Thus pressed on every side, Ella felt he could but yield to a request
which the speaker had not only the power but the right, as his feudal
superior, to enforce; for Ella was not prepared to throw off his
allegiance, as most of his neighbours had done, and to make common cause
with Edgar. Again, the conversation of the previous night had given him
more confidence in Edwy, and more hope of seeing Elfric again, like the
returning prodigal, than he had previously had.

Edwy saw this, and continued:

"And it is but a few days hence, ere I propose to return with Elfric--
whom I could indeed put in command of such forces as are necessary to
secure you against our mutual foes, when I return southward. Redwald and
his troops will hold the place in trust for Elfric, till he arrives."

The last lingering feeling of reluctance was now forcibly banished, and
Ella consented to receive Redwald as his guest, with a picked troop of
fifty men.

"They shall be the best behaved warriors you have ever seen, my own
hus-carles--men who go to mass every morning, and shrift every week,"
added the deceitful prince; "at least," he added, as he saw the look of
incredulity Ella could not suppress, "some of them do, I can't say how
many."

In the course of an hour from this conversation, the royal party took
its departure, reduced to half its numbers.

Edwy left amidst the regret of all, so amiable had been his manners, so