Wulf the Saxon: A Story of the Norman Conquest

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XIV.

  WULF'S SUSPICIONS.

  Beyond the fact that the name of the king had changed, the death of Edwardand the accession of Harold made no sensible difference in the governmentof the southern half of England. Harold had practically reigned for years,and the fact that he was now able to give his orders direct instead ofhaving nominally to consult Edward, had only the effect that the affairs ofthe state moved somewhat more promptly. Such of the Norman favourites ofEdward as desired to leave were permitted to do so, and were honourablyescorted to the coast, but many remained. The Norman prelates and abbotsretained their dignities undisturbed, and several of the court officials ofEdward held the same positions under Harold.

  A fortnight after the coronation a party of Norman barons arrived, bearinga summons from Duke William to Harold to fulfil the oath he had sworn to behis man, and also to carry out his engagement to marry one of William'sdaughters. They were received with all honour, and Harold informed themthat he would, without delay, reply to the duke's summons. A few dayslater three thanes of high rank started for Normandy with Harold's reply.Wulf accompanied them.

  "I would that you should go with them, Wulf," Harold had said to him. "Youare too young to be one of my embassy to Duke William, but it would be wellthat you should form one of the party. The duke knows you and has a likingfor you, and possibly may speak more freely to you than to my officialmessengers. Moreover, you have many acquaintances and friends there, andmay gather valuable news as to the feeling in Normandy and the probabilityof William's barons embarking in a desperate war for his advantage."

  "I shall be glad to go, my lord."

  "The duke knows well enough what my answer must be. He is aware that wereI ready either to resign my kingship to him, or to agree to hold my crownas his vassal, the people of England would laugh to scorn my assumption soto dispose of them, and would assuredly renounce and slay me as a traitorwho had broken the oath I swore at my coronation. It is a mere formalsummons William makes, as one summons a city to surrender beforeundertaking its siege. It is but a move in the game. That he will, if hecan, strike for the kingdom, I doubt not in any way, but it may well bethat his barons will refuse to embark in a war beyond the seas, which isaltogether beyond the military service they are bound to render. At anyrate, we have breathing time. Vast preparations must be made before he caninvade England, and until he is ready we shall have messengers passing toand fro. A few of my chief councillors, the earls and great thanes, refuseto believe that William will ever attempt by force of arms to grasp thecrown of England, but for myself I have no doubt he will do so. I shall atonce prepare for war; and the first step of all is to unite England fromthe northern border to the southern sea, so that we may oppose the Normanswith our whole strength. This must be my personal work, other matters Imust for a time intrust to the earls."

  The train was not a large one. One ship bore the thanes and theirattendants from Southampton to Rouen. They were received with all honour attheir landing, conducted to a house that had been assigned to their use,and informed that they would be received by the duke on the following day.They had brought their horses with them, and as soon as they were housedWulf mounted, and attended by Osgod rode to the castle of the De Burgs.Three years had past since he had last been there. He had from time to timereceived letters and greetings from Guy de Burg by the hands of Normans whovisited the court, and knew that although he had gained in health andstrength the predictions of the surgeons had been fulfilled, and that hewould never be able to take part in knightly exercises or deeds of arms.The warden at the gate had sent in Wulf's name, and as he alighted a tallyoung man ran down the steps and embraced him.

  "I am overjoyed to see you, Wulf," he exclaimed. "When we heard that Haroldwould send over an English embassy to answer the duke's demands, I hopedthat you would be among the number. Harold would be likely to choose you,and I felt sure that you would come over to see me. I had a messengerwaiting at Rouen to bring me tidings of the arrival of your ship, and it isscarcely an hour since he rode in with the news that, by inquiries amongthe servants as they landed, he had learned that you were indeed of theparty. But I had hardly looked to see you until to-morrow morning, and hadindeed intended to ride over on my palfrey at daybreak."

  "I would not delay, Guy, for the answer we bear will not be to the duke'sliking, and for aught I know he may pack us off again as soon as theinterview is ended. Therefore, I thought it best to lose not a moment."

