Then he heard me and turned.

"Well, what more has the old witch told you?" he said, trying to
speak carelessly, though one might see that he longed to hear more.

As we went towards the horses, I told him, therefore, of what had
been said of Eadmund and Cnut. And as he heard he grew thoughtful.

"Now," he said, slowly and half to himself, "if the shadow of that
villain Streone is on Eadmund as on me, I will not strike for
myself--as yet; and Cnut shall win other men's praise before I give
him mine or go to him unsought."

"Eadmund needs a friend, lord earl," I said, mindful of Olaf's
errand, yet hardly daring to say more seeing that he had failed.

"If there were no Ethelred--" said the earl, and stopped.

He said no more then until we were nearly within hearing of Relf.
Then he turned and faced me, taking my hand and staying me.

"I would that Olaf and you were my friends," he said, "for you both
speak out for those whom you love or serve. See here, Redwald, when
you are tired of the ways of Ethelred's crew, come to me again, and
we will plan together. And tell Olaf the same. I shall bide quiet,
keeping my Sussex against all comers, until I think a time has
come. And then, maybe, the old banner will go forward. I would have
you with me then."

So it seemed that I had found a friend, though a strange one, and I
thanked the earl, and promised him as he wished, for it bound me
only to what I thought would surely never come to pass.

After that we went on to Relf, and rode to where we had left the
men. Then the earl left us, making his way to his ships that lay at
Bulverhythe, where some were in winter quarters. The great sea
flood had changed the Pevensea haven strangely, and he mistrusted
it.

I told Relf all these things, but he cared not much for aught but
his free life in the Penhurst woodlands, where he had no foes or
fear of foes left, now that the outlaws were done with.

"Well, if there must be fighting under the earl at some time," he
said, "I am glad that you may be with us."

And he cared to ask no more about it from that day, nor do I think
that he ever gave these matters, which were so heavy to me, a
thought, being always light hearted. And now as we rode on
silently, and I deemed that his mind was full of bodings, as was
mine, he roused me from the memory of what I had seen and heard by
saying, with a laugh:

"Saw you the old dame's cat?"

"Aye," I answered carelessly; "a great one, and a