re, to the first Northman
I have met between here and London town, for it is good to hear a
friendly voice."

"Skoal to the jarl!" I answered, and I gave the salute of Sigurd's
courtmen, which came into my mind on the moment with the familiar
greeting of long years ago. And "Skoal," said Havelok.

"Jarl! How know you that I am that?"

"By the jarl's bracelet that you wear, surely."

"So you are a real Dane--not an English-bred one like myself. That is
good. You and I will have many a talk together. Odin, how good it is to
meet a housecarl who speaks as man to man and does not cringe to me! Who
are you?"

"Radbard Grimsson of Grimsby, housecarl just now to this King of Lindsey."

"And your comrade?"

I was about to tell this friendly countryman Havelok's name without
thought, but stopped in time. Of all the things I had been brought up to
dread most for him, that an English Dane should find him out was the
worst, so I said, "He is called Curan, and he is a Lindsey marshman."

"Who can talk Danish though his name is Welsh. That is strange. Well,
you are right about me. I am Ragnar of Norwich, the earl, as the English
for jarl goes. Now I want to see Alsi the king straightway."

"That is a matter for the captain," I said, and I called for him.

Eglaf came out and made a deep reverence when he saw the earl, knowing
at once who he was, and as this was just what the earl had said that he
did not like, he looked quaintly at me across Eglaf's broad bent back,
so that I had to grin perforce.

All unknowing of which the captain heard the earl's business, and then
told me to see him to the palace gates, and take his horse to the
stables when he had dismounted and was in the hands of Berthun.

So I went, and Havelok turned away and went on some errand down the
steep street.

This Ragnar was one of whom I had often heard, for he was the governor
of all the North folk for Alsi until the Lady Goldberga should take her
place. He was her cousin, being the son of Ethelwald's sister, who was
of course a Dane. Danish, and from the old country, was his father also,
being one of the men who had come over to the court of East Anglia when
Ethelwald was made king.

All the way to the door we talked of Denmark, but it was not far. There
Berthun came out and greeted the earl in court fashion, and I thought
that I was done with, because the grooms had run to take the great bay
horse as they heard the trampling. But, as it happened