  "I see you have brought your tall retainer with you, Wulf. I am glad tosee the stout fellow again. But come in, they will chide me for keeping youso long at the entrance."

  Wulf was warmly received by the baron and his wife. "You are just what Ithought you would grow up, Wulf," the former said. "Indeed your figure wasso set and square before, that there was little chance of great alteration.We have heard of you from time to time, and that you distinguished yourselfgreatly in the war against the Welsh, and stood high in the favour andaffection of Harold. Guy has overshot you, you see, in point of height,though he is scarce half your breadth," and the baron looked with asuppressed sigh at the fragile young fellow, who stood with his hand onWulf's shoulder.

  "He looks better and stronger than I expected, my lord," Wulf said. "Youmust remember when I last saw him he could scarce walk across the room, andin my heart I scarce hoped to ever see him again."

  "He gains strength very slowly," De Burg said wistfully; "but although hehas to be careful of himself, he has no ailment."

  "He could hardly gain strength while growing so fast," Wulf said; "but nowthat he has gained his full height he will, doubtless, gather strength, andas three years have done so much for him, another three years will I hopedo far more. The Lady Agnes is well, I trust?"

  "She is well, and will be here anon," the baroness said.

  Guy laughed with something of his former heartiness. "She was here when theman brought news of your arrival, Wulf, but she fled away like a startleddeer, and has, I suppose, gone to put on her best kirtle in your honour."

  As he spoke Agnes entered the room. Considerable as was the change thatthree years had wrought in the young men, it was still greater in her case,for she had grown from a pretty young girl into a very lovely maiden, whosecheek flushed as she presented it for Wulf's salute.

  "Would you have known her again, Wulf?" Guy asked with a smile.

  "I should certainly have known her, though she has so greatly changed,"Wulf replied. "I thought that you would be grown up and altered, but Iscarcely looked for so great an alteration in her, though I might of coursehave known that it would be so."

  "And now tell me, Wulf," the baron said, abruptly changing theconversation, "how go things in England--are people united in choosingHarold as their king?"

  "The South, the East, and West are as one man," Wulf said. "Mercia, whichcomprises the midlands, has accepted the choice. Northumbria has as yetheld itself aloof, although its earl has sworn allegiance and its primatehas placed the crown on Harold's head; but in time, I am well assured, theNorth will also accept him. As I said when we spoke about it after Haroldhad been tricked into taking an oath to be William's man, he had no morepower to pledge himself for England than I had. Englishmen are free tochoose their own king, and as Harold has long been their ruler, theirchoice naturally fell on him.

  "Harold is about to marry the sister of the Earls of Northumbria andMercia, the widow of Griffith of Wales, and this will, I hope, bind thesetwo powerful nobles to him. The only trouble is likely to come from Tostig,who is, as you know, at the court of Norway. But as he is hated inNorthumbria, and the earl and his brother of Mercia both have personalenmity against him, he can gather no following there, while Anglia andWessex are devoted to Harold. Still he and the King of Norway may causetrouble."

  "The answer of Harold's ambassadors is, of course, a refusal?"

  "Assuredly," Wulf said. "I do not know the exact import of the reply, as,although I have accompanied them, I am not a member of the embassy, beingtoo
young to be intrusted with so weighty a matter. But there can be butone answer. Harold is powerless to carry out his oath. He had the choice ofbecoming King of England, and thus defending our rights and freedom, or ofrefusing the crown, in which case he must have fled here, and could havegiven no aid whatever to William, as he himself would be regarded as theworst of traitors by the English. The duke must be perfectly well awarethat a king of England could not, without the assent of the people, accepta foreign prince as his liege lord."

  De Burg nodded.

