Alfgar the Dane or the Second Chronicle of Aescendune

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XIV. THE SON AND THE FAVOURITE.

  A stormy scene had meanwhile taken place in an interior chamber of thepalace of the bishop, which had been metamorphosed into a councilchamber for the king. There were present Ethelred himself, hisirrepressible son, the traitor Edric, the bishop, the sheriff of theshire, and the reeve of the borough, with the captain of thehus-carles, or royal guard.

  "We all need Divine guidance at this moment," said Edric, clasping hishands meekly; "would you, my lord and king, ask the bishop to open ourproceedings with especial prayer for the grace of meekness."

  "Hypocrite!" said Edmund, with a sound like the gnashing of teeth.

  The bishop, however, said the form generally used at the meetings ofcouncil, but omitted to notice the special suggestion of Edric.

  "The case before us," said the king, "is a difficult and trying one,but one which we must discharge in our bounden duty towards oursubjects. Perhaps it is well that the accusation so often urged bybackbiters against our faithful subject Edric should--"

  "Your majesty begs the question when you call that coward 'faithful.'"

  "Silence, Edmund," said the king, sternly, "you are hardly yet of age,yet you dare to interrupt me. I was going to say that it is a goodthing the accusation should at length be plainly made, and not spokenin a corner by men who are afraid to speak out."

  "Lest they should get the reward of Elfhelm of Shrewsbury," addedEdmund.

  The bishop here interposed.

  "Prince, remember that God has said, 'Honour thy father.'"

  "Has he not somewhere also said, 'Parents, provoke not your childrento anger'?"

  "God judge between you, then," said the bishop, "but I warn you thatyou appear the greater transgressor."

  "Meanwhile," said Edric, "I feel like a man who is being put unjustlyto the torture. What is the accusation against me?--let it be statedin plain words."

  "That just after the army disbanded in October, you visited the campof Sweyn, and gave him to understand that the country was at hismercy, opposition being removed."

  "What day of the month?"

  "I do not know the exact day."

  "Perhaps it was in the Greek calends," said Edric.

  "I do not know when the Greek calends are, nor do I want to; my motherspent her time, I thank God, in teaching me to speak the truth, and tobe true to my country, and not in teaching me outlandish gibberish."

  "Still," said the bishop, "it is important to learn the day."

  "Alfgar can perhaps inform you, but one day must have been much likeanother to him in the Danish camp."

  "His statement would need verification," said Ednoth.

  "He is as true and brave as any man here."

  "Of course, all Danes are true and brave," said Edric.

  "He is a Christian."

  "Yes; I think he became one on St. Brice's day," suggested Edric.

  "To save his life, no doubt," said the sheriff.

  Meanwhile Ethelred had changed colour, and Edric cried out:

  "Have we not forgotten in whose presence we are? The king, who wasquite ignorant of the mistaken zeal which misinterpreted his wishesthat day, cannot bear to be reminded of it. He is all too merciful andgentle for such days as ours."

  "I suppose he put on mourning for Elfhelm," whispered Edmund in thebishop's ear.

  "Forget not that he is your father."

  "We are wasting time," said the king. "Edric, what is your answer tothis accusation?"

  "That when the army disbanded I went on pilgrimage to the shrine ofSt. Joseph at Glastonbury, and can produce, in the time requisite fora messenger to go and return, an attestation to that effect. Here," hesaid, putting his hand to his bosom, and drawing out a reliquary, "isa holy thorn plucked from St. Joseph's tree."

  "Art thou not ashamed, my son, to have brought such a charge againstthe venerator of the Saints, one of the few in whom faith yet lives?"

  "No, for I do not believe he was ever there at all."

  "Witness the holy thorn."

  "Thorns may be plucked in bushels round Dorchester or any otherplace."

  "It is a question of pure testimony," said the bishop.

  "It is," added the sheriff and the reeve.

  "Then, may I produce my witness?" said Edmund.

  "Certainly," said the king.

  "By all means," added Edric.

  The bishop called an attendant, and ordered him to fetch Alfgar.

  "Before he enters I must remind you all," said Edric, "that the wordof a Dane is to be opposed to that of a Christian."

