And she said that it should be so, deeming that I had thought of Uldra not at all, maybe.

Then she spoke of my own doings, and Cnut came as we did so.  I bowed to him, and he took my hand, calling me “thane” in all good faith.

“Now I have to come ere long into your country,” he said, “for I have vowed to build a church in each place where I have fought and conquered.  Have you a house where I may stay?”

“My place is far from Ashingdon, lord king,” I answered, “and I am rebuilding my father’s house as best I can.”

“I suppose my men burnt it?” he said plainly.

“Your father’s men did so in the first coming.”

“Therefore shall his son rebuild for your father’s son,” said the king.  “Will you accept aught from me?”

“Lord king,” said I, “I have fought against you, and have owned you unwillingly at first.”

“That is certain,” he said laughing, “else had you not tried to take away my queen.  Go to, Redwald, you are a troublesome subject.”

“I think I shall be so no longer,” I answered.

So those two most royal ones bade me farewell, and I went away to Elfric, and found Godwine there.  The young earl was high in favour with Cnut, and rightly.

Presently came one from the king with somewhat for me, and that was a goodly gift of money, which I hardly cared to take at first.

Then Godwine laughed at me.

“We have a great chest half full of gold at Pevensea out of which you may take a double handful whenever you need it.  Cnut has the gold of three kingdoms and says you may do the same out of his hoards.  Head breaking brought you the first, and hardship the second.  Take one as you would the other, man.  It is your due.”

And Elfric added that the king’s gift was surely out of goodness of heart.  There could be no thought of bribes now.  So I took it, and was glad thereof, for I could not ask my people for rents and dues yet.

Elfric asked me of Uldra, as one might suppose, and was glad when he heard of her welfare.

“I suppose that when I get back to Medehamstede her folk will want to know how she fares in Normandy, or the like.  Maybe they have troubled the good abbess already more than enough, for she brought her to me.”

“Whose daughter was she?” I asked.

“Maybe I heard, but I have forgotten,” he said.  “The abbess knows.  I saw not her folk, for the sisters brought her with them with my consent.”

So I went back to Bures well content with all but one thing, and that was what troubled me more than enough.  But I knew not that to my dying day I shall rejoice that I kept my troth to Hertha.

It was on one of those wondrous days that come in October, with glory of sunshine and clear sky over gold and crimson of forest and copse, that I learnt this.

I would go to Wormingford now and then to see that all was going well with the rebuilding of Hertha’s home, for Cnut’s gift was enough for that also, seeing that all one needed was at hand and did but require setting up by skilled workers.  Our priest, Father Oswin, found me such craftsmen as I needed.