Havelok the Dane

by Charles W. Whistler

wearied him.

  "The strong make laws for the weak," the old man said to him in a lowvoice. "If the strong is honest, for the weak it is well. Things arehard for the weak here; and therefore say somewhat, for it may be of use."

  "It can be none, unless the strong is at hand to see that the law is kept."

  "Sometimes the market will see that a rule is not broken, for itself.There is no rule for this matter."

  Again Havelok passed his hand over his eyes, and he was long inanswering. The loaf lay at his side now. Presently he looked straightbefore him, and, as if he saw far beyond Lincoln Hill and away to thenorth, he said, "This is my will, therefore, that from this time forwardit shall be the law that men shall have one among them who may fairlyand without favour so order this matter that all shall come to Berthunthe steward in turns that shall be kept, and so also with the carryingfor any other man. There shall be a company of porters, therefore, whicha man must join before he shall do this work, save that every strangerwho comes shall be suffered to take a burden once, and then shall betold of this company, and the custom that is to be. And I will that thisold man shall see to this matter."

  And then he stopped suddenly, and seemed to start as a great shout wentup from the men, a shout as of praise; and his eyes looked again onthem, and that wonderingly.

  "They will keep this law," said the old man. "Well have you spoken."

  "I have said a lot of foolishness, maybe," answered Havelok. "For thelife of me I could not say it again."

  "There is not one of us that could not do so," said his adviser. "Butbide you here, master, in the town?"

  "I am in service at the palace."

  Then the old man turned round to the others and said, "This is good thatwe have heard, and it is nothing fresh, for all trades have theircompanies, and why should not we? Is this stranger's word to be kept?"

  Maybe there were one or two of the rougher men who held their peace, forthey had had more than their share of work, but from the rest came ashout of "Ay!" as it were at the Witan.

  "Well, then," said Havelok suddenly, getting down from his seat andgiving his loaf to the old man, "see you to it; and if any give troublehereafter, I shall hear from the cook, and, by Odin, I will even comedown and knock their heads together for them. So farewell."

  He smiled round pleasantly, yet in that way which has a meaning at theback of it; and at that every cap went off and the men did him reverenceas to a thane at least, and he nodded to them and came across to me.

  "Come out into the fields, brother, for I shall weep if I bide here longer."

  So he said; and we went away quickly, while the men gathered round theold leader who was to be, and talked earnestly.

  "This famine plays strange tricks with me," he said when we were awayfrom every one. "Did you hear all that I said?"

  "I heard all, and you have spoken the best thing that could have beensaid. Eight years have I been to this market, and a porters' guild isjust what is needed. And it will come about now."

  "It was more dreaming, and so I must be a wise man in my dream. Even asin the palace yesterday it came on me, and I seemed to be at the gate ofa great hall, and it was someone else that was speaking, and yet myself.It is in my mind that I told these knaves what my lordly will was,forsooth; and the words came to me in our old Danish tongue, so that itwas hard not to use it. But it seems to me that long ago I did thesethings, or saw them, I know not which, somewhere. Tell me, did the kinglive in our town across the sea?"

  "No, but in another some way off. My father took me there once or twice."

  "Can you mind that he took me also?"

  I shook my head, and longed for Withelm. Surely I would send for him, orfor Arngeir, if this went on. Arngeir for choice, for I could tell himwhat I thought; and that would only puzzle Withelm, who knew less than I.

  "We will ask Arngeir some day," I said; "he can remember."

  "I suppose he did take me," mused Havelok; "and I suppose that I wantmore sleep or more food or somewhat. Now we will go and tell the olddame of my luck, for she has lost her lodger."

  Then he told me of his fortune with the steward.

  "Half afraid of me he seems, for he will have me do just what I will.That will be no hard place therefore."

  But I thought that if I knew anything of Havelok my brother, he would belikely to make it hard by doing every one's work for him, and thatBerthun saw this; or else that, as I had thought last night, the shrewdcourtier saw the prince behind the fisher's garb.

