"May I think over all you have said, and meet you next Sunday? You will be here, will you not?"
And he looked imploringly in my face. Poor boy! my heart bled for him.
So we parted, and he went home.
Friday, November 11th.--
I feel thoroughly uneasy and anxious about the sheriff"s proceedings. He has been about the neighbourhood today, and seems to have been talking secretly with all the black sheep of my flock; thank G.o.d, I do not think there are many. What they can be going to do, or what plot they are hatching, I cannot discover, only I fear that it is some design for vengeance upon the Danes--some dark treachery plotted against those in our midst; and, if such is the case, I can but feel uneasy for poor Alfgar. I wish the lad would leave his home, if but for a short time, until the signs are less threatening; but he would not forsake his father in danger, and I ought hardly to wish it.
St. Brice"s Day, Sunday, November 13th--
This has been a hara.s.sing and eventful day. Early in the morning, before the high ma.s.s, whereat the neighbourhood is generally present, I received a missive from the sheriff, bidding me, in the name of the King, to exhort my people to remain at home tonight, since danger is afoot, and there is likely, he says, to be a rising on the part of the pagans who dwell amongst us. Why, they are but one in five in this neighbourhood; hardly that. I determined to give the message in my own way, for I could not keep silent, lest, through fault of mine, any of my sheep should perish. So I preached upon the Saint of the day, who was pre-eminently a man of peace, and I took occasion to tell my people that there were many hurtful men about, who, like their master, Satan, were seeking whom they might devour, and that, like that master, they chose the night for their misdeeds, seeing they loved darkness rather than light. So I said I hoped every good Christian would keep at home, and go to bed early.
At this point I observed a sarcastic smile upon many faces, notably on those of the black sheep aforesaid, to whom the sheriff had spoken, and I concluded that they were very likely to be the ministers of darkness themselves. So I spoke on the Christian duties of love and forgiveness, and exhorted all present to take joyfully the chastis.e.m.e.nt of the Lord, even like holy Job; and that it would all tend to their eternal good, through Him who, when He was reviled, reviled not again. And so with this exhortation to patience I closed my homily. I fear I spoke to many in vain.
I am sure they are bent on immediate mischief, and that this notice of the sheriff has much to do with it. He wants to keep good people at home to have all the field to himself. I see him--the black bellwether.
After ma.s.s I mingled with the dispersing congregation. The weather was very gloomy--the faces of the congregation yet more so. All seemed to apprehend coming evil. Instead of returning cheerfully home they stood together in groups, talking in low tones, as if they feared to speak their thoughts aloud.
Most of them evidently were men of peace, but not all, as I have already hinted; and, as I drew near a group standing behind the great yew tree, I heard one of these latter discoursing to his fellows.
"Heard you the prior"s sermon?" said Siric, for that was the fellow, Siric of the Wold; "a fine homily he gave us on St. Brice --that man of peace."
"It was easy for him to be a man of peace," returned another; "he hadn"t got Danes for his neighbours."
"Holy Job himself would have turned cutthroat if he had."
"Then they have been insulting, robbing, and murdering all over the country."
Just then I interrupted them, for I could no longer hear the blasphemy.
"How now, Siric," said I; "hast thou come to Aescendune to revile the saints?"
"Nay, Father," said he, with a mocking smile; "I was only rejoicing that they were not exposed to such trials as we. Job"s Chaldeans were gentlefolk in comparison with our Danes."
"Thou blasphemest; and what didst thou say of the blessed St. Brice?"
"Only that I wished he were living now to tame the cutthroats who live in our midst, and who murder and rob daily, just in mere sport, or to keep their hands in."
"What new outrages have occurred?" I asked.
"A party of the heathen carried off the cattle from my farm down the water early this morning, and slew the herdsman."
"Dost thou know who the fellows were?"
"All too well; they were Anlaf"s men."
I hardly knew what to answer, the outrage was so recent, and the excitement of the speaker so pardonable, as I could but feel.
Well, at this moment my brother Elfwyn came out of the church, where he had lingered to pray, as he generally does, at his brother"s tomb, and, noticing us, came and joined the group. He seemed much concerned when he heard the details.
"Siric," he said, with his usual kind way of speaking, "do not distress yourself unduly; you know I am rich in flocks and herds. I will make up the loss of the cattle, my brother the prior will have a ma.s.s said for poor Guthred, and he shall have the last rites performed at our expense; it is all we can do for him; the rest we must leave to the mercy of G.o.d."
"Nay, Thane," said Siric; "I thank you for your goodwill, but I may not stand thus indebted to any man. I will repay myself at the expense of the robbers. Still you may remember Guthred at G.o.d"s altar."
And he strode away.
My brother was now joined by his children Bertric and Ethelgiva, and his wife, the Lady Hilda. I saw that he was ill at ease, but we did not mention the subject, which I am sure was uppermost in both our minds, lest we should alarm the gentle ones.
Just then I remembered that I had promised to meet Alfgar in the pine wood, and I hastened to the spot.
I found him seated again on the fallen tree. He rose at my approach, and saluted me with some emotion, as if some inward excitement made itself visible in spite of his efforts to suppress it.
"My son," said I, "have you pondered my words of last Sunday?"
"I have, and I am come to put myself under your instruction. I will be guided by you in all things, and fulfil thus the dying wish of the only being who ever loved me."
"But, my boy, there must be yet a higher, a holier motive."
"I trust it is not wanting, my father."
"Are you able to stay long today?"
"O yes, my father is keeping high festival; a number of his countrymen are visiting him and holding revel; this morning they drove in a number of oxen, I know not whence, and slaughtered two on the spot, and they have broached several barrels of mead; they will keep the feast all day, and before night my father will not be in a state to miss me; I always absent myself if I can on such occasions."
"Then you must come home with me, and share the noon meat, after which I can give you my time until evensong."
He made no objection, and we returned to the Priory together, where he took his noon meat in the guest chamber, and I devoted all the time between the meal and nones to an examination of my catechumen.
I found that poor Kyneswith had impressed all the primary truths of our holy faith deeply upon his mind, although he wanted much building up, and needed instruction in details; he seemed deeply impressed by the main facts of the life and teaching of our blessed Lord, particularly His message of peace on earth, good will towards men, contrasting so forcibly with the faith of his own people.
The time pa.s.sed rapidly away, and we went to the minster church at three, when nones and evensong were said together, for we could not keep the people till the proper hour for the latter office, owing to the darkness of November.
When the holy office was over, I accompanied my brother part of the way home, for I wanted to communicate my suspicions, and to learn whether he shared them.
It was a dark and gloomy eventide: the sun, which had only made its appearance at intervals during the day, was fast sinking behind a heavy bank of clouds which filled the western horizon; and the wind, which was freshening to a gale, seemed to bear the storm onward in its track, while it tore the few surviving leaves rudely from the trees, and whirled them in mazy windings.
"Elfwyn," said I, "what do you suppose was the true object of the sheriff in bidding folks keep indoors tonight?"
"I cannot divine, unless he has some deed of blood on hand which he wishes to have undisturbed, all to himself and his underlings."
"Siric spoke mysteriously."
"Yes; if there is aught going on amiss, he has a hand in it."
Here I communicated my fears respecting Alfgar, whom I had invited, with my brother"s permission, to sup at the hall.
"Could you not keep the poor fellow with you all night? I fear his father is in some danger, as well he may be, acting as wickedly as he did this very morn."