“Knowest thou not the maiden? Tell if thou hast even spoken with her.” “I saw the maiden in the hall of Oswald the thegn,” deposed she. “For two nights and a day did she abide therein, and when there was wassail she sang for the glee. On the morning of the third day did she bid us good-by and wended her way hence; whither, my lord, I wot not. Neither wot I more of her.” “Dost thou know aught of the harp, and how the maid came by it?” demanded the ealdorman, moved by the look of despair on the maiden’s face. “Take the instrument, and look at it. Declarest thou, woman, that thou hast never beheld it before?” The woman took up the harp and looked at it closely. “Many and oft are the times that I have seen it,” she said, with an appearance of candor. “It is that of Edwy the gleeman.” “How knowest thou?” “Once he did ask that I clean it for him. Here, my lord, is where by accident I scratched the wood when I had holpen him.” “And thou gavest it not to the maid?” The ealdorman was plainly disappointed. “No, my lord,” declared the woman positively. “Why should I give to the girl Edwy’s harp?” The gerefa turned to Egwina who, with pale face, listened to the woman’s denial. “Thou hearest what the woman hath deposed. Is there aught else that thou hast to say before thy doom be pronounced upon thee?” Egwina was troubled. “I know not what to say,” she said, despairingly. “The truth have I declared to thee, my lord—the truth, and naught but the truth. This is she who gave me the harp. Why she should gainsay the fact, I know not. But as my soul liveth, I declare to thee that I am innocent of this charge which hath been brought against me. It hath been borne in upon my mind that malice hath been at work, and that Ælfric hath arranged the matter; that for vengeance sake he hath testified falsely, and wrought this evil.” “Maiden, no longer can we listen to thee. Receive the doom as thou knowest it to be,” commanded the gerefa. But the ealdorman cried, “Brother, are we not to administer justice? While still there is a doubt, suffer the girl to benefit by it. Let her declare cause why Ælfric should wish to wreak vengeance upon her.” “Why should we listen?” returned the reeve, impatiently. “Hath she not been given a fair trial? One artifice—that of the woman—hath failed. Shall we try another? Marry, no!” “Yet, still let us listen,” requested the ealdorman. “Maiden,” without waiting for the assent of the reeve he turned to Egwina, “thou hast not before seen Ælfric the freed-man. Why, then, should this be his vengeance upon thee?” “Oh, my lord, but I have seen him before!” cried Egwina, hope springing once more in her breast. Rapidly she recounted the circumstances. “It may be as thou sayest,” mused the ealdorman. “Brother, let us search into the matter as the maiden hath told.”