  So we parted presently at the gate of the palace wall, and I went backto the widow to wait for my arms, while he went to his master. And I mayas well tell the end of Havelok's lawmaking.

  Berthun went down to the market next day, and came back with a wonder tobe told. And it was to Havelok that he went first to tell it, as he wasdrawing bucket after bucket of water from the deep old Roman well in thecourtyard to fill the great tub which he considered a fair load to carryat once.

  "There is something strange happening in the market," he said, "and Ithink that you have a hand in it. The decency of the place is wonderful,and you said that you thought I might have less trouble with the menthan I was wont if you went down with the loaves. What did you? For Iwent to the baker's stalls and bought, and looked round for the tailthat is after me always; and I was alone, and all the market folk wereagape to see what was to be done. I thought that I had offended themarket by yesterday's business, as they had called out on me, and Ithought that I should have to come and fetch your--that is, if itpleased you. But first I called, as is my wont, for porters. Now allthat rabble sat in a row along a wall, and, by Baldur, when I looked,they had cleaned themselves! Whereupon an old gaffer, who has carriedthings once or twice for me when there has been no crowd and he has beenable to come forward, lifted up his voice and asked how many men Iwanted, so please me.

  "'Two,'I said, wondering, and at that two got up and came to me, and Isent them off. It was the same at the next booth, and the next, for hetold off men as I wanted them; and here am I back a full half-hourearlier than ever before, and no mud splashes from the crowd either. Itis said that they have made a porters' guild; and who has put that senseinto their heads unless your--that is, unless you have done so, Icannot say."

  Havelok laughed.

  "Well, I did tell them that they should take turns, or somewhat likethat; and I also told them that if you complained of them I would see toit."

  "Did you say that you would pay them, may I ask--that is, of course,if they were orderly? For if so, I thank--"

  "I told them that if you complained I would knock their heads together,"said Havelok.

  And that was the beginning of the Lincoln porters' guild; and in afterdays Havelok was wont to say that he would that all lawmaking was aseasy as that first trial of his. Certainly from that day forward therewas no man in all the market who would not have done aught for mybrother, and many a dispute was he called on to settle. It is not alwaysthat a law, however good it may be, finds not a single one to sethimself against it. But then Havelok was a strong man.

  Now there is naught to tell of either Havelok or myself for a littlewhile, for we went on in our new places comfortably enough. One heardmuch of Havelok, though, for word of him and his strength andgoodliness, and of his kindness moreover, went through the town, withtales of what he had done. But I never heard that any dared to ask himto make a show of himself by doing feats of strength. Only when he camedown to the guardroom sometimes with me would he take part in the weaponplay that he loved, and the housecarls, who were all tried and goodwarriors, said that he was their master in the use of every weapon, andit puzzled them to know where he had learned so well, for he yet worehis fisher's garb. They sent his arms with mine from Grimsby, thinkingthat he also needed them; but he left them with the widow.

  Havelok used to laugh if they asked him this, and tell them that it cameby nature, and in that saying there was more than a little truth. So thehousecarls, when they heard how Berthun was wont to treat h
im, thoughtalso that he was some great man in hiding, and that the steward knew whohe was. They did not know but that my close friendship with him hadsprung up since he came, and that was well, and Eglaf and he and I weresoon much together. The captain wanted him to leave the cook and be oneof his men, but we thought that he had better bide where he was, ratherthan let Alsi the king have him always about him. For now and then thatstrange feeling, as of the old days, came over him when he was in thegreat hall, and he had to go away and brood over it for a while until hewould set himself some mighty task and forget it.

  But one day he came to me and said that he was sure he knew the ways ofa king too well for it all to be a dream, adding that Berthun saw thatalso, and was curious about him.

  "Tell me, brother, whence came I? /Was/ I truly brought up in a court?"

