se who had gone having taken their
steeds.

"I wonder ours are left," quoth Erling. "These Mercians are more
honest than some folk I know."

He called the grooms, and we made ready, taking the horses out to
where the folk of the archbishop waited in the sunny courtyard, and
there leaving them. Then we went back to the council chamber, and
again waited for what seemed a long time. The young thane had a
meal brought for us there.

Presently Ealdwulf himself came to the door and called me softly,
and I followed him back to the presence of the king. I cannot tell
what had passed between those two, nor do I suppose that any man
will ever know; but Offa was more himself, save that on his face
was a deep sadness, and no trace of hardness or pride therewith.

"Friend," he said, "is it your duty to go back to Carl the Great?"

"I have left his service, King Offa; I am on my way homeward. It
was but by the kindness of Ethelbert, to whom I helped bear
messages, that I came hither."

"Well," he said, "I will not hinder you. Had you gone back, I would
have asked you to tell him plainly all of this. As it is, Ealdwulf
shall send churchmen to tell him; I would have him know the truth.
Now I must thank you for this that you did last night, and tell you
what shall be done in atonement for the death of your friend."

There he checked himself and bit his lip.

"Nay," he said unsteadily, "there is no atonement possible. There
is but left to me the power of showing that I do repent, and will
have all men know it for aye. There shall be at Fernlea, where he
will lie in his last sleep, the greatest cathedral that has been
seen or heard of in this land, and men shall hail him as the very
saint that you and I knew him to be; and after his name shall it be
called, and in it shall be all due service of priest and choir for
him till time shall end it. What more may I do?"

"I think that the place where his body lay should not be left
unmarked," I said boldly, for so it had seemed to me. "May not
somewhat be done there, that the spot may be kept?"

"Ay, at Marden," he said eagerly, as if he did but long to do all
that he might, "there also shall be a church, that it may be held
holy for all time. It shall be seen to at once."

After that promise Offa bade me farewell sadly enough, and I was
glad to leave the chamber. Nor had we long to wait before Ealdwulf
came out, and we were once more turning our backs on the palace of
Sutton. On