  "That is plainly so, Wulf; and although the duke professes intenseindignation against Harold, he himself has, over and over again, broken hisown oaths of allegiance to the King of France. Breaches of oaths go forlittle, except they serve as pretexts for war. It would have been the samething if Harold had never taken the oath, except that his breach of it willbe an aid to William in a war against him. We northmen came to France andconquered a province, simply by the right of the strongest. The duke hasdoubled his dominions by the same right. He deems himself now strong enoughto conquer England; whether he is so remains to be seen. At presentmethinks that but few of us are disposed to follow him in such anenterprise, but there is never any saying how things will go at last. Whenwar is in the air men's minds become heated. There will be dignities,estates, and titles to be won, and when many are ready to go, few like tohang back. More than once already William has embarked on a war against thewishes of the majority, but he has finally carried all with him, and it maybe so again, especially if he can win over the pope to excommunicate Haroldfor the breach of an oath sworn on the relics."

  "His excommunication will go for little in England," Wulf said sturdily."Many of our prelates, and almost all our clergy are Englishmen, and holdin very small respect the claim of the pope to interfere in the affairs ofEngland."

  "And if Harold died who would be likely to succeed him?"

  "I have never thought of that," Wulf said, "and I should think that fewEnglishmen have done so. If such a misfortune should happen, methinks thatEngland would be rent in two, and that while Wessex and Anglia would chooseone of his brothers, Mercia and the North would take Edwin or his brotherMorcar as their king, but assuredly no foreign prince would be chosen."

  "No, but with England divided the chance of conquest would be easier. Youare about the king, Wulf. Keep a shrewd guard over him. I say not for amoment that the duke would countenance any attempt to do him harm, butthere are many rough spirits who might think that they would gain hisfavour greatly did they clear his path of Harold, and who would feel allthe less scruple in doing so, should the pope be induced to excommunicatehim. Such things have happened again and again. Mind, I have no warrant formy speech. Methinks the honour of De Burg is too well known for anyone toventure to broach such a project before him, but so many kings and greatprinces have fallen by an assassin's knife to clear the way for the nextheir or for an ambitious rival, that I cannot close my eyes to the factthat one in Harold's position might well be made the subject of such anattempt. The history of your own country will furnish you with examples ofwhat I say."

  "Thank you, my lord," Wulf said gravely. "The thought that an assassin'sknife might be raised against Harold, who is of all men the most beloved inEngland, has never once entered my mind, but I see there may be indeed adanger of such an attempt being made. I do not greatly trust Morcar or hisbrother, and the danger may come from them, or, as you say, from onedesirous of gaining favour with your duke. I will lay your warning toheart."

  The conversation now turned on other topics, on the Welsh war and the lifeWulf had been leading since they last met, and upon what had happened tothe many acquaintances Wulf had made in Normandy. They talked until longpast the usual hour for retiring to rest; Wulf slept at the chateau, androde into Rouen at an early hour in the morning.

  The audience next day was a public one. William was surrounded by hisofficers of state, and by a large number of his barons. The English envoyswere ushered in, and the duke asked them in a loud voice what answer theybrought to his just demands on the part of his sworn liegeman, Harold.

  "The king of England bids us state, duke, that he holds an oath taken by aprisoner under force to be invalid, especially when taken in ignorance ofthe sanctity of the concealed relics; secondly, he says that he has beenelected by the people of England, and that he has no power whatever totransfer the rights that they have conferred upon him, and which he hassworn to maintain, and that they would absolutely refuse to be bound by anyact on his part contrary to the welfare of the kingdom, and to their rightsas freemen; thirdly, as to your demand that he should carry out his promiseto marry your daughter, he points out that the lady whose hand was promisedto him has since that time died; and lastly, that although as Earl ofWessex he might transfer that engagement to another of your daughters, asking of England he is unable to do so, as the will of the people is thattheir king shall marry no foreign princess, but that the royal family shallbe of unmixed English blood."

  William frowned heavily. "You hear, my lords," he said, after a pause, tothe Norman barons, "this English earl who was here as my guest refuses tocarry out the engagements to which he swore upon the holy relics. I cannot,however, bring myself to believe that he will really persist in this foulperjury, and shall persevere in my endeavours to bring him to a sense ofhis duty, and to show him the foul dishonour that will rest upon him shouldhe persist in this contempt alike of our holy church and his honour as aknight and a Christian, conduct that would bring upon him eternal infamyand the scorn and contempt of all the princes and nobles of Europe, anddraw upon his head the wrath of the church." Then he abruptly turned on hisheel and left the audience-chamber, while the English envoys returned totheir house and made preparations for immediate departure.

