and wife were sound asleep, but the light shone from Havelok's mouth,
and made a glory round his head. Utterly amazed at the marvel, Ubbe
went away silently, and returned with all the garrison of his castle
to the room where his guests still lay sleeping. As they gazed on the
light Havelok turned in his sleep, and they saw on his shoulder the
golden cross, shining like the sun, which all men knew to be the token
of royal birth. Then Ubbe exclaimed: "Now I know who this is, and why
I loved him so dearly at first sight: this is the son of our dead King
Birkabeyn. Never was man so like another as this man is to the dead
king: he is his very image and his true heir." With great joy they
fell on their knees and kissed him eagerly, and Havelok awoke and
began to scowl furiously, for he thought it was some treacherous
attack; but Ubbe soon undeceived him.

[Illustration: "With great joy they fell on their knees"]

"'Dear lord,' quoth he, 'be thou in naught dismayed,
For in thine eyes methinks I see thy thought--
Dear son, great joy is mine to live this day!
My homage, lord, I freely offer thee:
Thy loyal men and vassals are we all,
For thou art son of mighty Birkabeyn,
And soon shalt conquer all thy father's land,
Though thou art young and almost friendless here.
To-morrow will we swear our fealty due,
And dub thee knight, for prowess unexcelled.'"

Now Havelok knew that his worst danger was over, and he thanked God
for the friend He had sent him, and left to the good Jarl Ubbe the
management of his cause. Ubbe gathered an assembly of as many mighty
men of the realm, and barons, and good citizens, as he could summon;
and when they were all assembled, pondering what was the cause of this
imperative summons, Ubbe arose and said:

"Gentles, bear with me if I tell you first things well known to you.
Ye know that King Birkabeyn ruled this land until his death-day, and
that he left three children--one son, Havelok, and two daughters--to
the guardianship of Jarl Godard: ye all heard him swear to keep them
loyally and treat them well. But ye do not know how he kept his oath!
The false traitor slew both the maidens, and would have slain the boy,
but for pity he would not kill the child with his own hands. He bade a
fisherman drown him in the sea; but when the good man knew that it was
the rightful heir, he saved the boy's life and fled with him to
England, where Havelok has been brought u