ght here--what crime I have
committed."

No reply.

"At least bear a message to one who will think I have deserted him in
his need."

Again they were silent.

They had ascended a rough staircase. At the summit a passage led past
two or three doors to one made of the strongest plank, and
strengthened with iron.

They opened it, thrust him in, showed him, by the light of their
torches, a bed of straw in the corner.

"There you can lie and sleep as peacefully as at Carisbrooke," said
one of his guards.

"And let me tell you," added Higbald, "that it will be certain death
to try to get away; for if you could escape me, my dog Wolf, who
prowls about by day and night, would tear you in pieces before any one
could help you. He has killed half-a-dozen men in his day."

Like a poor wounded deer which retires to his thicket to die, Alfgar
threw himself down upon the bed of straw. His reflections were very,
very bitter.

"What would Edmund think of him?"

"He will know I am faithful. He will not think that the lad whose life
he saved has deserted him. He will search till he find me even here."

Thus in alternate hope and despair he sank at last to sleep--nature
had its way--even as the criminal has slept on the rack.

CHAPTER XIV. THE SON AND THE FAVOURITE.

A stormy scene had meanwhile taken place in an interior chamber of the
palace of the bishop, which had been metamorphosed into a council
chamber for the king. There were present Ethelred himself, his
irrepressible son, the traitor Edric, the bishop, the sheriff of the
shire, and the reeve of the borough, with the captain of the
hus-carles, or royal guard.

"We all need Divine guidance at this moment," said Edric, clasping his
hands meekly; "would you, my lord and king, ask the bishop to open our
proceedings 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 of
council, 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 our
subjects. Perhaps it is well that the accusation so often urged by
backbiters 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,