her day when he met me in London by some good
fortune, I had hardly seen him since my father died."

"What think you of Griffin?"

"Nothing at all, for nidring he is," answered Goldberga with curling lip.

Now that angered Alsi, for he had so much to do with that business; and
if Griffin was to be called thus by his fault, he was likely to lose a
friend.

"I would have you remember," he said, "that in all this choosing it
remains for me to give consent or withhold it."

"I shall only ask your consent to my wedding such a man as I have told
you of, uncle--a king or a king's son."

"So," said Alsi, "you would choose first, and ask me afterwards,
forsooth! That is not the way that things are to be between us. It is
for me to choose, and that according to the oath which I took when your
father made me guardian of you and his realm."

"Yet," said Goldberga very gently, "I think that my father would not
have meant that I should be the only one not to be asked."

"I can only go by what I swore, and that I will carry out. I promised to
see you married to the most goodly and mightiest man in the land."

"That can be none but a king, as I think."

Now Alsi grew impatient, for he meant to settle one matter before he
went much farther.

"I will say at once that I can have no king over the East Anglian
kingdom. It is not to be thought of that after all these years I should
have to take second place there. You will hold the kingdom from me, and
I shall be overlord there. I will send you some atheling who can keep
the land in order for you, but there shall be no king to bring that land
under the power of his own kingdom."

That was plain speaking, and it roused Goldberga.

"Never have you been overlord of my kingdom," she said. "Well have you
ruled it for me while I could not rule it myself, and for that I thank
you heartily. But it is not right that I should seem to hold it from you."

"That is to be seen," sneered Alsi, "for it lies with me to say what
marriage you make, and on that depends whether the Witan, in its wisdom,
sees fit to hail you as queen. Not until you are married will you take
the kingdom at all."

"Then," said the princess, growing pale, "I will speak to the Witan
myself, and learn their will."

"The Witan has broken up," answered Alsi, "and the good thanes are miles
on their way homewards by this time. You are too late."

"I will call them up again."

"Certainly--that is, if I let my men run