e cold spring rattling and
bubbling somewhere close at hand.

There was a long seat hewn from the rock at the very back of the
place and to one side, and Wulfnoth drew me down beside him upon
it, and there we sat silent, waiting for I knew not what. A great
yellow cat came and rubbed itself, tail in air, against my legs,
and I stroked it, and it purred pleasantly.

Then I became aware that over against us across the fire sat the
most terrible-looking old witch that I had ever seen or dreamed of,
elbows on knees and chin on hand, staring at us. And when I saw her
I forgot the cat, and could not take my eyes off her.

So for long enough we sat, and she turned her bright eyes from one
of us to the other, letting them rest steadily on each in turn. And
at last she spoke.

"What do Earl Wulfnoth and Redwald the thane seek?"

"Read me what is in the time to come. What shall be the outcome of
this strife for England?" the earl said plainly, but in a low
voice.

"Time to come is longer than I can read," said the old woman, never
stirring or taking her eyes from the earl. "I can only see into a
few years, and I cannot always say what I know of them."

Then she turned her gaze on me, and stretched out her hand and
pointed at me. But her eyes looked past me, as it seemed.

"River and mere and mound," she said in a strangely soft
voice--"those, and the ways of the old time of Guthrum, in the town
that saw Eadmund the king. That is what is written for the weird of
Redwald the thane."

Now at that I was fairly terrified, for it was plain that this old
woman, who had never set eves on me before, had knowledge more than
mortal. But if she had gone so far, I would have her go yet
further. Black terror had been before the days of Guthrum grew
peaceful, and I swallowed my fear of her and asked:

"What of Guthrum's days?"

"Danish laws in the Danish Anglia," she said, "and the peace that
comes after the sword and the torch."

"Fire and sword we have had," I said. "Danish laws have ever been
ours. But Ethelred shall be king."

"Ethelred is king," she answered; "but I speak of time to come."

Then Wulfnoth broke in:

"What is this that you speak of, dame? Tell me if I shall bear fire
and sword into Ethelred's land, and give it the peace that shall be
thereafter."

Then she turned her look away from us, and stared across the fire
and out of the doorway.

"Not with you, nor with your son, but with your son's son shall