ERIC was old when his dear wife Ethel was laid under the brown earth; and his grief was such that he did not care to live, and would neither eat nor drink. Doubtless he had died but that his daughter Ina did woo him from his grief, bringing him gradually to think less of himself and more of her. Then came the desire for life, that he might provide for her welfare. He accepted Ina's gentle ministering, and gained strength apace. But his illness had impaired his judgment; his mind was no longer active and strong as of old, but sought assistance, even as the infirmity of his body obliged him to lean upon the arms of younger and more lusty men. He was at a loss how best to guard his daughter against the ills to which, at his death, she would be exposed. She was but seventeen, and to leave her unprotected in the throne coveted by a dozen greedy knights was as heartless and ill as to send her alone by night into the wild, trusting fortune to shield her from the wolves. In his perplexity he resolved to appeal to the wisdom of his knights; and as soon as he had strength to leave his bed he summoned them to his palace, which stood beyond the wild of Kent, upon the banks of the river now called Medway.

King Eric sat, with his daughter beside him, on the daïs at the head of the board in the great hall, and around the table sat his knights, eyeing each other distrustfully, like hounds waiting for a bone; and when Eric had told his concern,

and asked them to advise him to his good, Redberd struck his fist upon the board to call attention, and spake thus: 'It beseemeth a king of Kent to leave his throne to a son: a son hast thou not of thine own loin, but a son thou mayst have by the marriage of thy daughter. Thou shouldst select from amongst thy knights the noblest and most powerful, and to him shouldst thou give Ina to wife. Thus shall she be queen, with power at her hand to fulfil her decree. Such is the counsel that Redberd giveth thee for no self-interest, he being the humblest and poorest of thy subjects.'

This advice was seconded with enthusiasm by the knights, for each reckoned himself better than his neighbour, and thought he had that to throw into the scale which should make the balance in his favour; but when the king's clerk, taking the roll, read from it that Redberd had the greatest and richest estate, and claimed to descend from Horsa (whereof he vaunted his red beard in proof), there was great clamour and discontent, one knight holding that he was most powerful who had the cunning to get and to hold; another protesting that he had most strength who had money to buy assistance when he required it; and a third declaring that wit and wisdom and wealth counted for nothing against luck, which gave a man often enough the advantage over ready wit and a stout arm. Then three or more knights struck the table and began talking one against the

other, so that there was sound without sense. In the midst of this clamour Ulf stood up and spoke, and, by reason of his young clear voice and his earnest manner, he commanded attention and silence.

'Tis resolved upon all hands,' quoth he, 'that the best man, the noblest and most powerful, should have our king's good-will; so be it. And since none of us will yield himself base and feeble, let our claims be put to the proof.'

Redberd laughed scornfully, saying that had Ulf a pennyworth of modesty he might save himself a groat's worth of trouble; and all the knights joined in his mirth, for Ulf's poverty was a byword, his estate yielding him barely a score of villeins. Redberd, encouraged by the laughter he raised, said,

He can

'But perhaps this young knight hath more to reveal than we have found of our own senses. tell something of his nobility and strength to astonish us. In good sooth I know not his name even.'

'I am Ulf of Godstone, and I yield in nobility to none but King Eric. My fathers were kings when thine were bending their backs in a pirate's galley; and as to power, that lies in a true knight's right, and let him who will prove himself my equal.'

Redberd would have flung his javelin at Ulf, but that Eric, at whose left hand he sat, restrained him. The king loved Úlf, and approved his words.

'Our youngest knight and wellloved friend Ulf speaketh well,' said he, albeit with less of courtesy than should govern his speech. He says wisely that power lies in the knight and not in his possessions, and for nobility, methinks that sitteth in a man's heart, and lieth not with the bones of his forefathers. Wherefore to put this question to the proof I will have

no combats among yourselves, but he who brings me Olga the Viking's head will I deem the best of my subjects, and he shall wed my daughter, and together they shall fill my throne.'

Ina's eyes lit with bright hope and joy, and her pale cheek flushed with warm blood; for when they were children she and Ulf had sat hand in hand under the pink blossom that hangs on the apple-bough, and sworn to love each other for ever and ever, come what might. It was Redberd who then pointed out to the king and queen that Ulf and Ina were of an age when a maiden and youth may love with danger to their future happiness, and the two had been sundered. Since then neither had seen the other; but the child's love begun under the blossom had ripened with the fruit, and was truer and firmer because they were heroicand there is heroism in being true when the temptation is to forget.

