"And, yet," he said again, "if ever you have to do with her, remember what she may have been. It will be ill to offend her, or to cross her in aught." "That is the hardest saying that our folk have of her," I said, "but I have heard it many a time." "There is much in that saying," Thrond answered grimly. "Well," I answered shortly, "I suppose that if any man will set himself against a king or a queen, he has to take the chances." "Small chance for such an one if the queen be--well, such another as I helped to set adrift from our shore." Meaningly that was said, and I had no answer. I was glad that Thorleif showed himself on the bows of the prize and hailed Thrond. "Send the Saxon lad on board here," he said; "we have met with a friend of his." That could be none but the atheling, and I leaped up. The men were heaving on the tow line, and the ships were slowly nearing each other. "Thrond," I said breathlessly, "will Thorleif let me go?" "Of course," he answered, smiling. "We only picked you up again to save your life. He had a mind to land you on the English shore presently; for he said you had kept faith with us well, and he could not let you suffer therefor." The bows of the trader grated against our stern, and one of the men gave me a hoist over her gunwale with such good will that I landed sprawling among the coils of rope on the fore deck. When I gathered myself up I saw Ecgbert and Thorleif aft, while the Danes were rummaging the ship, and I made my way to them. And as I came the atheling stared at me, and then hastened forward with outstretched hand of welcome. "Why, Wilfrid, old comrade, how come you here? I heard only of a West Saxon, and whether this is luck for you or not I do not know." "Good luck enough, I think," I answered, with a great hand grip. "I had not yet let myself wonder how long it would be before I saw home again." His face fell, and he looked doubtfully at me. "I cannot take you home, Wilfrid; I am flying thence myself. The Danish chief will set you ashore somewhere at his first chance, he says." "Why, what is amiss again?" "The old jealousy, I suppose," he answered grimly. "As if a lad like myself was likely to try to overturn a throne! Here had I hardly settled down in Mercia as a fighter of the Welsh and hanger-on of Offa's court, when there come Bertric's messengers, asking that I should be given up, and backing the demand with a request for closer alliance by marriage. Offa, being an honest man, was for sending the message back unanswered. But the queen had a mind for the match, and as I was in the way, it was plain to me that I must be out of it. So I did not wait for Quendritha to remove me, but removed myself." "Alone?" I asked. "Alone, and that hastily. You do not know the lady of Mercia, or you would not ask."