we watched the busy Danes, he
began to sing to me in low tones the song of Bosham bell which his
people would sing by the fireside.

"Hard by the haven,
Wilfrith the holy
Bade men a bell tower
Sturdily build.
Thence should a bell sound
Over the wide seas,
Homeward to hail
The hardy shipmen.
Thus was the bell wrought
By skilful workmen:
Into the fierce fire,
When it was founded,
Helm and harness
The warriors hove;
Willingly women,
The jewel wearers,
Golden and silver gauds
Gave for the melting;
And a great anchor
The seamen added.
Thus was a wealth
Of wondrous metal.
When all was molten
More grew its marvel!
Cast in a chalice,
Cuthred the priest."

"Aye, Father," said I, "that is a wondrous bell."

He nodded, and went on, with his eyes fixed on the monastery.

"Thus as the bell swings
Soothly it speaketh:
Churchward it calleth
With voice of the chalice,
Speaking to shipmen
With voice that is sea born.
Homeward the husband
Hailing with voices
Fresh from the fireside,
Where flashed the gold gifts--
Clashing the war call,
Clear with its warrior voice."

"That was the voice of the bell that sounded as we came," I
thought; and even as I would have said it, the bell of Bosham spoke
again, and the prior stopped with an exclamation, and pointed.

Out of the gateway came four Danes, bearing the bell between them,
and as they crossed the threshold, one stumbled, and the bell
clanged as they dropped it on the courtyard pavement. The tears ran
down the holy man's face as he saw this mishap to his beloved bell,
which was kept bright as when it was first founded, by the loving
hands of his people.

Now the Danes put it on that farm cart I had seen, and which they
had mended, and took the bell down to the wharf, and we watched
them sling it to the crane they had rigged, and place it amidships
on deck. Then they all went hastily on board, and put out into the
haven, down which Halfden's ship was already a mile distant, and
dancing on the quick waves of wind against tide where the waters
broadened into a wide lake.

Now when the ship was fairly under way, the prior rose up from
beside me, and lifting his hand, cursed ship and crew with so great
and bitter a curse that I trembled and looked to see the ship
founder at once, so terrible were his words.

Yet the ship held on her course, and the words seemed vain and
wasted, though I know not so certainly that they were so. For this
is what I saw when the