aught me before then. I robbed you of your son,
now I offer you two sons, Elfric and myself."

The tears stood in the old man's eyes at this reception, and the mention
of his dear prodigal son.

"He is well, I hope?" said he, striving to speak with such sternness and
dignity as sell-respect taught in opposition to natural feeling.

"Well and happy; and I trust you will see him in a day or two, when we
shall have chastised our rebels; justice, mingled with mercy, must first
have its day."

"Where is he now?"

"With the main body of the army; in fact, he is my right hand. It is my
fault, not his, that he is not here now; but we could not both leave,
and he preferred that I should come and proffer my filial duty first,
and perhaps that I should assure you of his love and duty, however
appearances may have seemed against him."

Then the eye of Edwy caught Alfred. It must be remembered that Elfric
had kept the secret of his brother's supposed death, even from the king.

"And of Alfred, too, I have ever been reminded by his brother; your name
has seldom been long absent from our conversation."

Alfred reddened.

"I trust now," he continued, "that I may profitably renew an
acquaintance suspended for three years. I am but young, only in my
eighteenth year, and I have no father; let me find one in the wisest of
the Mercians."

So bewitching was the grace of the fair speaker that he seemed to carry
all before him. Ella began to think he must have misjudged the king.
Alfred alone, who knew much more of the relations between the king and
the Church than his father, still suspended his belief in these most
gracious words.

Leaning upon the still powerful arm of Ella, his young agile form
contrasting strongly with the powerful build of the old thane--
powerful even in decay--they came in front of the hall, where the
serfs and vassals all received them with joyful acclamations, and amidst
the general homage the king entered the hall.

There he reverentially saluted the lady Edith.

"The mother of my friend, my brother, Elfric, is my mother also," said he.

Then he was conducted to his chamber, where the bath was provided for
him, and unguents for anointing himself, after which, accepting the loan
of a change of clothing more suitable than his travelling apparel, he
received the visit of Ella, who came to conduct him to the banquet.

All this while his followers had been received according to their
several degrees; a