arms came to me from Grimsby, andhow I went to Eglaf as I had promised. I will only say that the life waspleasant enough, if idle, as a housecarl, and that I saw Havelok everyday at one time or another, which was all that I could wish.
But as I had to wait a day or two while the messenger went and the armscame from home, I saw Havelok meet the steward on the next day: and aquaint meeting enough it was, for Berthun hardly knew how he shouldbehave to this man, whom he had made up his mind was a wandering prince.
There was the crowd who waited for the call for porters, as ever; hutthe steward would have none of them, until he saw his new man toweringover the rest, and then he half made a motion to unbonnet, which hechecked and turned into a beckoning wave of the hand, whereon the idlersmade their rush for him, and Havelok walked through and over them, moreor less, as they would not make way for him. But so good-naturedly wasthis done, that even those whom he lifted from his path and dropped onone side laughed when they saw who had cleared a way for himself, andstood gaping to see what came next.
"Ho--why, yes--Curan--that was the name certainly. I have beenlooking for you, as we said," stammered the steward.
"Here am I, therefore," answered Havelok, "and where is the load?"
"Truth to tell, I have bought but this at present," said the steward,pointing to a small basket of green stuff on the stall at which he stood.
"Well, I suppose there is more to come," Havelok said, taking it up; "itwill be a beginning."
"I will not ask you to carry more than that," Berthun began.
"Why, man, this is foolishness. If you have a porter, make him carry allhe can, else he will not earn his keep."
"As you will," answered the steward, shrugging his shoulders as one whocannot account for some folk's whims, and going on to the next booth.
Now, I suppose that the idlers looked to see Havelok walk away with thislight load gladly, as any one of them would have done, and that thentheir turn would have come; but this was not what they expected. Maybethey would have liked to see the strong man sweep up all the palacemarketing and carry it, as a show, but it might interfere with their owngains. So there was a murmur or two among them, and this grew whenHavelok took the next burden in like manner.
"Ho, master cook," cried a ragged man at last, "this is not the custom,and it is not fair that one man should do all the work, and all for onewage."
Berthun took no notice of this; and so the cry was repeated, and that bymore than one. And at last he turned round and answered.
"Go to, ye knaves," he said with a red face and angrily; "if I find aman who will save me the trouble of your wrangles every day, shall I notdo as I please?"
Then there was a tumult of voices, and some of them seemed sad, as if alast hope was gone, and that Havelok heard.
"There is somewhat in this," he said to the cook. "What pay have yougiven to each man who carries for you?"
"A yesterday's loaf each," answered Berthun, wondering plainly thatHavelok paid any heed to the noise.
"Well, then, let us go on, and we will think of somewhat," Havelok said;and then he turned to the people, who were silent at once.
"I am a newcomer, and a hungry one," he said, smiling quietly, "and Ihave a mind to earn my loaf well. Hinder me not for today, and hereafterI will take my chance with the rest, if need is."
Thereat the folk began to laugh also, for it was plain that none had anychance at all if he chose to put forth his strength; but an old man saidloudly, "Let the good youth alone now, and he shall talk with us when hehas done his errand and fed that great bulk of his. He has an honestface, and will be fair to all."
That seemed to please the crowd; and after that they said no more, butfollowed and watched the gathering up of Havelok's mighty burden. Andpresently there was more than he could manage; and he spoke to Berthun,who checked himself in a half bow as he answered.
Then Havelok looked over the faces before him, and beckoned to two menwho seemed weakly and could not press forward, and to them he gave thelighter wares, and so left the market with his master, as one must callthe steward.
"What told I you?" said the old man, as they came back from the greatgate. "Never saw I one with a face like that who harmed any man, eitherin word or deed."
Now when Havelok had set down his load in the kitchen, he straightenedhimself and said to Berthun, who was, as one may say, waiting his pleasure.
"This is today's task; but it is in my mind that I would stay up hereand work."
"What would you do?"
"There are men yonder who will miss the carrying if I am market porteralways. But here are things I can earn my keep at, and help the otherservants with at the same time. Water drawing there is, and carrying oflogs for the fire, and cleaving them also, and many other things thatwill be but hardening my muscles, while they are over heavy to bepleasant for other folk."
"Well," answered Berthun, "that is all I could wish, and welcome to somehere will you be. Let it be so."
"Now, I do not think that you would make a gain by my work this morning?"
"Truly not, if any one is wronged by my doing so," the puzzled steward said.
Then Havelok asked how many men would have been needed to carry up thegoods that he had brought, and Berthun said that he was wont to send oneat least from each stall, and more if the burden was heavy.
"Then today four poor knaves must go dinnerless by reason of mystrength, and that does not please me altogether," said Havelok gravely."Give these two their loaves; and then, I pray you, give me the otherfour, and let me go back to the market."
And then he added, with a smile, "I think that I can order matters thereso that things will be more fair, and that you will have less troublewith that unmannerly scramble."
"If you can do that, you are even as your name calls you. Take them andwelcome, Curan, and then come here and do what work you will," Berthunsaid in haste.
"Tasks you must set me, or I shall grow idle. That is the failing ofover-big men," Havelok said; and he took the loaves and left the palacewith the two market men at his heels.
I saw him come back, and at once the crowd of idlers made for him, butin a respectful way enough. I knew, however, how easily these folks tookto throwing mud and stones in their own quarrels, and I was a littleanxious, for to interfere with the ways of the market is a high offenceamong them.
But Havelok knew naught of that, and went his way with his loaves to thebridge end, and there sat on the rail and looked at the men before him.And /lo!/ back to my mind came old days in Denmark, and how I once sawGunnar the king sitting in open court to do justice, and then I knew forcertain that I was looking on his son. And when Havelok spoke it was inthe voice of Gunnar that I had long forgotten, but which came back to meclear and plain, as if it were yesterday that I had heard it. Never doesa boy forget his first sight of the king.
"Friends," said Havelok, "if I do two men's work I get two men's pay, orelse I might want to know the reason why. But I am only one man, all thesame, and it seems right to me that none should be the loser. WhereforeI have a mind to share my pay fairly."
There was a sort of shout at that and Havelok set his four loaves in arow on the rail beside him. But then some of the rougher men went tomake a rush at them, and he took the foremost two and shook them, sothat others laughed and bade the rest beware.
"So that is just where the trouble comes in," said Havelok coolly; "thestrong get the first chance, as I did this morning, by reason of therebeing none to see fair play."
"Bide in the market, master, and we will make you judge among us," crieda small man from the edge of the crowd.
"Fair and softly," Havelok answered. "I am not going to bide here longerthan I can help. Come hither, grandfer," and he beckoned to the old manwho had bidden them wait his return, "tell me the names of the men whohave been longest without any work."
The old man pointed out three, and then Havelok stopped him.
"One of these loaves is my own wage," he said; "but you three shall havethe
others, and that will be the easiest day's work you ever did. Butthink not that I am going to do the like every day, for Lincoln hill isno easy climb, and the loaf is well earned at the top. Moreover, it isnot good to encourage the idle by working for them."
So the three men had their loaves, and Havelok began to eat his ownslowly, swinging his legs on the bridge rail while the men watched him.
"Master," said the small man from behind, pushing forward a little, nowthat the crowd was looser, "make a law for the market, I pray you, thatall may have a chance."
"Who am I to make laws?" said my brother slowly, and, as he said this,his hand went up to his brows as it had gone last night when the palacehad
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