he had come to see that the outlawed brothers did not gather any
force against him in their own place. It was many a year since he
had been so near our border.

Presently Thorgils would go down the town to the inn where he had
bestowed his horse, and I went with him, having an hour left before
we started, rather than face any more banter concerning my
thanedom. It was almost in my mind to go to the ealdorman's house
to ask after Elfrida, but I forbore, being shy, I suppose, and so
left the Norseman to join us presently, and went back to the king's
hall by a short cut from the village, whereby I had a meeting which
was unlooked for altogether.

That way was a sort of stolen short cut across the king's orchard,
which some of us used at times in coming from village to hall, for
it lay between the two on the south side of the hall where the
ground sloped sunwards. And as I leapt over the fence I was aware
of a lady who was gathering some of the ruddy crab apples from the
ground under their bare tree, for the hot ale of the wassail bowl,
doubtless, for we leave them out to mellow with the frost thus. She
did not heed me as I came over the soft snow, and when she did at
last look up I saw that she was Elfrida. Just for a moment I wished
that I had gone round by the road, but there was no escape for me
now, for she had seen me. So I unbonneted and went to meet her.

There was a little flush on her face when she saw me, but it was
not altogether one of pleasure, for when I wished her good morrow,
all that I had in return was a cold little bow and the few words
that needs must be spoken in answer. Whereat I felt somewhat
foolish; but it did not seem to me that I had done aught to deserve