“Come ye to consult the runes?” she asked, “or upon the matter of which thou spakest, Adiva?” “Upon the matter,” returned Adiva. “Egwina will have naught more to do with runes or rede. Therefore haste we to the other affair.” “She hath no need,” replied the vala. “Skulda hath woven the web and golden is its woof. Fear not, maiden, Verdandi striveth to weave dark threads among the gold, but already do they begin to brighten. Speed thou on thy way. Skulda holdeth the shuttle.” Egwina answered not. The remembrance of Gyda was still too strong upon her for her to listen without a shudder to the woman’s prophecies. Gunnehilde saw the repugnance in her face, and turned to the bishop’s wife. “The cart is ready at thy bidding, Adiva. Whenever thou shalt say, then shall Beorn take the maiden to my brother’s, Anlaf the black.” “What dost thou mean?” cried Egwina. “Where do I go? Adiva, what is it?” “My child, thou didst promise thou wouldst do as I bade thee should Denewulf remain obdurate in his purpose to have thee enter a convent. Thou wottest how set he is in his design. Without thy consent thou canst not, of course, be made to enter one, but I fear that he will o’ersuade thee. Therefore I deem it best that thou shouldst retire for a little while into East Anglia where Anlaf the black, brother to Gunnehilde, abides. There shalt thou stay until such time as Denewulf will have given over his design. Then thou canst return to me, and never shalt thou leave me until Edward takes thee.” “Adiva,” said the maiden, distressed, “it cannot be. It will never be as thou seemeth to think. Dwell not on such hopes for they are vain. I feel with Denewulf that it is meet and fitting that I should retire into a nunnery. Oppose me no longer, Adiva. It is best.” “It is not best,” cried the dame. “If it so be that Edward doth not wed with thee, yet still thou shalt not be hidden in the cloister. Thou wilt go with the man to Anlaf’s, wilt thou not? Thou must, Egwina, else I will send for the king and lay the whole matter before him.” “Thou wottest that I will do as thou sayest, Adiva, when thou dost make such threat. To please thee, then, and to keep thee from sending for the king, I will go into East Anglia and for a time give up the thought of the cloister. Anon I will take it up.” So Egwina found herself bundled into a cart and on the way to East Anglia to the house of Anlaf the black. CHAPTER XXV—HILDA AGAIN