  A few minutes after his arrival there one of the duke's pages brought wordto Wulf that the duke desired to speak to him in private. He at once wentacross to the palace. The duke received him cordially.

  "I marked you were with the other thanes, and was glad to see one whom Icount as my friend. Tell me frankly, what think the people of England ofthis monstrous act of perjury on the part of Harold?"

  "To speak the truth, my lord duke," Wulf replied, "they trouble their headsin no way about it. They hold that the right of electing their king restswholly with them, and that Harold's promise, to do what he had no morepower to do than the lowest born of Englishmen, was but a waste of words.Harold himself feels the obligation far more than anyone else, and hadthere been any other Englishman who could have united the people as well ashe could himself, he would gladly have stood aside; but there is none such,and he had no choice but to accept the decision of the Witan, and, for thesake of England, to lay aside his own scruples. The late king, too,nominated him as his successor, and although his voice had no legal weight,he is now regarded as almost a saint among the people. The fact, therefore,that he, full of piety and religion as he was, should have held thatHarold's oath in no way prevented the people from choosing him, has gonevery far to satisfy any scruples that might have been felt."

  "Edward at one time named me as his successor," the duke said shortly.

  "So I have heard, my lord duke; but as he grew in years and learned more ofEnglish feeling and character he became fully aware that the people wouldaccept no foreign prince, and that only the man who had for thirteen yearsgoverned in his name could be their choice."

  "And the great earls and thanes are likewise of that opinion?"

  "Assuredly in Anglia and Wessex they are so. I know not the minds of EarlsMorcar and Edwin, but they were at the Witan and stood by his side at thecoronation, and doubtless felt that they could not rely upon their ownpeople if they attempted any open opposition to Harold."

  "And you will support this usurper against me, Wulf?"

  "I shall fight, my lord duke, for the king chosen by the people of England.Should that choice some day fall on you I should be as faithful a followerof yours as I am now of Harold."

  "Well answered, young
thane. You have twice done me loyal service, and I atleast do not forget my promises. As yet my mind is not made up as to mycourse, but should fate will it so, William of England will not forget theservices rendered to William of Normandy."

  A few minutes later Wulf rejoined his companions, and before nightfall theship was far on her way down the river.

  "Shall we go back to Steyning, my lord, when we return home?" Osgod askedas they stood by the bulwark together watching the passing shores.

  "No, Osgod. I mean for a time to remain with the king. Baron de Burgyesterday hinted to me that he thought it possible that some of the duke'sfollowers might endeavour to remove the obstacle between him and the throneof England. There are in every country desperate men, who are ready for anycrime or deed of violence if they but think that its committal will bringthem a reward. We have had English kings assassinated before now, and ithas been the same in other countries. Moreover, there are many Normans whowere forced to fly from England when Godwin's family returned from exile.These having a personal grudge against him would be willing to gratify it,and at the same time to earn a place in William's favour. Harold is sofrank and unsuspicious that he will never think of taking precautions forhis personal safety. You and I, then, must serve as his watch-dogs. It maybe a difficult task, for we have no idea from what quarter that danger maycome, and yet by chance we may discover some clue or other that will set uson the right track At any rate, if we are near him, and keep a watchful eyeon any strangers approaching him, we may save him from a treacherous blow."

  "Good, my lord. Methinks that Harold was wrong in not sending every Normanacross the seas, and every man with whom I have spoken thinks the same. Butat any rate we can, as you say, keep a sharp look-out, and although Icannot be always near his person, I shall go about and listen; and it willbe hard if anything is on foot without my hearing some whisper of it. Youwill tell him no word of your suspicions, I suppose?"