  "I have never heard," I answered. "All that I know for certain is thatyou fled with us from Hodulf, the new king, and that for reasons whichmy father never told me."

  Then said Havelok, "There was naught worth telling, therefore. I supposeI was the child of some steward like Berthun; but yet--"

  So he went away, and I wondered long if it were not time that Arngeirshould tell all that he knew. It was of no good for me to say that invoice and ways and deed he had brought back to me the Gunnar whom I hadnot seen for so many long years, for that was as likely as not to be afancy of mine, or if not a fancy, he might be only a sister's son or thelike. But in all that he said there was no word of his mother, and bythat I knew that his remembrance must be but a shadow, if a growing one.

  But there was no head in all the wide street that was not turned to lookafter him; and now he went his way from me with two children, whom hehad caught up from somewhere, perched on either shoulder, and another inhis arms, and they crowed with delight as he made believe to be somegiant who was to eat them forthwith, and ran up the hill with them. Nosuch playmate had the Lincoln children before Havelok came.

  CHAPTER X. KING ALSI OF LINDSEY.

  Three weeks after we came the Witan[8] began to gather,and that was a fine sight as the great nobles of Lindsey, and of theNorth folk of East Anglia, came day by day into the town with theirfollowings, taking up their quarters either in the better houses of theplace or else pitching bright-coloured tents and pavilions on thehillside meadows beyond the stockades. Many brought their ladies withthem, and all day long was feasting and mirth at one place or another,as friend met with friend. Never had I seen such a gay sight as themarketplace was at midday, when the young thanes and their men met thereand matched their followers at all sorts of sports. The English noblesare far more fond of gay dress and jewels than our Danish folk, though Imust say that when the few Danes of Ethelwald's household came it wouldseem that they had taken kindly to the fashion of their home.

  Our housecarls grumbled a bit for a while, for with all the newcomersdressed span new for the gathering, we had had nothing fresh for it fromthe king, as was the custom, and I for one was ashamed of myself, forunder my mail was naught but the fisher's coat, which is good enough forhard wear, but not for show. But one day we were fitted out fresh by theking's bounty in blue and scarlet jerkins and hose, and we swaggeredafter that with the best, as one may suppose.

  Berthun had the ordering of that business, and he came and sat withEglaf in the gatehouse and talked of it.

  "Pity that you do not put your man Curan into decent gear," the captainsaid. "That old sailcloth rig does not do either him or you or the courtcredit."

  "That is what I would do," said the steward, "but he will not take aughtbut the food that he calls his hire. He is a strange man altogether, andI think that he is not what he seems."

  "So you have told me many times, and I think with you. He will be somecrack-brained Welsh princeling who has been crossed in love, and so hastaken some vow on him, as the King Arthur that they prate of taught themto do. Well, if he is such, it is an easy matter to make him clothehimself decently. It is only to tell him that the clothes are from theking, and no man who has been well brought up may refuse such a gift."

  "But suppose that he thanks the king for the gift. Both he and the kingwill be wroth with me."

  "Not Curan, when he has once got the things on; and as for Alsi, he willtake the thanks to himself, and chuckle to think that the mistake hasgained him credit for a good deed that he never did."

  "Hush, comrade, hush!" said Berthun quickly; "naught but good of the king!"

  "I said naught ill. But if Woden or Frey, or whoever looks after gooddeeds, scores the mistake to Alsi as well, it will be the first on thecount of charity that--"

  But at this Berthun rose up in stately wise.

  "I may not listen to this. To think that here in the guardroom I shouldhear such--"

  "Sit down, comrade," said Eglaf, laughing, and pulling the steward intohis seat again. "Well you know that I would be cut to pieces for theking tomorrow if need were, and so I earn free speech of him I guard. IfI may not say what I think of him to a man who knows as much of him asI, who may?"

  "I have no doubt that the king would clothe Curan if I asked him," saidBerthun stiffly, but noways loth to take his seat again.

  "But it is as much as your place is worth to do it. I know what youwould say."

