"
"Ah! As to the bear, I have my secrets, which I tell no one. He is dead
and buried, thanks to you."
"And I sleep on his skin every night."
"You do, my little Champion? Well, warm is the bed that is well earned.
But as for her;--see here, and I'll tell you. She was Gospatrick's ward
and kinswoman,--how, I do not rightly know. But this I know, that she
comes from Uchtred, the earl whom Canute slew, and that she is heir to
great estates in Northumberland.
"Gospatrick, that fought at Dunsinane?"
"Yes, not the old Thane, his uncle, whom Tosti has murdered; but
Gospatrick, King Malcolm's cousin, Dolfin's father. Well, she was his
ward. He gave me her to keep, for he wanted her out of harm's way--the
lass having a bonny dower, lands and money--till he could marry her up to
one of his sons. I took her; of course I was not going to do other men's
work for naught; so I would have married her up to my poor boy, if he had
but lived. But he would not live, as you know. Then I would have married
her to you, and made you my heir, I tell you honestly, if you had not
flown off, like a hot-headed young springald, as you were then."
"You were very kind. But how is she an Etheliza?"
"Etheliza? Twice over. Her father was of high blood among those Saxons;
and if not, are not all the Gospatricks Ethelings? Their grandmother,
Uchtred's wife, was Ethelred, Evil-Counsel's daughter, King Edward of
London's sister; and I have heard that this girl's grandfather was their
son,--but died young,--or was killed with his father.
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