Now all England was open to Cnut, and Eirik the jarl fell on
Norwich and drove Ulfkytel back on us, and from him we heard of
this trouble.

On the eve of St. George's day, Ethelred sent for me to his
chamber, for he would speak with me. I found him sitting in a great
chair before the fire, wrapped in furs, though the day was warm and
sunny, and he was very feeble, so that his thin hands had little
strength in them. The queen, Emma, was with him, looking young and
handsome as ever, and in the light of a narrow window sat Eadward
the Atheling, the sunshine falling on his strange white hair and on
the pages of a great book over which he pored. He just lifted his
pale eyes from his reading as I went in and saw who it was, and
smiled pleasantly at me, and then turned to his book again. I
thought that the troubles of the time passed lightly on the proud
lady and the boy, whose learning was all that she cared for.

"Come near, Redwald, my son," the king said, in his voice that had
grown so faint of late. "I have a charge to lay on you."

I went and knelt by him, and he put his hand on my shoulder, and
the tears came to my eyes at the kindly touch, for it was the same
as, and yet so unlike, that which had been a promise of friendship
to me at the first time that I saw him.

"All things are slipping from me, Redwald," the king said; "nor is
there aught that I grieve to lay down when the day comes on which I
must pass through the gate of death. Crown and sceptre have been
heavy burdens to me, for with them has been the weight of the sword
also. I have borne those ill, and used that cruelly. I am the
Unredy; but I have listened to ill counsels, having none of my own,
nor wit to see what was best."

He ceased for faintness, and my heart ached to hear him speak thus
to me, his servant. But Emma the queen turned half away from him,
her face growing hard and scornful as she heard. Then Eadward set
his book down gently, and, looking sadly at his mother, came and
stood over against me at the other side of the king, and took his
wan hand and said:

"There are laws which you have made, my father, which will live in
the hearts of men alongside those that Eadgar made--our best. There
will not be all blame to you in the days to come, when men see
clearly how things have gone with you."

Thereat Ethelred smiled faintly, and he answered:

"I pray that it may be so. But the good outweighs not the evil. I
may not count the one--I must