  Berthun laughed.

  "I will do it myself, and if Alsi does get the credit, what matter?"

  Wherefore it came to pass that as I was on guard at the gate leading tothe town next day I saw a most noble-looking man coming towards me, andI looked a second time, for I thought him one of the noblest of all thethanes who had yet come, and the second look told me that it was Havelokin this new array. I will say that honest Berthun had done his partwell; and if the king was supposed to be the giver, he had nothing tocomplain of. Eglaf had told me of the way in which the dressing ofHavelok was to be done.

  "Ho!" said I, "I thought you some newcomer."

  "I hardly know myself," he answered, "and I am not going to grumble atthe change, seeing that this is holiday time. Berthun came to me lastevening, and called me aside, and said that it was the king's wont todress his folk anew at the time of the Witan, and then wanted to know ifmy vow prevented me from wearing aught but fisher's clothes. And when Isaid that if new clothes went as wage for service about the place I wasglad to hear it, he was pleased, as if it had been likely that I wouldrefuse a good offer. So the tailor went to work on me, and hence thisfinery. But you are as fine, and this is more than we counted on when weleft Grimsby. I suppose it is all in honour of the lady of the Northfolk, Goldberga."

  "Maybe, for I have heard that she is to come."

  "To be fetched rather, if one is to believe all that one hears. They saythat Alsi has kept her almost as a captive in Dover, having given herinto the charge of some friend of his there, that she may be far fromher own kingdom and people. Now the Norfolk Witan has made him bring herhere. Berthun seems to think there will be trouble."

  "Only because Alsi will not want to let the kingdom go from his hand toher. But that will not matter. He is bound by the old promise to herfather."

  Now we were talking to one another in broad Danish, there being nonenear to hear us. We had always used it among ourselves at Grimsby, formy father loved his old tongue. But at that moment there rode up to thegate a splendid horseman, young and handsome, and with great goldbracelets on his arms, one or two of which caught my eye at once, forthey were of the old Danish patterns, and just such as Jarl Sigurd usedto wear. But if I was quick to notice these tokens of the old land, hehad been yet quicker, for he reined up before I stayed him, as was myduty if he would pass through this gate to the palace, so that I mightknow his authority.

  "If I am not mistaken," he said in our own tongue, "I heard you twotalking in the way I love best. Skoal, therefore, to the first NorthmanI have met between here and London town, for it is good to hear afriendly voice."

  "Skoal to the jarl!" I answered, and I gave the salute of Sigurd'scourtmen, which came into my mind on the moment with the familiargreeting o
f long years ago. And "Skoal," said Havelok.

  "Jarl! How know you that I am that?"

  "By the jarl's bracelet that you wear, surely."

  "So you are a real Dane--not an English-bred one like myself. That isgood. You and I will have many a talk together. Odin, how good it is tomeet a housecarl who speaks as man to man and does not cringe to me! Whoare you?"

  "Radbard Grimsson of Grimsby, housecarl just now to this King of Lindsey."

  "And your comrade?"

  I was about to tell this friendly countryman Havelok's name withoutthought, but stopped in time. Of all the things I had been brought up todread most for him, that an English Dane should find him out was theworst, so I said, "He is called Curan, and he is a Lindsey marshman."

  "Who can talk Danish though his name is Welsh. That is strange. Well,you are right about me. I am Ragnar of Norwich, the earl, as the Englishfor jarl goes. Now I want to see Alsi the king straightway."

  "That is a matter for the captain," I said, and I called for him.

  Eglaf came out and made a deep reverence when he saw the earl, knowingat once who he was, and as this was just what the earl had said that hedid not like, he looked quaintly at me across Eglaf's broad bent back,so that I had to grin perforce.

  All unknowing of which the captain heard the earl's business, and thentold me to see him to the palace gates, and take his horse to thestables when he had dismounted and was in the hands of Berthun.

  So I went, and Havelok turned away and went on some errand down thesteep street.

