"It does," I replied.

"But surely they cannot intend to do anything tonight. They would not
choose Sunday for a deed of darkness. Men who have attended mass
during the day, surely would not so forget their God as to go through
the country like cowardly wolves, pulling down the prey in company
which they dare not attack singly."

"I should hope the same; but then the looks and words of today," said
I.

"Did they say what authority they had for their projected scheme?"

"They dared to say," replied the ceorl who had before spoken, "they
had the sanction of the king."

There was again a painful silence. We groaned in the bitterness of our
hearts--O Ethelred, son of Edgar, hast thou forgotten all truth and
mercy?--thou, the son of Edgar the Magnanimous?

Every impulse of our hearts led us to detest the cruel deed of
treachery about to be consummated, but which we could not prevent.

At least there was one whom we could save from the general
destruction, the young Alfgar, and we determined to detain him if
possible by persuasion, keeping the truth from him, but in any case to
detain him at the hall during the night.

I could not remain at the hall myself, for, on such a night, it seemed
necessary to be with my own people, and to be ready to seize any
opportunity of saving the effusion of blood, or of giving protection
to any who might seek refuge under the shelter of our roof, where
murder would be sacrilege, a consideration of some importance where
Christians, shame to say, were the murderers.

But before I went my brother and I sent to Alfgar that we might speak
to him, and prevail upon him to stay with us the night.

"Alfgar," said Elfwyn, "the night is very stormy and blustering, and
we wish you to remain with us, and share our hospitality till the
morn. Your father will not miss you?"

"I do not think he will; for after one of these debauches he generally
sleeps far into the next day. But the domestic serfs may remark my
absence."

"There is another reason, my boy, why we wish you to stay. Wild men
who hate your father's race are abroad, and did you fall into their
hands while returning home it might fare hard with you."

"I can imagine that. I marked the looks they cast upon me in God's
house, even there, this day. They cannot forgive me my Danish blood,
although my mother was one of themselves, and a Christian."

"They have suffered much, my lad; and suffering, as is often the case,
has blunted thei