  "Certainly not. I have fears rather than suspicions, and Baron De Burgcertainly spoke as if he regarded it as likely that such an attempt mightbe made, and he knows his own people better than I do. He expressly saidthat he had no special reason for giving me the warning, but he may haveheard some angry remark or some covert threat against Harold; and althoughthe duke would not, I feel sure, openly countenance his slaying, I thinkthat the slayers might confidently look for a reward from his gratitude didthey by their daggers open a way for him to the throne of England."

  On the return of the embassy to London King Harold said to Wulf: "I have nofurther occasion for your services at present, Wulf, and I suppose you willreturn home and increase the number of your housecarls. It is not withundisciplined levies that the Normans, if they come, must be met. It is noquestion this time of Welsh mountaineers but of trained warriors, andshould they land they must be met by men as firm and as obedient to ordersas themselves. I am trying to impress this on all our thanes, but most ofthem are hard to move, and deem that all that is necessary on the day ofbattle is that men shall have strength and courage and arms."

  "With your permission, my lord, I would rather abide near you, and leavethe training of my men to the officer who taught those who fought by myside in Wales."

  "I thought you did not care for the gaieties of the court?" Harold said, insome surprise.

  "Nor do I, my lord. For its gaieties I care nothing, but in times likethese there is much to be learned, and I would not bury myself in Steyningwhen there is so much of importance going on in London."

  "Then stay, Wulf, I shall be glad to have you here. I have but little timeto myself now, but it is a relief to put aside grave matters sometimes. Iwill appoint a room for you near my own chamber. You have heard no news ofher, I suppose?"

  "In truth, my lord, I know not how to set about the task, and it seems tome that my only chance is to run against one of her serving-men in thestreet."

  "That is but a slight chance, Wulf; but even I, with all the power ofEngland in my hands, am equally at a loss. I cannot send round to all thethanes of Wessex to ask if a strange lady has taken a house in theirjurisdiction, nor to all the parish priests to ask if a new worshipper hascome to their church. However, I believe that sooner or later she willherself advise me where she has hidden. It may be that your stay here willnot be a long one, for I purpose journeying to the North."

  "To Northumbria!" Wulf said in surprise.

  "Yes; the people there refuse to recognize me, and I would win them bygoing among them rather than by force. My dear friend Bishop Wulfstan willaccompany me. I shall take with me a body of my housecarls, partly as aguard, but more because I cannot now travel as a private person. It is verymany years since an English king has visited Northumbria, and it is notstrange that these northern men should object to be ruled by a strangerfrom the South. I shall take with me two or three of my thanes only, butshall be glad for you to ride with me. Young as you are, you have a quickeye and ready wit, and in case trouble should arise, I can rely upon youmore than upon many men far older than yourself."

  The palace of Westminster was not an imposing edifice. London had not yetbecome the capital of England, Oxford being the seat of government of mostof the kings, so that the palace was built on a simple plan, and had beenaltered by Edward until the interior arrangements more nearly resembledthose of a convent than of a palace. Below was the great banqueting-hall,and beyond this the chamber where the king heard complaints andadministered justice. Leading from this were the king and queen's privatechambers, where the one sat and read or received his chief councillors, andthe other worked with her maids, and listened to the music of the harpersor the tales of war and love sung by bards.

  Behind was the chapel. On the floor above a corridor ran from one end ofthe building to the doors which separated the royal sleeping-rooms from therest. On either side of the corridor were small bed-chambers, where theofficers of the household and guests at the court slept, their attendantslying in the corridor itself or in the kitchens, which with other officeswere contained in a separate building. The room assigned to Wulf, and whichHarold had ordered was henceforth to be retained for him, was that on theright hand of the corridor, next to the door leading to the royalapartments. Like the others it was a mere cell, with the straw palletcovered with sheep-skins, with some rugs for covering. This constituted thewhole of the furniture. In the morning water was brought in brass ewers andbasins, either by the pages or servants of the guests.

  "Nothing could be better, my lord, than this," Osgod said. "I am a lightsleeper, and lying across your door I am sure that no one could enter theking's apartments without my hearing those heavy doors move."

