CHAPTER XXIII--THE DREAD DECREE

"The maid is innocent," cried Denewulf the bishop. "By God's own judgment is she so pronounced. What then of her accusers? Those who have perjured themselves, and by testifying falsely risked their soul's salvation in so doing? Step forth, ye that have so spoken, and give cause why ye have done this thing!"

Then did Oswald the thegn step forth.

"I sware to thee, my lord bishop, that unwitting did I wrong the maiden. I spake only that which I knew when I deposed. The harp was gone. It was found with the maid. Marry, as I judged so would ye have judged likewise. Name the were, and it shall be paid! I have said."

"And well, Oswald, unwitting and unknowing didst thou wrong the maiden. As thou wilt willingly make amends thou hast atoned thy fault. More thou canst not do. But the others."

His brow darkened ominously as Edwy the gleeman came forward. The ealdorman and gerefa looked hard on the man; now, since Heaven itself had shown the innocence of Egwina, they were convinced that guile had been employed.

"My lords," cried the gleeman who was plainly agitated, "I take oath by all the saints that I did depose only that which I knew. The harp was mine. 'Twas gone. We found the same with the maid. How else could I depose?"

"How camest thou to think the maiden had taken it?" demanded the ealdorman, sharply.

"'Twas AElfric who spake to me of the maiden's toying with it in the hall. But the night before she did ask me for it. My lords, it looked ill for the girl, ye must allow."

"Speaks he the truth, think ye?" inquired the ealdorman of the bishop and the gerefa.

"Leave him to me," said the bishop. "He shall not be shriven until he declareth the truth. The other two, methinks, are the real culprits."

A hue and cry was now raised that AElfric was escaping, and many left the assembly to go in pursuit. The juggler was soon overtaken and borne again to the bishop. Oswald had brought the bond-woman forward.

The two stood defiantly before the tribunal. AElfric had given the woman a quick, warning glance under which she quailed.

"What sayest thou?" asked Denewulf of the woman. "Why didst thou deny giving the harp to the maiden?"

"I gave it not," answered she sullenly.

"Woman, God hath judged the maiden innocent. Then thou and this man are guilty. It must be so. Tell, then, why thou didst the thing."

No answer came from the woman's lips. The bishop turned to the gerefa and ealdorman. "Brothers, do ye question her. Stubborn and hard of heart hath she proven herself. Seek ye to soften her."

No amount of questions, threats or persuasion would induce the woman to answer further than that she gave not the harp to the maiden. Presently, hoping to gain more by it, they turned to AElfric. The man's eyes were shining with a triumphant light as he saw that the woman was obdurate.

To all questions he answered nothing. In an insolent attitude he listened, but replied not. At last the bishop said, with some impatience: "Fully am I convinced of the guilt of these two. By his attempt at flight hath AElfric shown his crime. Brothers, in this matter the man and the woman have sinned against heaven. Let, then, the church give the punishment. To the ordeal shall both be condemned. The woman to trial by water and stone even as the maiden; the man, the ordeal by fire."

The gerefa and ealdorman willingly gave consent, as they were convinced that AElfric and the woman were truly the offenders.

To the bishop's house were they taken, there to make the needful preparation. The allotted number of days passed. Solitary and alone as the woman had been kept during this period, she had had time for reflection. Traces of a mental struggle between obduracy and despair showed in her countenance as she was brought forth to make her offering, and to receive the sacrament before taking the ordeal.

"Of Christ's body spiritually dost thou eat," said the bishop as he administered the bread. "Pure and sinless was He. If thou art innocent, eat with impunity of the holy loaf, and drink of the wine which by His blessing is His blood spiritually. Eat and drink, woman! If innocent, fear naught; if guilty, woe, woe to thy soul."

The woman trembled, and her face, already pale, grew ghastly white. She stretched forth her hand for the holy morsel, and then with a great cry fell at the bishop's feet.

"I dare not," she cried, "for my soul's sake, I dare not partake of it."

"Then, daughter, assoil thy soul of its taint by full confession."

