care not, so that you do not hinder my folk," she said.

And with that she turned away, saying to the brave sister who yet
stood beside her:

"Let us seek shelter again--the wind is cold, and I am offended
with the sight of these men."

They went into the cabin and closed the door after them, and Egil
and I looked at one another. Egil grinned, but I could not. Outside
the door the kitten mewed restlessly in the cold wind to be taken
in.

"So," he said, "cheer up. This is not your fault; you almost won
through. Had the queen come forth as an abbess, I think that I had
left you for very shame. Priests and black cats are aye unlucky
passengers, however."

I think that I was never so angry as then. To lose all our pains
for the safety of the queen, and that by reason of her own
foolishness, was hard.

Egil left me and went to Bertric; and once more the sail was set,
and the ship headed backward for the English coast. We had almost
lost sight of it. The two longships ranged up on either side of us,
shortening sail to keep us company.

They took the two men whom I had slain and set them forward under
some covering. Neither Egil nor his warriors bore me any grudge for
their fall, which was in fair fight of their own making. After that
Egil's men made the crew bring them what food and ale they had, and
sat down below the fore deck quietly enough. They were courtmen of
Jarl Thorkel's, as I thought, being better than the wild warriors
who made the bulk of Cnut's great host.

Elfric came to me when all was quiet thus, and leant on the rail
beside me for some time without speaking. We were making a long
slant over to the English coast, and my heart was full of heavy
thoughts, for I could not help wondering if this mischance had come
about by my fault; and I was angry and sore that all the plans that
I had made so confidently had come to naught. Presently the abbot
said:

"The queen takes this matter very easily."

"The trouble is to come," I answered; "she thinks that she is yet
on her journey."

"It is no fault of ours that she is not," said he. "Maybe it is
best thus. I suppose that she will understand how things are when
we reach the shore. What will be done with us?"

"Let us ask Egil," I said. "I think we might have fallen into worse
hands than his. It is in my mind that he likes not his errand."

So we went aft to the chief, who stood beside Bertric. And when I
came to him he said, pointing westward:

"He