his case, being somewhat of a
gleeman, as so many of these wanderers are. And there the men left
him in the road, singing and careless of aught save his recovered
sight, and hastened after the party.

Yet it was not until the next day that they told the tale, and
whether the once blind man was ever found again I cannot tell; but
I have set this down as I knew of it, because it was the first of
many healings wrought by the saint we loved. I ken well that the
tale is told nowadays in a more awesome way; but let that pass.
Tales of wonder grow ever more strange as the years go on.

Men call Ethelbert a martyr now, I suppose because he was slain.
That is not quite what we mean by a martyr, for that is one who
gives up his life rather than deny his Lord. Yet Ethelbert was
indeed a witness to the faith all his life, and so the name may
stand.

So presently they brought back the body to Fernlea, and its resting
was ready in the little church which had come into the strange
dream by the riverside. And I knew, as I watched by it all the rest
of that night till the hour of prime, that this was what the vision
foreboded.

CHAPTER XVI. HOW WILFRID SPOKE ONCE MORE WITH OFFA.

Now that I had Hilda safe with the archbishop, it mattered nothing
to me if all the world knew that I was yet here. So when Ealdwulf,
the archbishop himself, asked me to ride with him to Sutton Palace
and tell Offa of the finding, I said that I was most willing. I
should see Selred, and maybe bring him away with me, and at least
could tell him that all was well with Hilda.

I will say now that she was none the worse for the wetting and the
rest of last night's doings, but that I saw her come fresh and
bright to the breakfast in the little hall of the reeve's house.
There she would bide till she could go with the archbishop
homewards in some way, most likely from nunnery to nunnery across
the land, as ladies will often travel, with parties of the holy
women--that is, if Sighard was not to be found. In my own mind I
thought that he would not be far off, most likely with Witred, the
Mercian thane who had arranged the flight.

Presently, therefore, we rode away from Fernlea toward Sutton,
there being but one priest with the archbishop, and six of the
townsmen, besides Erling and myself. It was no state visit, but the
going of one who would speak with an erring friend in private.
Sorely downcast was the good man, for he loved Offa well, and this
te