  "I have already said that Alfgar is a Christian."

  But Edric had already, by his adroit suggestion about St. Brice's day,predisposed the company to doubt the genuineness of Alfgar'sconversion.

  A long pause succeeded, which no one seemed to care to break. Ethelredwas anxious for his favourite; the traitor himself was studying how tomeet the accusation; the Prince was furious, and was striving in vainto repress his surging passions, the others were perplexed.

  The messenger returned after a time to say that Alfgar had left thepalace.

  "Left the palace!" said Edmund.

  "About half-an-hour since."

  "There is some vile treason here," said Edmund.

  "Treason! on whose part?" said Edric.

  "Thine, villain."

  "I am glad you think so, for you give me an opportunity ofdemonstrating to the court how unreasonable your hatred makes you, andhow unjust. I have not left the king's presence since your firstappearance."

  "It is true," said Ethelred.

  Edmund was completely baffled.

  "It appears to me," said the king, "that he fears the discovery of hisvillainy, and has taken himself off. I will offer a fitting reward tothe man who shall produce him; meanwhile, it is useless to continuethis scene."

  "Wait at least a few minutes," said Edmund, and went forth himself.

  Vainly he sought through all the courts of the palace--once he thoughtAlfgar, whose fidelity he never suffered himself to doubt, might be inthe chapel, and went there in vain.

  At last he found a servitor who had seen him go with some men into thecity, and hurried forth in search of him. He passed through all thestreets inflaming the curiosity of the watchmen; the darkness (forthere were very few lamps or lights of any kind, in those days, forpublic use) was intense, a drizzling rain was falling, and at length,weary, wet, and dispirited, he returned to the palace, and found thatthe council, tired of waiting, had at length broken up.

  The bishop offered him hospitality, evidently sympathising with hisdistress, and once suggested a doubt of the fidelity of his page, butEdmund repelled it instantly.

  "He is true as life," he said.

  "But the king himself is witness that Edric has not left hispresence."

  "If not, he has plenty of villains about him to anticipate his orders,vile as Godwin, port-hund of Shrewsbury. Depend upon it they havemurdered him, but if so, I will have vengeance, such vengeance--I willchallenge the villain Edric to single combat."

  "The Church would forbid it."

  "Do you then sympathise with the hypocrite?"

  "Alas, my son! who can read the heart of man? I know not what tothink."

  "But you could read the history of the last campaign. A fool might--Ibeg pardon--were not all our plans known beforehand? Did not all ourenterprises fail? Were not all our ambushes anticipated? Did we notfall into all theirs? If they had had a prophet like Elisha, who toldthe king of Israel all Benhadad said in his council chamber, theycouldn't have managed better. Can you explain this?"

  "No, my son."

  "Then I can, for I heard Sweyn say that they had a friend in theEnglish camp."

  "Then you actually put your head in the lion's mouth, prince?" and thegood bishop, purposely to relieve the prince's mind, drew out from himall the story of his late adventures.

  Deep was the distrust which Ednoth himself entertained of thefair-speaking Edric, yet he would not encourage th
e Etheling infurther ill-timed opposition to his father.

  So at last Edmund slept, and trusted that with the morn he should findAlfgar; but the morn came, and all his inquiries were vain.

  The chamber in which Alfgar was confined contained a box-like recessfor the straw bed, a chair, and a rough table, and these were all thecomforts at his disposal, but they were enough for one in that hardyage. It was very strongly built, not a loose plank about it, althoughthe wind found its way through numerous crevices, to the slightdiscomfort of the inmate.

  But not one hour of sleep could Alfgar take all that night. What wouldthe Etheling think of him? was his constant thought, he who had savedhis life at the risk of his (the Etheling's) own. Must he not thinkthat the lad whose life he had saved had been false to him? and thisthought was agony to the faithful and true heart of the prisoner.

  He scarcely doubted for one moment into whose hands he hadfallen--that he was in Edric Streorn's power. The only thing he couldnot quite comprehend was, why they had thought it worth while toimprison him, when murder would seem the more convenient mode ofremoving an unpleasant witness.

