But there was naught terrible or hard in the face which he looked on; it had but deepest sorrow and pity.

“My king,” said Ealdwulf, seeing that he must needs speak first, “here is one who has a word for you.  I think that you will be glad to hear it.  Know you where the body of Ethelbert was hidden?”

“No,” said the king in a dull voice.  “My men search even now.  It is all that I can do.”

Then Ealdwulf bade me tell the story of the finding, and I did so.  Yet the look of Offa never brightened as he heard, nor did he ask me one question.

“It is well,” he said, when I had no more to say, and his fingers moved restlessly on the table.

But he did not look in my face, nor had he done so since I came before him.  I stood back, and Ealdwulf was alone near him.

“My son,” said the old man, “my son, this has not been your doing.  I will not believe that.”

Offa set his hand on the great book with its picture.

“As much my doing as the slaying of the Hittite by David the king.  It was planned, and I hindered it not.”

Then he set his hands to his face, and his voice softened.  And at that I passed silently from the room, leaving those two together, for this was not a meeting in which I had wish to meddle.  Erling came with me, and we sat in the council chamber for half an hour, waiting.

Presently—­after the young thane had told us how that Quendritha was closely guarded, and that the voice of all blamed her utterly for every wrong that had been wrought in Mercia for many a long year, now that the fear of her was somewhat passed—­Erling rose up.

“With your leave, thane,” he said to me, “we have a few things left here, and our other horses still stand in the stable.  It is in my mind to see what I can take back with me.”

We went out together, for the stillness and waiting grew wearisome.  There were none of the pleasant sounds of the household at work or sport in all the palace.  It was as a place stricken with some plague.

So we passed through the church to our lodging, and took our few goods, and Sighard’s, and so went with them to the long stables where our two spare horses stood in idleness.  The rows of stalls were well-nigh empty now, those who had gone having taken their steeds.

“I wonder ours are left,” quoth Erling.  “These Mercians are more honest than some folk I know.”

He called the grooms, and we made ready, taking the horses out to where the folk of the archbishop waited in the sunny courtyard, and there leaving them.  Then we went back to the council chamber, and again waited for what seemed a long time.  The young thane had a meal brought for us there.

Presently Ealdwulf himself came to the door and called me softly, and I followed him back to the presence of the king.  I cannot tell what had passed between those two, nor do I suppose that any man will ever know; but Offa was more himself, save that on his face was a deep sadness, and no trace of hardness or pride therewith.