se that they hailed him for king.
There was naught else for them to do. And he promised to keep the
laws of Eadgar {15}, and to defend Holy Church, and to make no
difference between Dane and Saxon, and by that time men knew that
what Cnut the king promised that he would perform.

So came the strong hand that Ethelred our dying king had foretold,
and sure and lasting peace lay fair before England. Above all
things that made for our content Cnut promised to send home his
host. Nor was it long before Jarl Eirik sailed away with all but
those to whom lands had fallen. There were many manors whose
English lords had died, and they must own Danish masters.

And I will say this other word, that now at the time that I write
of these things, men speak of English only, for Cnut has welded the
races of England into one in such wise as has never been before.

So I mourned for Eadmund, and wrought at home-making until the
springtime came, and all the while the thought of Uldra grew dearer
to me, and I longed to seek her again. And the thought of Hertha
and my betrothal seemed as bondage to me. Yet I would do nought
till Ailwin came or till I could find him. But none knew where he
was.

I knew now that it was well that Hertha and I should not meet till
all was broken off, for her I could not love, and she knew nought
of me. Yet for her sake I set the Wormingford thralls at work in
the like manner as my own people were busied, that she might find
withal to build her own house place afresh, when, if ever, she
should return.

Now, one day as I stood watching the shaping of the timber for the
first framing of my hall, Thrand came back. He ran to me when he
saw me, and cried:

"Master all is avenged! Streone the traitor is no more."

I took him away to a quiet place, for this news was strange, and
the thralls were listening wonderingly, and I asked him how this
came about.

"Master, I slew him myself," he said grimly.

Then said I:

"By subtlety--after his own manner?"

"Not so, master. But even in Cnut's own presence."

So I was amazed, and bade him tell all.

"When I left you, master," he said, "I took service with Jarl
Thorkel. Then he went to court in London, even as I hoped, for that
was all I needed, and presently came Streone with a great train to
see Cnut. Now the king is not a great and strong man, as men think
who have not seen him, but is tall and overgrown for his years,
looking eighteen or twenty, though he