  "There is but little chance, Osgod, of an attack being made on him in thatfashion. Doubtless some of the royal servants sleep on the other side ofthe door. No, if any design be attempted against his life it will be whenhe is travelling, or when he is abroad amid a crowd."

  "I saw Walter Fitz-Urse to-day, master, in the train of William of London."

  "Then he must have returned within the last day or two, Osgod, for he hasbeen absent for more than a year, and I know that when we sailed forNormandy he was still absent, for I inquired of one of the court officialsif he had been here of late. What should bring him back again, I wonder.He has long been out of his pageship, and he can hope for no preferment inEngland while Harold is king. He has, I know, no great possessions inNormandy, for I asked Guy about him, and learned that his father was aknight of but small consideration, either as to his state or character, andthat the boy owed his place as page to William of London, to the fact thathe was a distant relation of the prelate.

  "I would say harm of no man, but I should think he is as likely as anotherto be mixed up in such a plot as we are talking of. He is landless,hot-tempered, and ambitious. He owes no goodwill to Harold, for it was byhis intervention that he was sent away in disgrace after that quarrel withme. At any rate, Osgod, since we have no one else to suspect, we will inthe first place watch him, or rather have him looked after, for I see noth
ow we ourselves can in any way keep near him. He knows me well, and hasdoubtless seen you with me, and having seen you once would not be likely toforget you."

  "I think I can manage that," Osgod said confidently. "My father has a smallapprentice who well-nigh worries his life out with tricks and trifling. Ihave more than once begged him off a beating, and methinks he will doanything for me. He is as full of cunning as an ape, and, I warrant me,would act his part marvellously. My father will be glad enough to get himout of the forge for a while, and when I tell him that it is in yourservice he will make no difficulty about it. He is fifteen years old, butso small for his age that he would pass for three years younger than heis."

  "I think it is a very good plan, Osgod. You had best see your father in themorning, and if he consents to your having the boy, bring him down to theriver-bank behind the abbey, where I will be awaiting you, and can theretalk to him without observation. You are sure that he can be trusted tokeep silence regarding what I tell him?"

  "He can be trusted, my lord. In the first place he will enjoy playing hispart, and in the second he will know well enough that I should nearly flayhim alive with my stirrup-leather if he were to fail me, and that his lifein the forge would be worse than ever."

  The next morning Wulf strolled down to the river-bank after breaking hisfast, and it was not long before Osgod joined him with the boy.

  "Have you told him what he is required for, Osgod?" Wulf asked, as the boy,doffing his cap, stood before him with an air of extreme humility.

  "I am not good at the telling of tales, as you know, my lord, and I thoughtit better that you should tell him just as much or as little as you chose."

  "You don't like your work at the forge, Ulf?" for that Wulf had learned wasthe boy's name.

  "I think that I like it better than it likes me," the boy replied. "When Iget to do the fine work I shall like it, but at present it is 'fetch thistool, Ulf, or file that iron, or blow those bellows,' and if I do but smileI get a cuff."

  "No, no, Ulf," Osgod said. "Of course, at present you are but a beginner,and at your age I too had to fetch and carry and be at the bidding of allthe men; and it is not for smiling that you get cuffed, but for playingtricks and being away for hours when you are sent on a message to the nextstreet, and doing your errands wrongly. My father tells me you will be agood workman some day. You will never be strong enough to wield a heavyhammer or to forge a battle-axe, but he says your fingers are quick andnimble, and that you will some day be able to do fine work such as clumsyhands could not compass. But that is not to the point now."

  "You will be glad to be out of the forge for a bit, Ulf?" Wulf asked.

  "That should I, but not always."

  "It will not be for very long. I want a watch set upon a Norman in order toknow where he goes, and whom he meets, and what he purposes. Osgod tells methat he thinks you could play the part rarely, and that you would bewilling for his sake to do our bidding."

  The boy looked up into Osgod's face with an expression of earnestaffection.

