matters, and then again was a change for us. It seems that
Ethelburga the queen took a fancy to me, and asked that I might be
with her as a page in the court, and that was so good a place for
the son of any thane in the land that Owen could not refuse, though
at first it seemed that we must be parted for a time.

But it was needful that the king should hear my story, that he
might have some surety as to who I was, and if I were worthy by
birth to be of his household, and Owen hardly knew how to tell him
without breaking his oath to Erpwald. Yet it was true that the
heathen thane had scoffed at him, rather than forbidden him to seek
Ina, though indeed it was plain that he meant to bind us from
making trouble for him in any way. But at last Owen said that if
the king would forbear to take revenge for a wrong done to me, he
might speak, and so after promise given he told all.

Very black grew the handsome face of the king as he heard.

"Am I often deceived thus?" he said. "I will even send some to ask
of all the ins and outs of such another case hereafter. This
Erpwald sent to me to say that Aldred and all his house had been
slain by outlaws, and that he himself had driven them off and I
believed him. After that I made over the Eastdean lands to him, and
I take it that they were what he wanted. Well, he has not lived
long to enjoy them, for he died not long ago, and now his brother
holds the lands after him, and I know that he at least is a worthy
man.

"Let it be. The child is my ward now, as an orphan, and I should
have had to set his estate in the hands of some one to hold till he