gathered to his fathers, and a Norman chief had seized his manor-house and all his lands, and was now keeping them as his patrimony. Such, being told briefly, was the story which Father Adhelm told to my Lord Abbat of Ely and his guests and officials; and when he had done, he asked, where could a better chief be found for the Camp of Refuge than Hereward the true Saxon, and legitimate Lord of Brunn? And, hereupon, there was a clapping of hands and a shouting of voices in all that noble and devout assembly-a shouting so loud that it echoed through all the abbey, and was heard as far off as Saint Ovin's Cross; and the indwellers of the town of Ely, albeit they knew not what it meant, took up the cry, and shouted, "Hereward to the Camp of Refuge! Hereward for England!"

"Bethinks me," said the cautelous Abbat of Crowland, when the noise had ceased, "that perchance Hereward will not come to us at our summons. He must know how false our country has proved to herself, and how great the progress the conquerors hath made in it: his lands and all his inheritance are gone, a price is set upon his head in England, and his valour and experience in war, and his other good qualities, have made for him a prosperous and honorable home in a foreign land. While yet in my poor house at Crowland, a shipman from the Wash, who trades to the opposite coast, told me that he had lately seen at Ypres my Lord Hereward, living in great affluence and fame; and the mariner further told me that Hereward had said to him that he would never wend back to a land of cowards and traitors; that he had carved himself out new estates in the fattest lands of the

Netherlanders, and that England had nothing to give him except dishonour or a grave."

These representations damped the hopes of some of the company; but as Hereward's mind could not be known without a trial, it was determined to send some trusty messenger across the seas, who might gain access to the presence of the chief, and at the same time purchase and bring back with him a supply of arms and warlike harness, with other things much needed in the Camp of Refuge. The difficulties of this embassage struck all that were present: "And who," said the Lord Abbat, "shall be this trusty and expert messenger?"

"Were it not for the greenness of his years and the lowliness of his condition," said the Prior of Spalding, "I would even venture to recommend for the mission my bold-hearted, clear-headed, and nimble-footed novice, Elfric."

"Brother, thou hast said it," responded Thurstan; "thy novice shall go! Let the youth be summoned hither."

The novice was soon kneeling at my Lord Abbat's feet, and was soon made acquainted as well with the difficult task he was expected to perform, as with the uncomfortable doubts which had been propounded by the Abbat of Crowland. When

asked by his own immediate superior, Father Adhelm, whether he would undertake the task, he answered, "Marry, and that I will right gladly. When I first went to Spalding, I knew well Hereward, the son of the Lord of Brunn, and some of those that were nearest to him. If England is to be saved, he is the man that will save it. I would go to the world's end to find him and bring him hither. I love my country, and I love travelling

better than my meat and drink. I have ofttimes prayed to Saint Ovin that he would vouchsafe me the grace of going into foreign parts! Moreover, my prime duty is obedience to my superiors. Let me depart instantly, and I will the sooner bring you back Lord Hereward!"

"Thou art very confident," said the Abbat of Crowland: "how knowest thou that Hereward will come with thee?"

"My lord and master," said the novice, “I ween I can take over with me a word of command, or a prayer more potential than a command, and one which Hereward could not withstand even if he were king of all the Netherlanders' country, and sure death stood upon the English beach to seize him on his return!"

"What does the young man mean?" said the Abbat of Crowland.

Elfric blushed, stammered, and could not go on. "What dost thou mean?" said his Prior of Spalding.

Elfric stammered more than before, which angered his superior, and brought down some harsh words upon his head.

"Nay," said the good old Bishop of Lindisfarn, "chide not the young man, but give him time to collect his thought and frame his speech. He may know more of Lord Hereward than any one here knoweth. But . . . . . . but I hope that this novice of a goodly house doth not think of employing any witchcraft or unlawful spell! De maleficio libera nos! From witchcraft and sacrilege, and all the arts of the devil, good Lord deliver us!"

The bishop crossed himself; they all crossed themselves; and Elfric not only crossed himself,

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but likewise said "Libera nos!" and "Amen!" But when he had so done and so said, his merry eye twinkled, and there was as much of a smile about his mouth as the reverence due to the company allowed of in a novice.

"If there be magic," said he, "it is all white magic; if there be a spell, it is not an unholy spell." And as Elfric said these words he looked into the good-natured, right hearty, and right English face my Lord Abbat Thurstan.

of

"Speak on, boy," said the abbat; "speak out, my brave boy, and fear nought!"

Being thus heartened, Elfric said: "Then, to speak with reverence before this noble and reverend company, I wot well there were, when I was first at Spalding, and when my Lord Hereward was at Brunn, certain love-passages.

"Certain what?" said the expelled Abbat of Cockermouth, who was somewhat deaf.

"Love-passages," said Elfric, looking very archly, and with a laugh in his eyes, if not on his lips; "certain love-passages between the son of the Lord of Brunn and the noble maiden Alftrude, the young daughter and heiress to the lord of the neighbouring town, that old Saxon lord, Albert of Ey."

"Truth, the two houses stood not very far apart," said the Abbat of Crowland; "but Albert of Ey was no friend to the old Lord of Brunn."

"Most true, my lord; but Albert died before his neighbour, and left his wide estates to his fair daughter Alftrude, having first given her in ward to this Lanfranc, who is by some called Archbishop of Canterbury, and whose will and power few can gainsay. Moreover, the Ladie Alftrude is cousin

to the Ladie Lucia, whom Ivo Taille-Bois hath made his wife; and as that arch-enemy of our house extends his protection to his wife's cousin, not wishing that her lands should be seized by any hungry Norman other than a relation of his own, the heiress of Ey hath been allowed to live in the old manor-house, and to enjoy such proportion of her father's wealth as Lanfranc chooseth to allow her. Many Norman knights have sought her hand, as the best means of obtaining her land, but the Saxon maiden hath ever said Nay! And Lanfranc, who hath done violence to the very church for his own interest, and Ivo Taille-Bois, who got his own Saxon wife by violence, have hitherto had power enough to prevent any great wrong or violence being done to Ladie Alftrude, the heiress of Ey. Now the Ladie Alftrude remembers the times that are past, and sighs and weeps for the return of Hereward, vowing that she will wed none but he, and that

"Thou seemest well informed in these matters," said one of the monks; "but, prithee, how didst thou obtain thine information?"

Elfric stammered a little, and blushed a good deal as he said, "The young Ladie Alftrude hath long had for her handmaiden one Mildred of Hadenham, a daughter of my late father's friend, a maiden well behaved and well favoured, and pious withal; and when I was sent to the manor-house of Ey upon the business of our own house at Spalding, and when I met Mildred at the church, or wake, or fair, we were ever wont to talk about my Lord Hereward and my Ladie Alftrude, as well as of other matters."