In all this, Brithric was very ungrateful to King Athelstane, who had been very kind to him, and had recently appointed him to the honorable office of his cup-bearer.  That employment, however, was not sufficient to content Brithric, who perceived that King Athelstane was too wise a prince to listen to artful flattery or to allow any person of his court to obtain an undue influence over his mind.

“Ah!” said Brithric to himself, “if Edwin were king, I should be his chief favorite.  Wealth and honors would be at my disposal; and as he believes everything I say to him I should be able to govern him, and persuade him to do whatever I wished.”

Brithric had soon an opportunity of introducing this treasonable project to Prince Edwin; for King Athelstane sent him with a letter to the head of the college; and as soon as he had delivered it he paid a visit to Prince Edwin, whom he found in his own chamber, engaged with Wilfrid in brightening his arrows.

“So, Brithric,” said the prince, “do you bring me an invitation to the court of the king, my brother?”

Brithric shook his head, and replied, “No, my prince; King Athelstane has no wish to see you there.  Take my word for it, he will never give you an invitation to his court.”

“Why not?” asked Prince Edwin, reddening with sudden anger.

“King Athelstane knows that you have a better title to the throne than himself,” replied Brithric.  “He knows, also, that were his valiant Thames and Ealdormen to see you, they would be very likely to make you king; for you are possessed of far more princely qualities than the base-born Athelstane.”

The eyes of Prince Edwin brightened at the words of Brithric, and he grasped the arrow which he had in his hand with the air of one who holds a sceptre.  “Fie, Brithric,” said Wilfrid, “how can you be so treacherous to your royal master as to speak of him with such disrespect, and to put such dangerous and criminal ideas into the mind of Prince Edwin?”

“Peace, meddling brat,” cried Edwin, angrily; “who asked counsel of thee in this matter?”

“There are some things which it would be a crime to hear in silence,” replied Wilfrid; “and I implore you, my dear, dear lord, by all the love that once united you and your faithful page in the bonds of friendship, not to listen to the fatal suggestions of the false Brithric.”

“False Brithric!” echoed the wily tempter; “I will prove myself the true friend of the Atheling, if he will only give consent to the deed by which I will make him this very day the lord of England.”

“Impossible,” cried the prince; “you have no power to raise me to the throne of my father Edward, albeit it is my lawful inheritance.”

“The usurper Athelstane knows that full well,” observed Brithric.  “Therefore it is that you are kept here, like a bird in a cage, leading a life of monkish seclusion in an obscure college, instead of learning to wield the battleaxe, to hurl the spear, and rein the war-horse, like a royal Saxon prince.”