s (the Etheling's) own. Must he not think
that the lad whose life he had saved had been false to him? and this
thought was agony to the faithful and true heart of the prisoner.

He scarcely doubted for one moment into whose hands he had
fallen--that he was in Edric Streorn's power. The only thing he could
not quite comprehend was, why they had thought it worth while to
imprison him, when murder would seem the more convenient mode of
removing an unpleasant witness.

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

Edric Streorn stood before him.

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

"It was true."

"I do not think it worth my while to deny it here; but what of
that?--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 to
prove, as to the fools you have chosen to serve, that I was on
pilgrimage at the time you name. I have a direct purpose in detaining
you here, for I have lately seen Sweyn."

"Traitor!"

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

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

Alfgar thought at first that this was simply an idle threat, since it
would be almost impossible to convey him secretly through the country
to 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, no
one will believe that Sweyn could be so audacious, and they think
that, listening behind walls and in cupboards, the Etheling, perhaps,
drank too much of what