There Guthrum welcomed us, and with him were many chiefs, on whose faces was the same care-worn look that Osmund had borne when I saw him at Exeter before Alfred.

“Two messages come to you today,” Osmund said; “one by my mouth, and the other by that of King Ranald Vemundsson, who is with me.  I think you may hear both, and answer them both favourably.”

Guthrum made no reply, but took his seat at the upper end of the one room the hut had; and all the chiefs sat also, leaving us messengers standing.

Then said Osmund: 

“I think it right that I should stand in the presence of my king, but the son of King Vemund should not do so in any less presence than that of his overlord.”

Thereat Guthrum smiled a little.

“I have heard that Harald of Norway came to blows with his brother kings because they would not stand before him, and that others have left that kingdom because they did not choose to do so.  Sit down, King Ranald.  Your father’s name was well known to all of us in the old days.  I am glad to see his son, though maybe I should not say so.”

“We would rather that he were on our side,” said one of the other chiefs.

Then they set places for both of us, and we waited for Guthrum’s word.

“Well,” he said, wearily enough, “let us hear what King Alfred says.”

“Few are his words,” said Osmund: 

“’Let Guthrum suffer me to choose any hostages that I will for myself, let him swear to keep the peace hereafter as my under-king beyond Thames, doing homage to me, and he shall go hence with his host in honour.’  There is also the message of Ranald to add hereto.”

Now I thought that the faces of the chiefs showed that they thought these terms very light; but they said nothing as yet.

Guthrum turned to me.

“Well, King Ranald?”

“Alfred the king bids me say that he would fain treat with you hereafter as a brother altogether.  And that can only be if the great trouble between Dane and Saxon is removed—­that is, if Guthrum becomes a Christian.”

Now I expected some outburst of scorn and wrath on this, but instead of that a silence fell, in which the chiefs looked at one another; and Guthrum gazed at me steadfastly, so that I felt my face growing hot under his eyes, because I knew I must say more, and that of myself and my own wishes most likely.

Then Guthrum said slowly: 

“Why has he not sent some priest to say this?”

“Because he thought that a warrior would listen best to a brother warrior,” I answered.

“Ay, that is true,” said the king.  “Are you a Christian, therefore?”

“I am as yet unbaptized,” I said.  “I have taken the prime signing on me, as have many others; but I shall certainly seek baptism shortly.”

“You came here as a heathen, then?”

“As a heathen altogether, except that I had no hatred of Christians,” I answered, not quite seeing what the king would know.