  This Ragnar was one of whom I had often heard, for he was the governorof all the North folk for Alsi until the Lady Goldberga should take herplace. He was her cousin, being the son of Ethelwald's sister, who wasof course a Dane. Danish, and from the old country, was his father also,being one of the men who had come over to the court of East Anglia whenEthelwald was made king.

  All the way to the door we talked of Denmark, but it was not far. ThereBerthun came out and greeted the earl in court fashion, and I thoughtthat I was done with, because the grooms had run to take the great bayhorse as they heard the trampling. But, as it happened, I was wanted.

  Ragnar went in, saying to me that he would find me out again presently;and I saw him walk across the great hall to the hearth, and stand therewhile Berthun went to the king's presence to tell him of the newarrival. Then I stood for a minute to look at the horse, for the groomshad had no orders to take him away; and mindful of Eglaf's word to me, Iwas going to tell them to do so, and to see it done, when Berthun camehurriedly and called me.

  "Master Housecarl," he said rather breathlessly, "by the king's orderyou are to come within the hall and guard the doorway."

  I shouldered my spear and followed him, and as we were out of hearing ofthe grooms I said that the captain had ordered me to take the horse tothe stables.

  "I will see to that," he said. "Now you are to bide at the door whilethe king speaks with Earl Ragnar, for there will be none else present.Let no one pass in without the king's leave."

  We passed through the great door as he said that, and he closed it afterhim. Ragnar was yet standing near the high seat, and turned as he heardthe sound, and smiled when he saw me. Berthun went quickly away througha side entrance, and the hail was empty save for us two. The midday mealwas over an hour since, and the long tables had been cleared away, sothat the place seemed desolate to me, as I had only seen it before whenI sat with the other men at the cross tables for meals. It was not sogood a hall as was Jarl Sigurd's in Denmark, for it was not rich withcarving and colour as was his, and the arms on the wall were few, andthe hangings might have been brighter and better in a king's place.

  "Our king does not seem to keep much state," Ragnar said, looking roundas I was looking, and we both laughed.

  Then the door on the high place opened, and the king came in, soberlydressed, and with a smile on his face which seemed to me to have beenmade on purpose for this greeting, for he mostly looked sour enough. Nordid it seem that his eyes had any pleasure in them.

  "Welcome, kinsman," he said, seeming hearty enough, however; "I hadlooked for you before this. What news from our good town of Norwich?"

  He held out his hand to Ragnar, who took it frankly, and his strong griptwisted the king's set smile into a grin of pain for a moment.

  "All was well there three weeks ago when I left there to go to London.Now, I have ridden on to say that the Lady Goldberga is not far hence,so that her coming may be prepared for."

  Now, as the earl said this, the king's smile went from his face, andblack enough he looked for a moment. The look passed quickly, and thesmile came back, but it seemed hard to keep it up.

  "Why, that is well," he said; "so you fell in with her on the way."

  "I have attended her from London," answered the earl, lookingsteadfastly at Alsi, "and it was as well that I did so, as it happened."

  "What has been amiss?" asked the king sharply, and trying to looktroubled. He let the smile go now altogether.

  "Your henchman, Griffin the Welshman, had no guard with her that wasfitting for our princess," Ragnar said. "He had but twenty men, andthese not of the best. It is in my mind also that I should have beentold of this journey, for I am surely the right man to have guarded myqueen who is to be."

  At that Alsi's face went ashy pale, and I did not rightly know why atthe time, but it seemed more in anger than aught else. But he had tomake some answer.

  "We sent a messenger to you," he said hastily; "I cannot tell why he didnot reach you."

  "He must have come too late, and after I had heard of this from others;so I had already gone to meet the princess. I am glad that I was sentfor, and it may pass. Well, it is lucky that I was in time, for we wereattacked on the road, and but for my men there would have been trouble."

  Then Alsi broke into wrath, which was real enough.

