneasily. "It is not worth a hearing. I spoke but a few
words with her, about ransoms, the time that I sat before London. And
I remember only that her bearing was noble and her countenance most
handsome, such as I had never seen before, nor did I think that there
could be any woman so queenlike." Because he did not choose to say
more, or because some wrinkle in Elfgiva's satin brow warned him off, he
turned hastily to another topic. "Foolishly do we linger, when we have
none too much time to get to covert. Do you still want your way about
accompanying us? I have warned you that a boar hunt is little like
hawking; nor do Northmen stand in one spot and wait for game to come to
them."

"I hold to it with both hands," the lady returned with a gayety which
had in it a touch of defiance. "Nor will I consent to do anything except
that alone. We will partake in the excitement of your sport, and each of
these brave heroe