  "I would do anything for him," he said, "even if I were to be cut topieces."

  "Osgod is as much interested in the matter as I am, Ulf; and as he hasassured me that you are to be trusted, I will tell you more as to the man,and my object in setting you to watch him."

  "You can trust me, my lord," the boy said earnestly. "I will do yourbidding whatever it is."

  "You know, Ulf, that the Duke of Normandy desires the crown of England?"

  "So I have heard men say, my lord."

  "Were King Harold out of the way, his chances of obtaining it would beimproved."

  The boy nodded.

  "I am sure that the duke himself would take no hand in bringing aboutHarold's death, but there are many of his people who might think that theywould obtain a great reward were they to do so."

  The boy nodded again.

  "The man I wish you to watch is Walter Fitz-Urse, who is in the train ofthe bishop. I have no particular reason for suspecting him, beyond the factthat he has but just come over here, and this is scarcely a time a Normanwould come to London; though as the bishop is a relation and patron of hishe may have come merely to visit him. Still he has, as he thinks, a causefor enmity against the king. He is needy, and, as I know, somewhatunscrupulous. All this is little enough against a man; still it seems to methat his coming bodes danger to the king, and this being so I desire thathe shall be watched, in order that I may find out what is his real objectin coming over here. I want you to post yourself near the gate of thebishop's palace, and whenever he comes out to follow him save when he is inthe train of the bishop--most of all if he sallies out alone or after dark.

  "It will not do for you to be always dressed as an apprentice. Osgod willprocure for you such clothes as you may require for disguises. One day youcan be sitting there as a beggar asking alms, another as a girl from one ofthe villages with eggs or fowls. You understand that you will have tofollow him, to mark where he goes in, and especially, should he be joinedby anybody when out, to endeavour to overhear something of what they say toeach other. Even a few words might suffice to show me whether my suspicionsare true or not. Do you think you can do that? Osgod tells me that you aregood at playing a part."

  "I will do it, my lord, and that right gladly. It is a business after myown heart, and I will warrant that those who see me one day will not knowme when they see me the next."

  "Osgod will go with you now, and will stay near the bishop's palace untilthe man you are to watch comes out, and will point him out to you. In a dayor two I may be going away with the king; when we return you will tell uswhat you have found out. Till we go, Osgod will meet you here each morningas the abbey bell rings out the hour of seven. You can tell him anythingthat you have learned, and then he will give you such further instructionsas may seem needful; and remember you must be cautious, for WalterFitz-Urse would not hesitate to use his dagger on you did he come upon youeaves-dropping."

  "I will give him leave to do so if he catches me," the boy said.

  "Very well, then; Osgod will go with you to buy such clothes as may benecessary, and remember that you will be well rewarded for your work."

  "I want no reward," the boy said, almost indignantly. "I am an apprentice,and as my master has bid me do whatever Osgod commands, he has a right tomy services. But this is nothing. There is not one in London who would notdo aught in his power for Harold, and who would scorn to take pay forit. As this is a matter in which his very life may be concerned, though Iam but a boy, and a small one at that, there is nought that I would not do,even to the giving of my life, to spoil these Norman plots."

  Osgod was about to chide the boy angrily for this freedom of speech, butWulf checked him.

  "You are right, lad; and I am sorry I spoke of a reward. I myself wouldhave answered the same at your age, and would have died for Harold then asI would now. I should have bethought me that the feelings of Englishmen,gentle or simple, are the same towards the king, and I crave your pardonfor treating your loyal service as a thing to be paid for with money."

  The boy's eyes filled with tears; he dropped on one knee, and seizingWulf's hand placed it to his lips, and then without a word sped away,halting a hundred yards off till Osgod should join him.

  "You have made a good choice," Wulf said; "the boy is wholly trustworthy,and unless his face belies him he is as shrewd as he is faithful. My onlyfear in the matter is, that he may be over rash in his desire to carry outthe trust we have given him. Warn him against that, and tell him thatshould he be discovered and killed it would upset all our plans."