Havelok the Dane

by Charles W. Whistler

child might be, since Hodulf. wouldmake away with him thus secretly.

  "What make you of the dream?" asked Leva, seeing that he pondered on it.

  "It is in my mind that your dream will come true altogether, for alreadyit has begun to do so," he answered. "Rise and come into the hall, and Iwill show you somewhat."

  On that Leva made haste and dressed and came out, and there, lying as ifin sleep before the fire, was the wondrous child of her dream, and thesack was under his head as he lay; and she was wont to say to those fewwho knew the story, that the kingliness of that child was plain to beseen, as had been the flame of which she had dreamed, so that all mightknow it, though the clothes that he wore were such as a churl might beashamed of.

  Then she cried out a little, but not loudly, and knelt by the child tosee him the better; and whether he had come to himself before and haddropped asleep for very weariness, or out of his swoon had passed intosleep, I cannot say, but at her touch he stirred a little.

  "What child is this? and how came he here?" she asked, wondering.

  "Already your dream has told you truly how he came," Grim answered, "butwho he is I do not rightly know yet. Take him up and bathe him, wife;and if he is the one I think him, there will be a mark whereby we mayknow him."

  "How should he be marked? And why look you to find any sign thus?"

  But Grim had turned down the rough shirt and bared the child's neck andright shoulder, whereon were bruises that made Leva well-nigh weep asshe saw them, for it was plain that he had been evilly treated for manydays before this. But there on the white skin was the mark of the king'sline---the red four-armed cross with bent ends which Gunnar and allhis forebears had borne.

  Seeing that, Leva looked up wondering in her husband's face, and heanswered the question that he saw written in her eyes.

  "He is as I thought---he is Havelok, the son of Gunnar, our king.Hodulf gave him to me that I might drown him."

  Then he told her all that had happened, and how from the first time thathe had lifted the sack and felt what was within it he had feared thatthis was what was being done. Hodulf would have no rival growing upbeside him, and as he dared not slay him openly, he would have itthought that he had been stolen away by his father's friends, and thenfolk would maybe wait quietly in hopes that he would come again whentime went on.

  Now Leva bathed Havelok in the great tub, and with the warmth andcomfort of the hot water he waked and was well content, so thatstraightway, when he was dressed in Withelm's holiday clothes, whichfitted him, though he was but seven years old at this time, and Withelmwas a well-grown boy enough for his ten winters, he asked for food, andthey gave him what was yet on the board; and we lived well in Denmark.

  "There is no doubt that he hath a kingly hunger," quoth Grim as hewatched him.

  "Friend," said Havelok, hearing this, though it was not meant for hisears, "it is likely, seeing that this is the third day since I have hadfood given me. And I thank you, good people, though I would have youknow that it is the custom to serve the king's son kneeling."

  "How should we know that you are the king's son indeed?" asked Grim.

  "I am Havelok, son of Gunnar," the boy said gravely. "Yon traitor,Hodulf, has slain my father, and my two sisters, and driven out mymother, whither I cannot tell, and now he would drown me."

  Then the boy could hardly keep a brave front any longer, and he added,"Yet I do not think that you will do to me as I heard him bid you."

  Then came over Grim a great pity and sorrow that it should seem needfulthus to sue to him, and there grew a lump in his throat, so that for awhile he might not answer, and the boy thought him in doubt, so that inhis eyes there was a great fear. But Leva wept outright, and threwherself on her knees beside him, putting her arms round him as he sat,speaking words of comfort.

  Then Grim knelt also, and said, "Thralls of yours are we, Havelok, sonof Gunnar, and for you shall our lives be given before Hodulf shall harmyou. Nor shall he know that you live until the day comes when you can goto him sword in hand and helm on head, with half the men of this realmat your back, and speak to him of what he did and what he planned, andthe vengeance that shall be therefor."

  So Grim took on himself to be Havelok's foster-father, and, as he ended,the boy said with glowing eyes, "I would that I were grown up. How longshall this be before it comes to pass?"

