“Maiden,” the gerefa turned to Egwina and his face was full of honest sorrow, “it mislikes me to believe that this is as these have sworn. Take now thine oath, and if thou canst say aught in rebuttal of what these have said, speak.” The maiden stood up, and proud was her port as she took the oath, and cried earnestly: “In the name of the Lord! I am innocent both in word and deed of this thing of which the gleeman accuses me.” “Child,” said the gerefa, “perjure not thy soul. Thou art on oath.” “I know that I am on oath,” said the maiden in a clear, steady voice. “I say again, my lord gerefa, I am innocent of this charge. ’Tis true, as Edwy hath said, that I did ask him for the harp. Sweeter is the voice of the singer with its music. It is the wish of all our craft to please, thus would I have enhanced my chance to delight others. True is it also, that Ælfric found me alone in the hall trying the instrument. It lay on the seat of the gleeman, and it harmed none that I did try it. Then, my lord, and the truth do I speak as I tell thee, when I left the thegn’s manor laden with generous gifts, there came one running after me, a bond-woman carrying the harp. ‘This also hath my lord sent thee,’ she cried. Wondering much that a lord should send as gift the property of another, I took it not, but spake of the matter. ‘Question not the gifts of my lord but take them,’ she said, thrusting it upon me. Before I could say aught else, she ran from me, and I was forced to proceed with the harp, wondering.” “Strange is thy tale, maiden.” The gerefa spoke doubtingly. “Never, I ween, hath a lord been known to take from one to bestow on another. Strange, strange thy tale!” “Yet methinks that there is the sound of truth in the maiden’s words,” spoke the ealdorman. “Prithee, my Lord Oswald, have thy bond-women brought that they may be spoken with, and we shall see how truly the maid doth speak.” Egwina looked at him gratefully. It was the first word that she had heard that evinced anything like faith in her innocence. A silence fell upon the people as the thegn sent for his bond-women, and as they waited their appearance some were there who, won by the beauty of the maiden, openly expressed a belief in her innocence. At last the gesiths of Oswald returned, and with them came the bond-women. Motioning them forward, the gerefa said to Egwina, “Maiden, as these pass before thee, say which was the one who gave thee the harp.” Egwina looked at the women as they passed. Finally, at the end of the line, there came one whom she regarded attentively. “This, my lord gerefa,” spake she, “is the one who gave it me.” The reeve called the woman to him and administered the oath. “State, woman,” said he, “when and where thou didst give the harp to the maiden.” The woman looked at him in surprise. “Dread lord, I wot not thy meaning.” “Didst thou not follow after the maiden, and give her a harp?” “Nay; I know not what thou meanest,” declared the woman.