CHAPTER XX--AELFRIC'S REVENGE

Egwina's recovery was rapid. She saw that as she grew stronger, the impatience of Sweyn and Githa to have her gone increased. With her by, they feared to hunt for the treasure which Gyda had left. So one day Egwina thanked them for their kindness in caring for her, and again set forth to wend her way from mead hall to mead hall to gain good will by her singing. No longer had she harp with which to accompany herself, and sadly did the girl miss the loved instrument. Her voice had lost none of its sweetness and power, and her exceeding fairness procured for her a ready hearing; and so, in safety and peace, for the stringent laws of Alfred were such that gold bracelets might hang on the high road unmolested, she wandered from burgh to burgh.

One day she found herself on the road to Winchester. Memories of when last she had seen the place crowded thick upon her. Here upon this very log had she tarried to rest with her grandfather. Here was where she first met Ethelfleda and Edward. A sob of loneliness broke from her lips as she thought of them. How long ago it all seemed! Had she ever been a member of the king's family? What would they say if they should know that again she wandered homeless over the land? Bright and happy had been the days when with her grandfather they had sauntered leisurely from place to place. Now she was alone. A throb of self-pity filled her heart.

She paused before entering the town. The king might be here even now, and Edward! Should she go on? Then an overwhelming desire to look once more upon their faces, herself unseen, possessed her. For this once she would see them if the king were at his royal vill. With this determination the maiden entered the city. But the king had not yet come to Winchester, so somewhat disappointed, Egwina turned her steps toward the manor of a thegn, and, as was her wont, joined in the glee of the feast.

Bed and entertainment for a day and a night could be had by the meanest wayfarer, so without comment, the maiden took her place among the singers and harpers. Her beauty and the sweetness of her voice soon attracted the attention of Oswald the thegn, and brought from him a request for more.

"Brother," said the maiden addressing a harper, "lend me thy harp. Once did I have one of mine own, but 'tis gone. The song is the better for the accompaniment."

"I need the harp for song of mine own," answered the harper churlishly. "Sith thou hast the ear of Oswald, why needst thou the harp?"

Fearing a refusal from the other gleemen, Egwina asked not another, but sang without the instrument, and great was the approval of Oswald.

"Thou shall remain as gleemaiden under my mund (protection)," he said, "and bounteous shall be thy gifts."

"Prithee, sir," said Egwina for she wished not to remain where Alfred and Edward might come at any time, "ask me not to abide with thee; for I wish not to stay in Winchester. This night will I make glee for thee as much as thou wishest, but to-morrow must I wend my way hence."

"Have it thine own way, girl," said the thegn good naturedly, "though I wish thou wouldst stay. Playest thou the harp?"

"Yes, good thegn."

"Thou hast none of thy own, I see. Edwy, lend thy harp to the maiden. I would hear if she hath skill."

With a sulky look on his face the harper whom Egwina had asked for his harp handed it to her. Thanking him, the maiden swept the strings of the instrument and played with such rare skill that even the gleemen were forced to acknowledge her power. The thegn at last declared himself satisfied, and, after making her promise that she would abide in the manor till after the next night, Egwina retired to the chamber assigned her.

The great mead hall was deserted the next morning when the maiden, hardly knowing how to occupy herself until the evening, strayed into it. On one of the benches where sat the gleemen and harpers there lay the harp of Edwy. The maiden took it up with delight. Not since she had left the palace of Alfred had she touched a harp until the night before.

The instrument seemed like a friend to her. Tenderly she touched it; then, carried away by fond memories, let her fingers stray idly over the strings, musing on the time when she had taught the king to play.

"Thou hast improved, maiden, since last I heard thee," said a voice in her ear.

Egwina turned with a start. AElfric the juggler stood beside her. At first the maiden could not recall his name or who he was, when AElfric, seeing her bewilderment, said:

"Thou canst not gainsay thy knowledge of me, girl. Wot ye not that thou and thy father didst make me into a theow?"

"Art thou truly the juggler?" asked Egwina, shrinking back from the fierce look of the man's face.

"I am in truth he. Where is thy father!"

"Dead," came from the maiden, faintly.

"Art thou alone?" a malignant look came into the man's eyes.

Egwina nodded. "And thou?" she asked. "Art thou still a wite? I hope not. I would have tried to get granther to return and pay the were for thee, but that the Danes oppressed so that there was no thought save for safety from them."

