matter,
having heard all the court news from Mercia.

"Quendritha's power is over for good and all," he said. "Offa has
sworn a great oath that he will never set eyes on her again. They
say that she is shut up in some stronghold, with none but men of
the king's own round her, and that there she pines and rages in
turn, helpless for harm. You may be sure that no word of you has
come hither. Doubtless she believes you fled back to Carl the
Great. You may sleep in peace."

"Get married, my son, and settle down," said my mother softly. "I
may not bear to lose you again."

So that other matter was easily settled, as may be supposed, though
no doubt my good mother would have fain had somewhat more say in
the choice of a wife for me. But when my father and cousin heard of
the way in which we two had met, and what we had gone through
together, they said it was good that I had found no fair weather,
fireside bride, and there was a great welcome ready for her as soon
as we could bring her home.

Ten miles south of Selwood, on the forest's edge, lies that hall
which was my mother's, and to which I had the right as her son, and
there I was to live. I think that I have spoken of it before as
that which gave me the right to the rank of thane. Now and then we
had gone there and bided in the hall, seeing to the lands, and so
forth, but mostly it had been left to the care of the steward. So
it was waiting for me, and thither I should bring Hilda as soon as
all was ready.

And I need not tell of that time of preparation, which seemed long
to me; but at last we sailed across the still sea from Worle to
Caerleon--my father, and my cousin, and half a dozen others of our
friends--for word had gone and come from Jefan by the fishers of
the Parrett river, and he would welcome all whom we would bring
with us.

"Make it as good a wedding as you may," was his word to me.

I think that Offa once sent an embassy to Caerleon, and that they
were the first of our race who had ever been within its old walls.
But I know that never before had a Saxon party been welcomed there
as we were welcomed, nor had there been such a feast since Jefan
himself was wedded.

It seems to me that I am leaving out a many things now; but who
wants to hear of that wedding? If any one does, he must even go to
Caerleon and call the bards to him, if they will come, and ask them
to sing the songs they made thereon. Otherwise he may ask any man
of Caerleon to tell h