o?" I asked.

"I know not. He gave me the message, and I know no more. Not even
of whom he speaks."

Now for a moment I grew angry with Ailwin again, for it seemed to
me that I should have been told more than this. Then I thought that
perhaps Ailwin himself knew not yet where he would go.

"Does Ailwin know that there is news from Denmark?" I asked.

"Our abbot told him, but he knew already, having had word from
Colchester in some way. He had heard before we as it seems."

That was doubtless Gunnhild's work, for I came to know afterwards
that in the long years of trouble she had made a chain of friends
who would pass word to her from every point whence trouble would
come. It seems to me that much of the dame's knowledge of coming
events was gained in ways like this rather than by witchcraft.

Then I was glad that the danger that I had learned had been
foreseen by her and Ailwin; and as I sat without speaking for a few
minutes I felt that now I was free to follow Olaf where he would
lead his men to meet the Danes, for Hertha was not here, and her I
could follow no longer.

There was no more to be learned from the priest, and so we rose up
and went down to the churchyard, and saw the work, and I told him
what I could of Ailwin and his ways, and thought that he had found
one who was like him in thought and gentleness.

So presently I took Eadmund's penny from my pouch and gave it to
him, telling him about it, even as I would have told Ailwin.

"Give me this back when I return, father," I said, "and it shall
remind me of some vow which I will make at your advice."

"Make no vows, my son, save this one," he said. "What will befall
you we know not, and therefore there is but one vow which we know
certainly that you may be able to keep. I will have you put the
penny where you may see it often, and so you shall remember, and
vow if you will, that when your eyes fall on it you shall say a
prayer to Him who gave power to Eadmund to conquer in dying, for
this home of yours and this church, that out of ruin may come
beauty, and after war, peace."

"I will make that vow, father," I said gladly.

"Forget not me at times in the prayer," he said very humbly; and I
promised that I would not, taking the penny back.

Then he went and began to work on the church, being plainly skilful
in the matter, and I went up to our hall's ruins and looked out
over the land, and planned again what I would do in the days to
come.

It