"I only ask permission to preserve life; your work has been of an
opposite nature."

"Yes, we have been obedient to our king, and avenged him this night of
his enemies, who are also, I should have thought, the enemies of the
Church."

"God will not bless midnight murder," said I.

"Murder! it is not murder to slay heathen Danes; had they been
Christians it would, of course, have been a different thing."

"He hath made of one blood all the nations of the earth," I replied.

"The good prior wishes me to talk theology. Unfortunately I have much
work to do; you will hear tidings soon of other Danish holds than
this. The land may rejoice, freed from her oppressors, and they who
blame our work will praise its results."

"That remains to be seen," we both replied.

We had, meanwhile, placed Alfgar, now partially recovered, on a
palfrey; and, supported by my brother and me, one on each side, we led
him homewards. Arrived at the castle, we gave him to the care of
Osred, the domestic physician. He looked at the patient, and
pronounced a favourable opinion, saying that with time and care all
would be well. But his left arm was broken, and he had received a
slight blow on the head. Fever was the leech's chief apprehension; if
he could keep that off, he said he doubted not all would be well.