Olga was a Viking who came from the Norse country and pillaged the dwellers by the sea. Many villages upon the coast of Kent he had plundered and burnt, and the bravest of those who had opposed him were vanquished. He was dreaded, and the knights were loth to attack him singly; but Redberd, calling them to his side when they were retired from Eric's hall, advised that they should combine to hire two galleys with cunning mariners, and so in company hunt the rover. He proposed that when they got Olga's head they should cast lots for its possession, and all were to conceal their knowledge of how it was obtained, yielding all the glory to the lucky drawer on consideration of receiving fourscore of shillings each from the royal treasury when the fortunate man became king. This was agreed upon, and forthwith they chartered the galleys and rowed out of the

river, making for that part of the high seas where Olga was known to cruise. Redberd was of this company, but scarcely had they reached the blue waters ere he fell sick, and prayed to be set ashore, offering sixty shillings for the service. They took his money and set him on land; and straightway he made his journey to the King of Kent's palace, and, arrived there, he protested that his love for the royal safety was more to him than his own happiness, and that he would forego his chance of the princess's hand to guard his king, who, by the absence of his best knights, was left at home ill protected. He made his abode in Eric's palace, and, seeing the king's weakness, set about to model the too plastic mind in the form he would have it. He disparaged the absent knights, and, with little difficulty, produced facts, showing in each some act of villany. And because he could find nothing evil to prove against Ulf, he said:

One knows least of the greatest rogues, for they have the skill to conceal their knavery; but this we do know, that a life so blameless as this Ulf pretends to is unnatural and preposterous, wherefore may we well conclude that he is worse than others. For my part I believe that something worse than mere courage hath deterred him from joining the other knights in quest of Olga. Who knows but he may join with the rover to take advantage of thine ill-defended person?'

Thus this sinister man did put poison in the king's ear, which by degrees sank into his heart, and permeated it with unwholesome doubts of all humanity.

'All men are wicked and treacherous save this one friend Redberd,' said he; and he shall marry my daughter if she be not turned with the rest against me.'

Ina listened to all her father

said for Redberd and against Ulf, and she said:

'It is the duty of every maiden to obey her parents; most of all should a king's daughter submit to her father's wish. I will do what thou desirest, even unto marrying Redberd, whom my heart feareth; yet bethink thee, ere thou commandest me to do so, that thy word is given to marry me to him who bringeth thee Olga's head. Wait at least until the knights return.'

Eric yielded alternately to his daughter and to Redberd, and, conscious of his own weakness, he became petulant and unjust. Redberd bade him notice how his daughter disregarded his desires, using his irresolution to postpone her marriage, with the hope that he would die before its consummation. Then Eric came to misdoubt even his own sweet daughter.

Now Ulf, having no galley, nor the means of obtaining one, collected his friends and his villeins, and marched them to that part of the coast upon which Olga would most likely descend. He waited patiently for some time, and at length was so fortunate as to espy the Norseman's galley. He stripped off his accoutrements and threw a sheepskin over his bare shoulders, and, taking an ox, led him by a thong along the cliff-top as Olga and his men were wading to the shore from their galley. Olga shouted to Ulf to bring the beast; but he, as if in terror, strove to escape. Then the rover ran up the steep cliff in pursuit; but at the top of the path stood Ulf, with sword and javelin, and at his cry a score of armed men sprang from the rocks at Olga's back. Ulf slew Olga and cut off his head, and his followers made prisoners of Birthric, Olga's son, and a dozen of the pirates.

The fight was seen by Olga's

wife, and when the result was made known to her by one who escaped she sent to ransom her son.

'Tell Olga's widow she shall have her son for the weight of my good sword in gold,' said Ulf.

She sent sixty gold beads upon a thong of leather, and Ulf gave Birthric his liberty and the body of his father. Then Ulf gave up his horse, and sent a messenger to Eric with the good tidings of his success, following after with his men, his prisoners, Birthric's ransom, and Olga's head. The prisoners were sullen and would move quickly for no one, so that when night fell, and all were too jaded and fagged to walk further, they were yet a dozen miles from the king's palace. They built a fire, and when Ulf had posted the guard he set Olga's head in a hollow tree, and, putting the string of gold beads under his head, went to sleep with his hand upon his sword. In the middle of the night the guard, sitting drowsy by the fire, was stabbed in the back, and he who did the deed went to the Norse prisoners and cut their thongs, motioning them to silence; then he drew near Ulf cautiously and looked for Olga's head, but not seeing it he laid hold of the gold beads and wrenched them away, stabbing at the sleeper's heart simultaneously. Happily Ulf's leathern jerkin was stout and the blow ill aimed, so that he was but rudely awakened by the attack. In an instant he was upon his feet, and, springing forward, got one blow at the retreating figure before the assassin escaped into the dark recesses of the wood. His cry raised all the sleepers, and when the fire was increased and the confusion allayed it was found that the Norsemen had escaped, and to them the attack was imputed.

