“Mind you what Olaf said.  How that you should hang Streone.”

“Aye, I mind it.  But the man is deserted by his new friends.  They have gone.”

Almost had Eadmund quarrelled with Olaf on that saying.

“Put him in ward, my king, at least,” I urged, and Ulfkytel, who had come with us from London, prayed him also to do so.

But Eadmund’s fate was on him, and he received his foster father kindly, and forgave him, and thought that all would be well.

Now with Ulfkytel came my Colchester men, or rather the thirty who were left, And those two brothers, Thrand and Guthorm, who had ridden to Stamford with me were there also.  These two came to me that evening when I was alone, and said that they had a plan they would carry out if I gave the word.  And it was nothing more or less than that they would fall on Edric Streone and slay him when and where they met him.

I would that they had not asked me, but had wrought the deed on their own account.  But I said that I could not have this done, for it was too much after Streone’s own manner of settling things.  I could not think of letting my men lie in wait for any foe of mine, however good cause I had for hating him.  And I did hate Streone with a hate that I am not ashamed of, not for my own sake, but because he was a traitor to both king and country.  There were Englishmen who fought for Cnut thinking that thus they wrought best for England and her peace—­as Wulfnoth chose for Godwine—­and I had no hatred for them.  They were honest if they were wrong; but they were no traitors.  But Edric Streone was as Judas to me.

So Thrand and Guthorm grumbled, and forbore, though they would have spent their own lives willingly in this way had I lifted a finger.  It was, however, in revenge for the Stamford business that they would slay the earl, and that was only my quarrel, nothing higher.  Nevertheless I owed them thanks for their love thus shown to me, and so I told them.  Little had I done to deserve it; but who shall know what wins the love of rough souls like these?

Strange news came with Streone, though I had heard rumours thereof before, as I have said.  It was true that Cnut was to wed Emma the queen; and they had, as it seemed, already been betrothed, at the advice of the three great jarls.  Now she and the athelings her sons were back in Normandy, and one might see what the reason of this policy was, Not only was Duke Richard kept quiet, but also Cnut was stepfather to Eadward Atheling and his brothers.  That meant that if Cnut won, they must needs suffer him to take the crown unopposed.  And more than this, if Cnut must leave England alone presently, when Eadmund died he would claim the throne at once, either for himself or for one of these athelings as his under-king.  For no man ever thought twice of Eadmund’s brother Edwy, who was weak bodily, nor of his half brother, the other Edwy, whom we called “king of the churls,” by reason of the low birth of his mother, for no thanes would follow him had he had the gift of leading.