eemen
tuned their harps, and I and my comrade lit our torches from those
already burning on the wall, and stood ready, for the king was coming.

Out of the door backed Berthun with many bows, and loud sang the
gleemen, while all in the hall stood up at once; and then came Alsi,
leading the princess, first; and then Ragnar, with the wife of some
great noble; and after him that noble and another lady; but Griffin was
not there. Bright looked Goldberga in her blue dress, with wondrous
jewels on arm and neck, and maybe the brighter for the absence of the
Welsh thane, as I thought.

So they sat as last night, save that the noble who had come next to
Ragnar was in Griffin's place; and therefore I stood behind the king and
the princess, with the light of my torch falling between the two.

Now they were set, and at once Berthun bore a great beaker of wine to
the king, and all down the hall ran his men with the pitchers of wine
and mead and ale, and with them the women of the household and the wives
of the courtmen, filling every drinking horn for the welcome cup.

Then the gleemen hushed their song, and Alsi stood up with the
gold-rimmed horn of the king in his hand, and high he raised it, and
cried, "Waeshael!"

And all the guests rose up, cup in hand, with a wonderful flashing of
the glorious English jewels, and cried with one voice, "Drinc hael, Cyning!"

Then all sat them down, and at once came Berthun's men with the laden
spits and the cauldrons, and first they served the high table, kneeling
on the dais steps while each noble helped himself and the lady next him
with what he would. And then down the hall the feast began, and for a
time befell a silence--the silence of hungry folk who have before them
a good reason for not saying much for a little while.

I looked for Havelok among Berthun's men, but he was not there. Nor was
he at the lower cross tables with the other people of the palace. But
Withelm was there, for Eglaf had seen him with me not an hour ago, and
had bidden him come, as a stranger from far off. There were a few other
strangers there also, as one might suppose, for the king's hall must be
open at these times.

Now I looked on all this, and it pleased me; and then I began to hear
the talk of those at the high table, and that was pleasant also. First I
heard that Griffin had fallen off his horse, and had put his arm out.
Whereon one said that he only needed one hand to feed with, and
marvelled that