  And then of a sudden he said, as a tired child will, "Friends, I amsorely weary. Let me sleep."

  So Leva took him in her arms and laid him in their own bed; and at oncehe slept, so that she left him and came back to Grim by the fireside,for there was much to be said.

  First of all it was clear that Havelok must be hidden, and it was not tobe supposed that Hodulf would be satisfied until he had seen the thrallto whom he had trusted such a secret come back for his reward. If hecame not he would be sought; and then he would find out to whom he hadspoken, and there would be trouble enough.

  But it seemed easy to hide Havelok on board the ship, and sail with himto England as soon as possible. A few days might well pass before athrall could get to Hodulf, so that he would suspect nothing just atfirst. There were merchants in England who would care for the boy well,and the two boats might be sunk, so that the king should not ask whosethey were. So when Grim came home again the fisher would be thought ofas drowned on his errand, and Hodulf would be content.

  But then, after a little talk of this, it was plain that all the towncould not be told to say that the fisher was drowned on such a night,and Hodulf would leave naught undone to find the truth of the matter. Sothe puzzle became greater, and the one thing that was clear was thatGrim was in sore danger, and Havelok also.

  Then suddenly outside the dogs barked, and a voice which they obeyedquieted them. Grim sprang for his axe, which hung on the wall, and wentto the door, whereon someone was knocking gently.

  "Open, uncle; it is I, Arngeir."

  "What does the boy want at this time?" said Grim, taking down the greatbar that kept the door, axe in hand, for one must be cautious in suchtimes as these.

  Arngeir came in---a tall young man of twenty, handsome, and like Grimin ways, for he was his brother's son.

  "Lucky am I in finding you astir," he said. "I thought I should have hadto wake you all. Are you just home from sea, or just going out?"

  "Not long home," answered Leva; "but what has brought you?"

  "I have a guest for you, if I may bring one here at this hour."

  "A friend of yours never comes at the wrong time," Grim said. "Why notbring him in?"

  "If it were a friend of mine and a man he would do well enough at myhouse for the night," said Arngeir, smiling; "but the one for whom Ihave come is a lady, and, I think, one in sore trouble."

  "Who is she?" asked my mother, wondering much.

  "From the king's town, certainly," answered Arngeir, "but I do not knowher name. Truth to tell, I forgot to ask it, for she is sorely spent;and so I made haste to come to you."

  Then Leva would know how a lady came at this time to Arngeir's house,for he was alone, save for his four men, being an orphan without otherkin beside us, and his house was close to our shipyard and the sea.

  "She came not to me, but I found her," he replied. "My horse is sick,and I must get up an hour ago and see to it for the second time tonight.Then as I came from the stable I saw someone go towards the shipyard,and, as I thought, into the open warehouse. It was dark, and I could nottell then if this was man or woman; but I knew that no one had businessthere, and there are a few things that a thief might pick up. So I tookan axe and one of the dogs, and went to see what was on hand, but atfirst there was naught to be found of anyone. If it had not been for thedog, I think that I should have gone away, but he went into the cornerwhere the bales of wool are set, and there he whined strangely, and whenI looked, there was this lady on the bales, and she was weeping and soreafraid. So I asked her what was amiss, and it was not easy to get ananswer at first. But at last she told me that she had escaped from theburning of th
e king's town, and would fain be taken across the sea intosome place of peace. So I cheered her by saying that you would surelyhelp her; and then I took her to my house and came to you. Worn and rentare her garments, but one may see that they have been rich, and I deemher some great lady."

  "Go and bring her here, husband," said my mother, on hearing that.

  But he was already going, and at once he and Arngeir went out and downthe street. There were many other ladies and their children who hadtaken refuge here with the townsfolk after the burning, and the comingof this one was but another count in the long tale of trouble that beganon the Welsh shore with the ways of Gunnar, the church's bane.

  My father was long gone, and the day was breaking when he came back.