after this was done a marriage service was held, and
Edmund and Freda married with the rites of the Christian Church. The
pope himself was present at the services and bestowed his blessing upon
the newly married couple, the novelty of the occasion drawing a vast
crowd of spectators.

A few days later the Dragon again put to sea, and after a speedy voyage
with favourable weather arrived in England without further adventure.
Edmund's arrival at home was the occasion of great rejoicings. The news
of the share which the Dragon and her crew had taken in the defence of
Paris had reached England, but none knew what had become of her from
that time, and when months had passed without tidings of her being
received it was generally supposed that she must have been lost.

Her return laden with rich booty excited the greatest enthusiasm, and
the king himself journeyed to Sherborne to welcome Edmund on his
arrival there.

"So this is the reason," he said smiling, when Edmund presented Freda
to him, "why you were ever so insensible to the attractions to our
Saxon maidens! Truly the reason is a fair one and fully excuses you,
and right glad am I to welcome your bonnie bride to our shores."

Alfred remained three days at Sherborne and then left Edmund to
administer the affairs of his earldom, for which a substitute had been
provided in his absence. The large plunder which the Dragon had brought
home had enriched all who had sailed in her, and greatly added to the
prosperity which prevailed in Edmund's district.

He found that in his absence Alfred had introduced many changes. The
administration of justice was no longer in the hands of the ealdormen,
judges having been appointed who journeyed through the land and
administered justice. Edmund highly approved of the change, for
although in most cases the ealdormen had acted to the best of their
powers they had a great deal of other business to do; besides, their
decisions necessarily aggrieved one party or the other and sometimes
caused feuds and bad feelings, and were always liable to be suspected
of being tinged with partiality; whereas the judges being strangers in
the district would give their decisions without bias or favour.

Freda had, as was the custom, taken a new name in baptism, but at
Edmund's request her name had only been changed to the Christian one of
Elfrida, and Edmund to the end of his life continued to call her by her
old name. She speedily became as popular in t