Ulf was greatly disheartened at losing these proofs of his victory,

VOL. XXI.

yet was he consoled by looking upon the grim head of Olga. The gold was nothing; the head it was which alone could buy him happi

ness.

When he laid his trophy at the feet of King Eric, the old man felt something of his former affection towards Ulf, and tears gathered in his eyes as he looked upon the handsome young man, all radiant with success and hope.

'I have been in a night-mist of doubt and suspicion,' said he ; ' and now thou comest, like the morning sun, to drive the unwholesome fog away, and show us brighter and better things. Welcome, dear boy. Another, too, has suffered by thy absence, even as flowers do from which the light is too long withheld. Go thou, and cheer her; she walks in the garden. Tell her thy good tidings, and bid her weep no more. Bring her to me, that I may give you both my blessing.'

Ulf's messenger had not been seen by the king; but the young man waited not to question of this, nor to tell of his adventures, but hastened into the garden. There, amidst her shrubs and young fowls, was Ina, who, seeing in his joyful eyes that which his tongue had no power to tell, took his hand and kissed him as of old when they were children. After a while Ulf spoke; and then he had so much to say of what was past, and of the love which had never waned, and both found it so sweet to talk of the future, that a whole hour passed before Ulf obeyed Eric's command and took Ina before him. They entered the hall hand in hand, Ina's blushing face downcast, half erect with pride and happiness. But a great change had come upon the old king, and, looking sternly upon the young man, he bade him unhand the princess.

Ulf turned angrily to Redberd, who stood near the king, his

TT

head bound about with a cloth. This is thy doing,' thought he. 'Now speak thee sooth,' cried Eric, and tell us of thy battle.'

Then Ulf told truly of the battle and its result; and Eric asked,

'Where is this Brithric whom thou tellest of capturing?'

'Sire, he is upon the sea who was my prisoner. For my sword's weight in gold I gave him to his mother.'

And the other prisoners?'

'They have escaped. But that which thou bade thy loyal knight do I have done. Olga's head I have brought thee.'

'And where is his body?' 'His son carried it back to Olga's widow.'

'Liar! No head of Olga hast thou brought, but of some villein slain for thy base ends. Here is one-our true friend Redberdwho hath more than once seen Olga living, and he saith that the rover's hair is black as the raven on his standard; the head thou bringest is fair as a child's. Well hast thou contrived thy tale, yet not well enough to deceive our good and wise friend here. Thy villeins are sworn to tell thy story, but thou hast not a proof to show. Yet wait the Viking's ransom, sixty beads of gold, hast thou that to show ?'

'Nay, 'twas stolen from me.'

Eric laughed loud and long, derisively and with bitter looks. Said

he:

"Tis as I expected; thou art ready with a lie for all. Well, I will humour thy jesting spirit to the last breath in thy body. See, I promised thee Ina to wife, and her shalt thou have if thy skill hold out. Thou shalt have her for the mere fetching, she being on this side the river, thou on the other. But mark, thy hands shall be tied and thy feet also, to show thy skill; for truly we may expect much from

thee. One who brings Olga's head without killing Olga may surely swim over a river without using hand or foot.'

The sarcastic lines about his mouth changed to bitter contempt as he looked now on the man he had loved, who, he fancied, returned for that love base deceit. He turned to trembling Ina with a stern frown.

'Thus shall it be,' he said. 'Go, dress thyself in clothes befitting a bride; for wedded thou shalt be this day; and if Ulf takes thee not, Redberd shalt have thee.'

Ina threw herself at her father's knee, imploring mercy.

'Ere thou prayest favours show thy desert,' said he. 'Is it by loving a traitor and thy father's enemy thou showest thyself a worthy daughter? Go!'

From the palace an oaken balcony projected, and beneath this the river flowed. On the balcony sat Eric and Redberd, and between them sat Ina, whiter than her robes.

Ulf was brought forth, and two sturdy knaves bound his legs together and his arms close to his side, and carried him into a boat. Redberd laughed loud; and Ulf, aroused from his lethargy of despair, looked towards him, and caught sight of the bandage about his head, stained in part with blood.

It suggested the truth, and Ulf cried aloud,

"Wait! wait! 'Tis he who stole the Viking's ransom from me. He is wounded, and my sword struck the thief, though I saw not his face. Search him!'

'Think you we will dishonour our friend by a doubt cast from the tongue of a liar? Away with him!'

Thus said Eric.

Ina, like one distraught, saw them carry her lover across the wide river, and uttered not a sound. Only when the boat stopped, and