ng for them."

So the three men had their loaves, and Havelok began to eat his own
slowly, swinging his legs on the bridge rail while the men watched him.

"Master," said the small man from behind, pushing forward a little, now
that the crowd was looser, "make a law for the market, I pray you, that
all may have a chance."

"Who am I to make laws?" said my brother slowly, and, as he said this,
his hand went up to his brows as it had gone last night when the palace
had wearied him.

"The strong make laws for the weak," the old man said to him in a low
voice. "If the strong is honest, for the weak it is well. Things are
hard for the weak here; and therefore say somewhat, for it may be of use."

"It can be none, unless the strong is at hand to see that the law is kept."

"Sometimes the market will see that a rule is not broken, for itself.
There is no rule for this matter."

Again Havelok passed his hand over his eyes, and he was long in
answering. The loaf lay at his side now. Presently he looked straight
before him, and, as if he saw far beyond Lincoln Hill and away to the
north, he said, "This is my will, therefore, that from this time forward
it shall be the law that men shall have one among them who may fairly
and without favour so order this matter that all shall come to Berthun
the steward in turns that shall be kept, and so also with the carrying
for any other man. There shall be a company of porters, therefore, which
a man must join before he shall do this work, save that every stranger
who comes shall be suffered to take a burden once, and then shall be
told of this company, and the custom that is to be. And I will that this
old man shall see to this matter."

And then he stopped suddenly, and seemed to start as a great shout went
up from the men, a shout as of praise; and his eyes looked again on
them, and that wonderingly.

"They will keep this law," said the old man. "Well have you spoken."

"I have said a lot of foolishness, maybe," answered Havelok. "For the
life of me I could not say it again."

"There is not one of us that could not do so," said his adviser. "But
bide you here, master, in the town?"

"I am in service at the palace."

Then the old man turned round to the others and said, "This is good that
we have heard, and it is nothing fresh, for all trades have their
companies, and why should not we? Is this stranger's word to be kept?"

Maybe there were one or two of the rougher men who