"I will, I will," sobbed the woman, breaking down completely. "I did give the harp to the maiden even as she hath declared. All was as she hath already told. I ran after her and gave it into her hands, stating that my Lord Oswald had sent it as gift."

"But why, daughter, shouldst thou so perjure thy soul?" asked the bishop.

"Oh, my lord, judge me not too hardly. I have a child, and mickle doth it grieve me that she should be a slave. AElfric would give me the money to buy my child and then she would be free--free, my lord bishop! Little dost thou reck of a mother's heart if thou wottest not the temptation such offer would be to me. What knew I of the maiden? She was naught to me, and my child is my life."

"Grievous hath been thy sin, woman, but great also thy temptation," said Denewulf, with compassion. "Hardened thou art not, or the holy supper would not have so affected thee. Out of her sorrow at thy lot feel, daughter, the full blessings of the Church. Thy child, and thou also, shall be freed from her bounty. Not because of thy sin, but because the Church hath compassion on thine affliction doth she redeem thee. Arise, daughter, and go in peace. Even as the Holy One, whose priest I am, spake to the erring woman, so say I to thee: 'Go, and sin no more!'"

With prayers and tears and ejaculations of gratitude, the woman arose, and left the minster. The bishop approached AElfric.

"Wilt thou partake of the holy bread and wine, or wilt thou, as the woman hath done, assoil thy soul's guilt by confession?"

AElfric's lip curled.

"Naught fear I, sir priest. On with thy ordeal! What have I to confess?"

"Heardst thou not what the woman confessed?" asked the bishop. "That thou hadst enticed her into this deed by the offer of money to buy the freedom of her child. Man, man! Partakest thou of the Eucharist and purgest not thy soul by confession?"

"Naught have I to confess," reiterated the man, doggedly. "Falsely hath the woman sworn to thee, as thou wilt see."

With horror in his face at the temerity of the juggler, Denewulf administered the sacrament. AElfric partook of it, and then, as before, twelve men were chosen from each side of those for and against him. Nine feet of the length of the foot of the accused were measured from the fire where the iron lay heating. For this distance was the iron to be carried. Just before the last collect the bishop lifted the iron to the staples, and then after the prayer he led in the accused.

With firm step the man advanced, and grasped the iron steadfastly with both hands. He walked the required distance, carrying the iron steadily, then flung it on the floor with an oath.

The bishop and the honest Saxons ranged on either side of the church started back in horror. Tremblingly, fearful of seeing the man struck down for his impiety, the bishop approached the wretch and bound up his hands, putting the seal of the church upon them. After the required three days the bandages were removed, and foully mattered were the burns.

"Guilty art thou," said the bishop with sorrow to the juggler. "Evil wouldst thou have wrought upon another, and evil hast thou brought upon thyself. Son, didst thou not remember that the Lord hath said, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay'? Then wherefore shouldst thou try to wreak upon the maiden that for which only thine own actions were responsible? See, the judgment of God hath fallen upon thee! Guilty art thou shown to be. Purged must thy soul be of its dire sin. Go forth from this day without thy weapons; and travel barefoot to the graves of the four saints: St. Edwin, St. Guthlac, St. Oswald, and St. Neot. No shelter must thou have at night. Thou must fast, and watch, and pray both day and night, and willingly weary thyself. Iron shall not come to thy hair nor to thy nails. No warm bath shalt thou affect, nor soft bed; flesh shalt thou not eat nor shalt thou partake of drink which can intoxicate. Inside of a church thou shalt not go, because of the oath which thou didst utter at the trial of God's holy ordeal, but thou shalt seek the tombs of these saints and there confess thy sins and pray for intercession. When thou hast finished thy penance, and severe it is, son, for greatly hast thou sinned, shriven and absolved from guilt, thou canst return and again mingle amongst thy fellows. Arise and go, and may God in His infinite mercy be with thee in thy wanderings."

With heads bowed the assembly listened to the dire punishment meted out to the wretch. Such was the power of the Church over the people that not once did it enter the head of AElfric to disobey her command.

With dark looks and unrepentant mien he sat down in the midst of them and removed his shoes and leather hose. Then forth from the church did he wend his way to begin his pilgrimage.

And never again did Egwina behold him.