There was a fire on the great hearth in the midst of the hall; but as it was high summer, only a little one, and over it were no cauldrons, as there would have been in the winter.  Berthun was doing his cookery elsewhere.  But between the tables were spaces where his thralls and the women could pass as they bore round the food and drink.  And backwards and forwards among them went Berthun until the very last, anxious and important, seeing that all was right, and showing one guest after another to their places.  No light matter was that either, for to set a thane in too low a place for his rank was likely to be a cause of strife and complaint.  Also he must know if there were old feuds still remembered, lest he should set deadly enemies side by side.  I did not envy him, by any means.

When it seemed that there were few more guests to come, and only half a dozen seats were vacant on the high place, Berthun passed into the room beyond the hall, and at once a hush fell on the noisy folk, who had been talking to one another as though they had never met before.  The gleemen tuned their harps, and I and my comrade lit our torches from those already burning on the wall, and stood ready, for the king was coming.

Out of the door backed Berthun with many bows, and loud sang the gleemen, while all in the hall stood up at once; and then came Alsi, leading the princess, first; and then Ragnar, with the wife of some great noble; and after him that noble and another lady; but Griffin was not there.  Bright looked Goldberga in her blue dress, with wondrous jewels on arm and neck, and maybe the brighter for the absence of the Welsh thane, as I thought.

So they sat as last night, save that the noble who had come next to Ragnar was in Griffin’s place; and therefore I stood behind the king and the princess, with the light of my torch falling between the two.

Now they were set, and at once Berthun bore a great beaker of wine to the king, and all down the hall ran his men with the pitchers of wine and mead and ale, and with them the women of the household and the wives of the courtmen, filling every drinking horn for the welcome cup.

Then the gleemen hushed their song, and Alsi stood up with the gold-rimmed horn of the king in his hand, and high he raised it, and cried, “Waeshael!”

And all the guests rose up, cup in hand, with a wonderful flashing of the glorious English jewels, and cried with one voice, “Drinc hael, Cyning!”

Then all sat them down, and at once came Berthun’s men with the laden spits and the cauldrons, and first they served the high table, kneeling on the dais steps while each noble helped himself and the lady next him with what he would.  And then down the hall the feast began, and for a time befell a silence—­the silence of hungry folk who have before them a good reason for not saying much for a little while.

I looked for Havelok among Berthun’s men, but he was not there.  Nor was he at the lower cross tables with the other people of the palace.  But Withelm was there, for Eglaf had seen him with me not an hour ago, and had bidden him come, as a stranger from far off.  There were a few other strangers there also, as one might suppose, for the king’s hall must be open at these times.