the Dane I spoke with said in so many words that this is
no host of Guthrum's."

At that Alfred frowned fiercely.

"Whose then? What good is a king if he cannot make his people keep
their oaths?"

There was a stir at the door, and the eyes of all turned that way.
And when the thanes saw that the hostages were being led in, with
Osmund at their head, a great sullen growl of wrath broke from
them, and I thought all hope was gone for the lives of those
captives.

"Hear you this?" the king said, in a terrible voice, when the noise
ceased. "By the deed of your own people your lives are forfeit.
They have broken the peace, and even now are marching on us. Your
leader, Osmund himself, has seen them."

"It is true," Osmund said. "We are in the king's hands."

Then Alfred turned to the Witan, who were in disorder, and in
haste, as one might see, to be gone to their houses and fly.

"You heard the Danish oath taken at Exeter; what is your word on
this?"

They answered in one voice:

"Slay them. What else?"

"You hear," said the king to the Danes. "Is not the sentence just?"

"It is what one might look for," Osmund answered, "but I will say
this, that this is some new band of Danes, with whom we have nought
to do."

"What!" said Alfred coldly; "will you tell me that any Dane in the
country did not know that I held hostages for the peace? Go to.

"See to this matter, sheriff."

Then the sheriff of Chippenham came forward, and it seemed to me
that it was of no use for me to say aught; yet I would try what I
could do, so I spoke loudly, for a talk had risen among the thanes.

"What is this, lord king? Will you slay Osmund the jarl, who has
kept his troth, even to coming back to what he knew would be his
death? You cannot slay such a man for the oath breaking of others."

Then the king looked long at me, and the sheriff stayed, and at
first I expected passionate words; but the king's rage was cold and
dreadful now.

"His friends slay him--not I," he answered.

Then of a sudden I minded somewhat, and clear before me stood a
test by which I might know certainly if it were good that I should
leave the Asir and follow the way of the white Christ.

"King Alfred," I said, "I have heard the bishop tell, in the great
church here, of a king who slew the guiltless at Christmastide.
There was nought too hard for any to say of that man. Moreover, I
have heard strange and sweet words of peace at this time, of
forgivenes