its walls I never set eyes again, nor did I wish to do
so.

As we went in leisurely wise back to Fernlea, the archbishop told
me those few things which I have set down concerning the way in
which Quendritha had beguiled the king into suffering the thought
of this deed of shame. No more than was needful for me to
understand how little part, indeed, Offa had had in the matter did
he tell me, for all else that had passed between those two was not
to be told. Both he and I think that had the evil queen left the
doing of her deed until morning it had never been wrought, for Offa
would have come to himself.

Yet one cannot tell. What Quendritha had set her heart on was apt
to be carried through, even to the bitterest of endings for those
who were in her way thereto. How she would fare now Ealdwulf could
not tell me. It was true that she was almost imprisoned, as I have
said, but none could tell whether that would last. Yet he thought,
indeed, that Offa would have no more to do with her.

So we came back to Fernlea, and when I saw the little church I
minded once more that strange dream of the poor young king's. I had
heard the words which told that it would come to pass. Nor was
there any doubt now in my mind that all those things which we had
deemed omens were indeed so. The fears we had tried to laugh at
were more than justified.

CHAPTER XVII. HOW WILFRID AND HIS CHARGE MET JEFAN THE PRINCE.

Now I went straightway to Hilda with the news of her father,
telling her that it seemed almost the best for us to trust to the
word of the Welsh prince, and go to him, rather than to risk a
journey hither for the thane if he was wounded.

"I trust you altogether, Wilfrid," she said. "Take me to him. I
know that you have bided here in sore risk for me, and maybe you
also will be safer if once we are across the Wye. The Welsh are not
the foes of East Anglia."

I did not tell her that they were very much so of Wessex, on our
western border; for at all events ours were Cornish, who had not so
much to do with their brothers beyond the Channel here. So, having
bidden her keep up heart, I sought the wife of the reeve, and would
have given her gold to buy such things as she might think Hilda
needed for travel.

"Dear heart!" she said, bridling, "set your gold back in your
pouch. May not the reeve's wife of Fernlea give of her plenty to
one so fair and hapless? I will see to that in all good time."

She stood by a great press