"I needed not your aid," came from AElfric. "A freed-man do I stand before thee with help of none save AElfric. But what dost thou with Edwy's harp?"

"I did but try it;" and Egwina laid it down.

"Hast thou none of thine own that thou must try those of others?"

"No; I have none;" and Egwina sighed. "Truly, AElfric, thou hast had thy desire, and ill hath been our fortune. Dead lieth granther, and alone do I wander without kith or kin. Soon I hope to find some lord to take me for his gleemaiden."

"Why stayest thou not here?" questioned AElfric.

"I wish not to be in Winchester," returned Egwina. "Tell me, AElfric, thou dost not regard me now with hatred, dost thou?"

A cruel light shone in the man's eyes; but he answered:

"No; if ye have both suffered, it is sufficient."

Without saying more he left the hall, and Egwina saw him not while she was at the hall.

The next morning, laden with many gifts bestowed by the bounty of Oswald the thegn, the maiden started forth, resolved to speedily seek the protection of some lord.

She had gone but a little way from the manor, when she heard her name called, and looking back she beheld a bond-woman running toward her. In her hand was Edwy's harp.

"This also hath my lord sent thee," she cried, her breath coming quickly from the exertion of running.

"But the instrument belongeth to the harper!" cried Egwina in amazement.

"He hath another for Edwy. Take and question not the bounty of the thegn." The woman thrust the instrument into the girl's hands before she could prevent her, and was gone.

Egwina stood for a little while regarding the harp with surprise and some disquietude.

"I would that the thegn had not done this," she mused. "I like not to take the harp of a gleeman. I wot not what manner of lord he may be who takes from one to bestow on another. I know not what to do."

She pondered the matter for a time, then throwing the ribbon of the harp over her shoulder went on her way. It was evening when she entered the courtyard of a manor, and proceeded to the mead hall. Waiting until all had sung or contributed their portion to the glee, the maiden began a song. In the midst of it there came the noise of horses' hoofs from without, and a voice vociferously demanded admission. The wassail and glee were suspended while every one looked curiously at the men who entered.

The group consisted of several Saxons; among them, Oswald the thegn, AElfric the juggler, Edwy the gleeman, and others.

"Now what seek ye, friend Oswald, that so unmannerly ye do enter our castle?" cried the thegn of the manor.

"Yon maiden," said Oswald pointing at Egwina. "Last night, and the night before, she sang in my hall at the glee. Laden with gifts did I send her forth, but that did not suffice. With covetous eyes she looked upon the harp of Edwy the gleeman, and that hath she taken with her. We come that we may take her to the reeve that the doom may be pronounced upon her."

"That girl?" The thegn and the retainers looked at the maiden in surprise. "She looks not as if she would do so base a thing."

"And neither would I!" spake Egwina, recovering from the consternation into which Oswald's speech had thrown her. "Good Oswald, didst thou not send thine bond-woman to me with this harp as additional gift after I had left thine abode?"

"Marry, no! Why should Oswald take that which belongeth to another to give thee? Hath he not wealth enow of his own?"

"But didst thou not send the woman to me?" faltered the maiden.

"A likely story," cried AElfric the juggler. "Is it the custom for a lord to run after a gleemaiden with his gifts? I trow not!"

A loud guffaw from the Saxons in the hall greeted this remark. Poor Egwina was covered with confusion.

"But truly my lord," said she, addressing Oswald, "a woman did bring it and give it me."

"Maiden," said Oswald sorrowfully, "add not to theft the vice of lying. Of both sins the Scripture doth warn us."

"But I speak the truth," cried Egwina, clasping her hands. "I speak the truth, my lord, as I live by bread."

A look of compassion overspread over the thegn's face.

"Fair art thou, maiden! Too fair to utter such words. Evil hath been thy surroundings if so innocent looking a maiden shouldst so perjure herself."

"To think that the jade would say that my lord would give away the harp of his gleeman," spoke Edwy. "Saw ye not, AElfric, with what longing eyes she gazed upon it?"

"I saw," answered AElfric. "Nought remaineth but to take her to the gerefa. Let him pronounce doom upon her."

There was so much of malignity in his tone that Egwina looked at him, and seeing with what cruel triumph he gazed upon her, knew in her inmost soul that it was AElfric who had caused this thing.

In silence, she suffered herself to be carried back to the manor of Oswald to await the morning when she would be taken to the gerefa for trial.