her side.

But not another word did she say, though her lips seemed to form
somewhat, and in her eyes was written most terrible hate and anger.
She took her gaze from Erling, for he did not shrink from it, and
let it rest for a moment on Sighard with a meaning which made him
pale as he thought of Hilda, who was yet in her hands, and so went
from the room suddenly, and the door was closed after her from
within.

Then said Witred the Mercian earnestly, "Friends, an you value your
lives, get you hence while yet that passage is open. I am going
with those who do go, for we who have seen and heard all this will
not be suffered to live to tell it."

"It seems to me that Erling's tale is not new to some folk here," I
said.

"It is an old tale with us, but we did not believe it. It had been
well-nigh forgotten, for it was nowise safe to do so much as
whisper it.

"But, thanes, did you mark the face of the king?"

"It was terrible," said Selred, shuddering: "it was as the face of
the lost."

And then out in the courtyard the horns blew the morning call
cheerily, and the hall buzzed in a moment with the rousing of the
men who slept along its walls, and there reached us the sound of
jest and laughter and shouts as they waked the heavy sleepers.

"Thanes," said Witred, quite coolly, "if we want to see another day
dawn we had best be going.

"Brother, I rede you go to the horse watering yourself, and take
your best steed under you; and I pray you bring mine also.

"Paladin, that gay steed of yours will be with the rest--and yours
also, thane.

"Erling, you shall in nowise go stablewards, but come with us."

The thane who had to see to the stables leaped up, and without more
than a nod to his comrade and us went his way down the hall in
haste.

"There are two or three things I don't want to leave behind," said
Witred, "but I shall have to forego them. A man need not stop to
gather property when Quendritha is at his heels. Come; why are you
waiting? I tell you that we shall find the far end of that passage
closed in one way or another if we haste not."

"My daughter!" said Sighard, groaning; "she is in the queen's
bower."

"So also is Etheldrida the princess," said Witred. "She is of her
court, as one may say, and will be safe. No harm can come to her."

"I fear for her," said Sighard, still hesitating.

"This woman, who has slain the bridegroom of her own daughter, will
stick at little. I have offended her,