Havelok the Dane

by Charles W. Whistler

answered in no words, but I saw her hand tighten over his, and hereyes never left his face.

  Then Havelok raised his other hand, and took that of Goldberga, whichwas on the cup, and faced to the people.

  "Thus do I pledge her who shall be henceforward my wife through good andill; and may Odin, Freya, and Niord be witnesses of my oath of faith toher in all that the word may mean."

  So he drank, and I stole a glance at the king. Never saw I a man soamazed, for to him the Danish names of the Asir had come as some sort ofa shock, seeing that he had deemed this man, with the name of Curan, aBriton. And he looked at Berthun with a look that seemed to say morethan was likely to be pleasant by-and-by. But the steward paid no heedto him.

  Now Havelok had made his vow, and he gave the cup to the princess; andshe, too, turned a little toward the people, but still she looked onHavelok.

  "Faith shall answer to faith," she said in a clear voice. "Here do Itake this man for my husband, in the sight of God, and with you all aswitnesses, and I pray that the blessing of Him may be on us both."

  So she drank also, and Havelok stopped and raised the wondrous ring fromwhere it had been unheeded on the floor, and took the band of Goldberga,and set it on her finger, and kissed the hand ere he let it go.

  But Goldberga lifted her face toward him, and he bent and kissed herforehead, and so they were wedded.

  I have heard men scoff at the thought of love at first sight, but nevercan any one of us do so who saw this wedding.

  CHAPTER XVII. HOW THE BRIDE WENT HOME.

  Now the folk cheered, and loudest of all honest Eglaf and his warriors.I wondered what should come next, for neither feast nor bride ale wasprepared, and Berthun was looking puzzled. Then I saw that the only facein all the wide hall which was not bright was that of Alsi, and his browwas black as a thunder cloud, while his fingers were white with theforce with which he clutched and twisted the end of his jewelled belt.Plainly he was in a royal rage that none had scoffed at this wedding,but that all had taken it as a matter that was right altogether.

  But he had one more evil thing in his mind that must be seen through;and he came forward, smoothing his face, as best he might, to the fixedsmile that I had seen when he spoke with Ragnar, and learned that hisfirst plot had miscarried.

  "Now, friends," he said, "all this has been so hasty that we haveprepared no feast. Even now, it seems that the horses stand at the doorto take bride and bridegroom hence, and doubtless there waits somewherethe feast that has been bespoken without my knowledge. Well, strange arethe ways of lovers, and we will pardon them. I have therefore only tobid them farewell."

  With that he turned to Havelok, and held out his hand, as in all goodfellowship, but Havelok would not see it.

  "Fare as it shall be meted to you by the Asir, King Alsi," he said, "forat least Loki loves craft."

  Then he turned to me, and asked hurriedly where we should go if we mustleave thus.

  "To Grimsby," I said. "That is home."

  Alsi spoke to the princess now, and maybe it was as well that he did notoffer so much as his hand. Wise was he in his way.

  "Farewell, niece," he said; "all this shall come shortly before theWitan of Ethelwald's folk."

  "Farewell, uncle," she answered calmly. "That is a matter which I willsee to myself. You have carried out your oath to the letter, so far, andnow it remains that you should leave the government of the realm to me."

  With that she put her hand on Havelok's arm.

  "Come, husband; we have heard that the horses wait. Let us be gone."

  And then in a quick whisper she added, as if nigh overdone, "Take mehence quickly, for I may not bear more."

  They wasted no more words; and through a lane of folk, who blessed them,those two went to the great door down the long hall, and I followed, andBerthun and the nurse came after me. One flung the door open; and on thesteps, all unaware of what had happened, lounged Mord, waiting, and upand down on the green the grooms led the horses of the princess--sixin all. On two were packed her goods, and the third had a pack saddlethat waited for the bags that held her dowry. The other three were forherself and Mord and the nurse. There was not one for Havelok.

  "This is hasty, my princess," Mord said. "Whither are we bound?"

