Part 41 (1/2)

”Aught else?”

”Only I would bid you remember that the ealdorman Edric sought in like manner reconciliation with Elfhelm of Shrewsbury, and all men know what followed.”

Here Edric interrupted--”I do not sit here to be judged, but to judge. These accusations cannot be heard.”

”There is a judgment seat above where you will not be able to make that plea,” said the prisoner solemnly.

”Alfgar,” said the bishop, ”this counter-accusation cannot be received; have you aught else to urge?”

”None. I commit my cause to G.o.d.”

The court retired.

The pause was long and painful. It afterwards transpired that the bishop pleaded in Alfgar's favour, while Herstan ably seconded him; but all was in vain. Edric's eloquence, and the strong circ.u.mstantial evidence against the prisoner, carried the day, and the ealdorman even proposed that execution should be speedy, ”lest,” he whispered, ”Canute should interfere to screen his instrument.”

It was a dangerous game, but he thought the services he had rendered the Danish cause enabled him to play it safely.

They returned. All men saw the verdict in their faces. Edric spoke with great solemnity.

”We find the prisoner guilty.”

There was a dead pause.

”I appeal to the judgment of G.o.d. I demand the ordeal cf fire,” said Alfgar {xix}.

”It cannot be denied,” said the bishop, who had antic.i.p.ated the appeal. ”I myself will see to the preliminaries; and it may take place tomorrow morning in St. Frideswide's church.”

Edric and his sympathisers would fain have denied the claim, but they could not resist the bishop, backed as he was by the popular voice, for the cry, ”The ordeal! yes, the ordeal!” was taken up at once by the populace.

While he was hesitating, his brother G.o.da appeared amongst the crowd.

”Canute,” he whispered, ”draws nigh Oxenford. He has heard what is going on.”

Edric trembled, but soon recovered himself. However, it was not a time to deny justice.

The following morning the church of St. Frideswide was crowded at the early ma.s.s. All the friends of the accused were there, and Edric with all his party. The holy service was about to commence, when the crowd at the church door moved aside; a pa.s.sage was speedily made though the crowd, and three or four ecclesiastics, one habited as a royal chaplain, escorted a stranger, to whom all paid instinctive reverence, yet hardly knowing why, for he was only clad in the ordinary robes worn by n.o.blemen amongst the English.

He was led to the choir, and placed where Edmund had knelt by Edric's side some days previously. Edric saw him, and exchanged glances, after which the ealdorman looked uneasy.

On the other side knelt the prisoner, with Elfwyn and Herstan on either side, and his colour heightened. Well it might. He had last seen that figure when he fought by Edmund's side at Penn. But it was not that meeting. Words spoken ten years before came back to him with marvellous force:

”Tell me what is the secret of this Christianity?”

And Alfgar knew that Canute had found that secret at last.

”Why was he here? Did he come as his friend or foe?”

The ma.s.s was over. Alfgar had followed the whole ceremony with rapt attention, for it was in G.o.d alone that he could now put his confidence.

Then a furnace was placed in the church, containing nine bars of iron of red heat, and the fire was blown till the bars, quivering with heat, glittered in the sight. The bishop approached, and said the appointed prayers, that G.o.d would detect the innocence or guilt of the prisoner by their means, and reveal the truth known only to Him.