  Early on the following day he heard some people approach the door ofthe house, and heard them admitted. Shortly afterwards a firm stepascended the stair, and the door opened.

  Edric Streorn stood before him.

  The captor eyed his captive with a look of conscious pride, and saidwith some complacence, "You see, and perhaps repent, your rashness inthe accusation you made."

  "It was true."

  "I do not think it worth my while to deny it here; but what ofthat?--I am an Englishman by birth, but (let us say) a Dane by choice.You are a Dane by the fortune of birth, but an Englishman by choice;the worse choice, you will find, of the two."

  Alfgar felt confused.

  "But I did not come here to exchange compliments with you, nor toprove, as to the fools you have chosen to serve, that I was onpilgrimage at the time you name. I have a direct purpose in detainingyou here, for I have lately seen Sweyn."

  "Traitor!"

  "I thought we had agreed that we could not throw stones at each otheron that account. Well, the gentle Sweyn has taken your evasion verymuch to heart, and earnestly desires to repossess himself of yourperson; but for this, my easiest plan would have been to rid myself ofso troublesome a witness in a more speedy manner, and you might erethis have fed the fishes of the Thames.

  "Therefore," he continued, "unless you can satisfy me of two or threepoints, I shall deliver you to Sweyn."

  Alfgar thought at first that this was simply an idle threat, since itwould be almost impossible to convey him secretly through the countryto the Isle of Wight. Edric understood his thoughts.

  "You forget," he said, "that Sweyn will shortly be here; your friend,the Etheling, may have told you that, if you did not know it before;he is telling it to everybody, but no one believes him. Only think, noone will believe that Sweyn could be so audacious, and they thinkthat, listening behind walls and in cupboards, the Etheling, perhaps,drank too much of what he found there--and that was all. Well, whenSweyn comes, he may, if he will, make a public example to allapostates in your honoured person; meanwhile Edmund thinks you havedeserted him."

  No torturer ever seemed to take a keener pleasure in the throes of hisvictim, than Edric in the mental agony he kindled in the breast of hisunhappy prisoner.

  "But I said I might release you, or at least mitigate your fate, onone condition, that you answer me a plain question directly andplainly. Under what name does Edmund travel, and what disguise, anddoes he purpose to trust himself in the Danish camp again? Where is heat present residing? he has disappeared from the palace."

  "Monster!" said Alfgar, "you tempt like Satan. Away, and leave me tomy fate."

  "You will think better of it by and by when confinement upon bread andwater has tamed you. I will come once more, but it will be the lasttime; and, mark you, should your people be defeated--the Danes Imean--still your escape would not necessarily follow; the house mighttake fire, it is of timber, and would soon burn down; a sad misfortuneit would be.

  "Good morning. I am going to mass with the king; shall I say a Paterand an Ave for you, since you are prevented from being there. Thesaints have you in their holy keeping!"

  His manner throughout had been like that of a cat playing with amouse, and there was quite a gratified smile upon his lips as he went.

  Strange to say, Alfgar felt less miserable after he was gone. Thewickedness of Edric seemed so great, his hypocrisy so unblushing, thatin his simple faith Alfgar could not believe that he would be allowedto succeed. Many a holy text in the Psalms came to his mind, andseemed to assure him of Divine protection.

  "I myself have seen the ungodly in great power; and flourishing like agreen bay tree.

  "I went by, and, lo! he was gone; I sought him, but his place couldnowhere be found.

  "Seek innocency, and take heed to the thing that is right: for thatshall bring a man peace at the last."

  "So, come what will," said he, "I will trust in Him and never will Isave my life by uttering one word which might betray the innocent."

  In this manner days lengthened into weeks. He tried in vain to openany intercourse with his ferocious jailor, whose ward was sometimesshared by a comrade, when there was much ungodly revelry below, andsnatches of Danish war songs mingled with profane oaths. The deep,deep bay of the mastiff sometimes gave warning of the advent of astranger, or of the step heard from the distance, in the still deepnight; but this was all that Alfgar could learn of the outer world,from which he was banished at so critical a moment.