  "This passes all. Where and by whom were you attacked? and why shouldany fall on the party?"

  "Five miles on the other side of Ancaster town, where the Ermin Streetruns among woods, we were fallen on, but who the men were I cannot say.Why they should fall on us seems plain enough, seeing that the ransom ofa princess is likely to be a great sum."

  "Was it a sharp fight?"

  "It was not," answered Ragnar, "for it seemed to me that the men lookedonly to find your Welsh thane Griffin and his men. When they saw myNorfolk housecarls, they waited no longer, and we only rode down one ortwo of them. But I have somewhat against this Griffin, for he helped menot at all. Until this day he and his men had ridden fairly with us, butby the time this attack came they were half a mile behind us."

  "Do you mean to say that you think Griffin in league with these--outlaws, as one may suppose them?" said Alsi, with wrath and more elsewritten in twitching mouth and crafty eyes.

  "I would not have said that," Ragnar answered, looking in some surpriseat the king, "it had never come into my head. But I will say that as theErmin Street is straight as an arrow, and he was in full sight of us, hemight have spurred his horses to our help, whereas he never quickenedhis pace till he saw that the outlaws, or whoever they were, had gone. Iput this as a complaint to you."

  "These men seem to have scared you, at least," sneered the king.

  Ragnar flushed deeply.

  "For the princess--yes. It is not fitting that a man who is in chargeof so precious a lady should hold back in danger, even of the leastseeming, as did Griffin. And I told him so."

  Now I thought that Alsi would have been as angry with Griffin as was theearl, and that he would add that he also would speak his mind to him,hut instead of that he went off in another way.

  "It was a pity that a pleasant journey with a fair companion was thusbroken in upon. But it was doubtless pleasant that the lady should seethat her kinsman was not unwilling to draw sword for her. A prettylittle jest this, got up between Griffin and yourself, and such as ayoung man may be forgiven for playing. I shall hear Goldberga complainof honest Griffin presently, and now I shall k
now how to answer her. Ay,I will promise him the like talking to that you gave him, and then wethree will laugh over it all together."

  And with that the king broke into a cackle of laughter, catching hold ofthe earl's arm in his glee. And I never saw any man look so altogetherbewildered as did Ragnar.

  "Little jest was there in the matter, lord king, let me tell you," hesaid, trying to draw his arm away.

  "Nay, I am not angry with you, kinsman; indeed, I am not. We have beenyoung and eager that bright eyes should see our valour ourselves erenow," and he shook his finger at the earl gaily. "I only wonder that youinduced that fiery Welshman to take a rating in the hearing of theprincess quietly."

  "What I had to say to him I said apart. I will not say that he did takeit quietly."

  "Meaning--that you had a good laugh over it;" and Alsi shook theearl's arm as in glee. "There now, you have made a clean breast, and Iam not one to spoil sport. Go and meet Goldberga at the gates, and bringher to me in state, and you shall be lodged here, if you will. Quiteright of you to tell me this, or Griffin would have been in trouble. ButI must not have the lady scared again, mind you."

  He turned quickly away, then, with a sort of stifled laugh, as if hewanted to get away to enjoy a good jest, and left Ragnar staringspeechless at him as he crossed the high place and went through theprivate door.

  Then the earl turned to me, "By Loki, fellow countryman, there issomewhat wrong here. What does he mean by feigning to think the wholeaffair a jest? It won't be much of a jest if Griffin and I slay oneanother tomorrow, as we mean to do, because of what was not done, andwhat was said about it."

  "It has seemed to me, jarl," I said plainly, "that all this is more likea jest between the king and Griffin."

  "Call it a jest, as that is loyal, at least. But I think that you areright. If Goldberga had been carried off--Come, we shall be saying toomuch in these walls."

  I had only been told to wait while the king and earl spoke together, andso I opened the door and followed him out. The horse was yet therewaiting for him, and it was plain that the king had not meant him to stay.

  "Bid the grooms lead the horse after us, and we will