  "For Grimsby, Mord," I answered quickly. "Are there no more horses to behad?"

  "Never a one, unless we steal from the king," he answered.

  The people were crowding out now that they might see the start, and Isaw Berthun speak to a man among them who was a stranger to me. And fromhim he turned directly with a glad face.

  "Go down to such a hostelry," he said to me, "and there ask for whathorses you will. Maybe I shall have to follow you for my part in thismatter--that is, if I am not put in the dungeon."

  "Faith," I answered, "better had you come with us than run that risk.Alsi is in a bad mood."

  He shook his head; and then the people behind him made way, for the kingwas coming.

  "Almost had you forgotten this," he said; "and I think you will want it."

  The men with the money were there, and he waved his hand to them.Havelok lifted the princess to her horse without heeding him, and themen set the bags on the pack horses.

  "See the bridegroom down the street, you who were his witnesses," theking went on, with a curling lip; "and if you are a wise man, masterBerthun, you will not come back again."

  Berthun bowed and went into the hail, past the king, and across to hisown door, without a word. After him the thronging people closed up, andthough I thought that a housecarl would have been sent to see what hewas about, this would have made an open talk, and Alsi forbore.

  "Let Havelok take your horse, Mord," I whispered to him; "I will tellyou why directly."

  He nodded, and I told Havelok to mount. Then I helped up the nurse, whowept and muttered to herself; and so we started, Alsi standing on thesteps with words of feigned goodspeed as we did so.

  But the housecarls and the people shouted with wishes that were real, nodoubt thinking that we were bound for the far-off kingdom of the princewho had won Goldberga by service as a kitchen knave in her uncle's hallfor very love of her.

  Directly we were outside the gate that leads down the hill, I sawWithelm, who was there waiting for me, and he knew at once what hadhappened.

  He came to my side, and asked only, "Already?"

  "Already," I answered; "but it is well. Go to the widow's straightway,and bring Havelok's arms to him at the hostelry at the end of themarketplace, where we have to find more horses."

  He went at once, and silently we came down the street and to thecourtyard of the inn. Some few folk stared at us; but the princess washardly known here, and she had cast her long, white mantle hoodwise overher head and face, so that one could not tell who she was. So early inthe day there were few people in the marketplace either.

  Berthun was in the courtyard of the inn, and I was glad to see him, forI did not know what would happen to him. It was likely that Alsi wouldseek for someone on whom to visit his anger at the way things had gone.But the steward had been warned, and was not one to run any risk.

  "I did but go back for a few things that I did not care to leave," hesaid; and he showed me that he had brought his own horse from thestables, and on it were large saddlebags. No poor man was Berthun afteryears of service in the palace, where gifts from thane and lady arealways ready for the man who has had the care of them. Across the saddlebow also were his mail shirt and arms, and his shield hung with his helmfrom the peak.

  "You see that I must needs cast in my lot with yours, or ratherCuran's," he said, laughing; "but it is in my mind that in the end Ishall not be sorry to have done so. I think that I am tired of thefireside, and want adventure for a while."

  "Well," I answered, "you are likely to have them, and that shortly, if Iam not mistaken; but we shall see. Now about these horses, for we hadbetter get out of Lincoln as soon as we may."

  The man he had spoken with was a merchant, who came yearly, an
d was afriend of his. He had more horses than he meant to keep, as he had hereeach year; for every one knows that a horse can always be sold inLincoln, and they were good ones. Then my gold came in well, and Ibought three, one for each of us brothers. I daresay that I paid dearlyfor them, but there was no time for haggling in the way that a horsedealer loves. Out of the way of Alsi we must get, before he bethoughthim of more crafty devices. And I thought, moreover, that we should beriding towards East Anglia shortly, and it was not everywhere that asteed fit to carry Havelok on a long journey was to be had.

  I had bidden him leave all this to me as we came down the hill, and gladhe was to do so. Now he had dismounted, and stood by the side of theprincess, speaking earnestly to her. It was plain that what he said waspleasant to her also. But