ye, I think my father fears treachery from all men," the Atheling
answered. "But Olaf has done well for us both at the first and now
in sending word by you."

Then the sword I was wearing caught Eadmund's eyes, for he was ever
fond of goodly war gear.

"So--you have a new sword instead of that I gave you," he said.
"And I think you have made a good exchange. Let me see this."

"I broke the other blade strangely enough," I told him. "But this
was my father's sword, and it has come back to me."

Now I must tell him all about our great fight, and at the end he
said:

"I would that I had been there. It was a good fight." Then he
laughed, and added: "Now, I will say this, that Streone noted this
fine sword of yours, and wondered who had given it you, and why."

"Did he think that Cnut had bribed me also?" I said. "Such a sword
as this is to a simple thane as much as a petty kingdom to Olaf."

Then Eadmund spoke in the old tone of comradeship that we had been
wont to use in Normandy.

"On my word, I believe he did! But you have often spoken to me of
this sword, and you described it well. I think had I found it on a
Dane I should have claimed it for you. But I never thought you
would see it again."

"Would you have believed that I was bribed, my prince, had it not
chanced that you had heard of the sword from me beforetime?" I
asked, being bitterly hurt that the earl should have put this into
Eadmund's mind.

Did he want to make him doubt all his former friends?

"Not I, Redwald," the Atheling said. "Streone is over careful for
our safety, I think, and lets his love for us make him suspect all
men. I told him as much, and he said that perhaps it was so. Then I
said that Olaf had doubtless given you the weapon, and he would
have me ask you. He thought that you should not have lightly set
aside my gift."

Now I was sure that the earl strove to break Eadmund's friendship
with Olaf, for to anger me would help to do so. The next thing
would be to have me made away with, for that would turn Olaf into a
foe, and he would leave England maybe. I thought that the earl
would stand alone in Eadmund's counsels, and did not dream yet that
he was indeed working for Cnut in order to take the first place in
England as Thorkel did in Denmark. But that was plain enough ere
long, and all men know it now. At this time, however, these matters
puzzled me, and had it not been for the slaying of Sigeferth and
Morcar and one or two othe