s
near. Ever was Alfred planning things like this, even in his
greatest troubles; and therein he was wise, for it is not good to
keep the mind full of heavy things alone. Moreover, as we wondered
at his skilful devices in these little things, we took heart from
his cheerful pleasure in them.

When the chamberlain brought me in, the great book was put aside,
and the pen set down, and the king looked up at me with his bright
smile.

"Welcome, my ship thane," he said. "Come and sit here beside me. I
have somewhat to read to you."

So I sat down wondering, and he turned back to some place in his
writing, and took the little knife that lay by him--for he had lost
his jewelled book staff in Athelney--and running its point along
the words, read to me from the writings of some old Roman what he
had been busy putting into good Saxon:

"Now when the Roman folk would make a fleet hastily, and had no
rowers, nor time to train them rightly, they built stages like to
the oar benches of a ship in a certain lake, and so taught the men
the swing and catch of the long oars."

"Will not that plan serve us, Ranald?" he said.

"Ay, lord," I answered, laughing. "In good truth, if a man can
learn to keep time, and swing rightly, and back water, and the
like, on such a staging, it is somewhat. But it will be hard work
pulling against dead water from a stage that moves not. Nor will
there be the roll and plunge of waves that must be met."

"Nor the sore sickness whereof Odda speaks," Alfred said, with his
eyes twinkling. "But I think that if the Romans found the plan
good, it will be so for us."

So we talked of this for a while, and I will say now that in after
days we tried it, and the plan worked well enough, at least in the
saving of time. Alfred's book learning was ever used for the good
of his people, and this was but one way in which he found ready
counsel for them.

This was pleasant talk enough, and neither I nor the king grew
weary thereof, but the good monk slept at last, and presently the
darkness fell, and Alfred dismissed him.

One came and lit the torches on the wall, and still we spoke of my
work, until at last Alfred said:

"So you must be busy, and I am glad. When will you set out, and
where will you go first?"

Now what I wanted to ask him was where Osmund the jarl had gone. He
had ridden to Taunton from Aller, that he might be present at
Thora's christening, and that their chrism loosing {xix} might
be hel