d mind that Ethelbert wrongs him by living to hold
back the frontier of Mercia from the eastern sea.

"He is my guest, and I may not touch him," he says dully. "All the
world would cry out on me if harm came to him here. And yet--"

"You shall not harm him," Quendritha says quickly. "There are other
ways. Your own name shall be free from so much as shadow of blame.
Now I would that I myself had made an end before ever I said a word
to you."

"Had you done so--Peace. Let it be. You set strange thoughts, and
evil, in my mind, wife."

Then she leaves him, and in her face is triumph, for Offa has
forbidden her nothing. Outside the door waits Gymbert, as if on
guard, alone.

"All goes well. Have you sounded yon Frank?" she says.

"He is no Frank, but a Wessex thane and a hired man of Carl's;
moreover, he is Ethelbert's friend."

"Fool!" she says. "How far went you with him? What does he know--or
suspect?"

"Naught," answers Gymbert stiffly.

And with that he tells her what passed between us.

"Come to me tomorrow early," Quendritha says, and goes her way.

But we slept in peace, deeming all well. Only Erling, sleeping
armed across my door, was restless, for the cold eyes of the queen
seem to be on him in his dreams.

CHAPTER X. HOW GYMBERT THE MARSHAL LOST HIS NAME AS A GOOD HUNTSMAN.

There was to be a great hunt on this next day after we came to
Sutton, the stronghold palace.

It had been made ready beforehand--men driving the game from the
farther hills and woodlands into the valley of the Lugg, and then
drawing a line of nets and fires across a narrow place in its upper
reaches, that the wild creatures might not stray beyond reach
again. I should hardly like to say how many thralls watched the
sides of that valley from this barrier to a mile or two from the
palace. Nor do I know if all the tales they told of the countless
head of game, deer and boar, wolf and fox, roe and wild white
cattle, which had been driven for the kings, are true, but I will
say that never have I seen such swarming woods as those through
which we rode after the morning meal.

I had no thought that Offa seemed otherwise than as we met him
yesterday, and I suppose that all thought, or perhaps all
remembrance, of what he and his queen had talked of last night had
gone from him. Gay and friendly he was, and we heard him jesting
lightly with Ethelbert as they led us. With them went Gymbert,
smooth and pleasant as ever; and he