n knights, hearing of the Atheling's
return, came to congratulate him, and lay before him a dispute of
boundaries which they declared they would rather entrust to him than
to any other. And they treated him far more as a prince than as a
Saxon churl.

They willingly accepted his invitation to go in to the feast of
welcome, and a noble one it was, with music and minstrelsy,
hospitality to all around, plenty and joy, wassail bowls going
round, and the Atheling presiding over it, and with a strange and
quiet influence, breaking up the entertainment in all good will, by
the memory of his sweet sister Margaret's grace-cup, ere mirth had
become madness, or the English could incur their reproach of coarse
revelry.

"And," as the Norman knight who had prevailed said to Bertram, "Sir
Edgar the Atheling had thus shown himself truly an uncrowned King."

IV. WHO SHALL BE KING?

The noble cloisters of Romsey, with the grand church rising in their
midst, had a lodging-place, strictly cut off from the nunnery, for
male visitors.

Into this Edgar Atheling rode with his armed train, and as they
entered, some strange expression in the faces of the porters and
guards met them.

"Had my lord heard the news?" demanded a priest, who hastened
forward, bowing low.

"No, Holy Father. No ill of my sister?" anxiously inquired the
Prince.

"The Mother Abbess is well, my Lord Atheling; but the King--William
the Red--is gone to his account. He was found two eves ago pierced
to the heart with an arrow beneath an oak in Malwood Chace."

"God have mercy on his poor soul!" ejaculated Edgar, crossing
himself. "No moment vouchsafed for penitence! Alas! Who did the
deed, Father Dunstan?"

"That is not known," returned the priest, "save that Walter Tyrrel
is fled like a hunted felon beyond seas, and my Lord Henry to
Winchester."

Young David pressed up to his uncle's side.

"Sir, sir," he said, "what a time is this! Duke Robert absent, none
know where; our men used to war, all ready to gather round you.
This rule will be ended, the old race restored. Say but the word,
and I will ride back and raise our franklins as one man. Thou wilt,
too, Bertram!"

"With all mine heart!" cried Bertram. "Let me be the first to do
mine homage."

And as Edgar Atheling stood in the outer court, with lofty head and
noble thoughtful face, pure-complexioned and high-browed, each who
beheld him felt that there stood a king of men. A shout of