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The "ignoble," "not noble," men with no charter from the Crown, or Earl, Thane, or Church, were, if lease-holders, though not "noble," still "free." Beneath them were the "unfree" nativi, sold or given with the soil. The old Celtic landholders were not expropriated, as a rule, except where Celtic risings, in Galloway and Moray, were put down, and the lands were left in the King's hands.
But when she saw only her father and the man, she tried to smile and sat up, with a little clutch at her disordered dress as if she wanted to straighten it. "That is better," said the thane heartily. "Those thieves have fled, and all will be well, thanks to our good friends here."
I think he is a bigger man and older, from all accounts," I said carelessly. "Moreover, he would not have put up with Kolgrim's jests as he did." "One knows not; but I thought he spoke of 'my folk' once. And he seemed to ask more than would a simple thane, and in a different way."
"He is a freeman, and I know him," I said. Nevertheless it came into my mind that he had been taken prisoner at the time of some such landing as that wherein I had first seen him. "He is a shipwrecked foreigner, lord," was the answer; "a masterless man whom I bought from the Lindsey thane on whose manor shore he was stranded."
"I must see Eadmund, our atheling, on king's business," I said gently, remembering how I should have felt when on the same duty, if one had come thus. "He may not be waked," the boy said. Then I spoke loudly, so as to end the business without troubling these faithful guards. "I am Redwald of Bures. I think that Eadmund will see me." "Hush! hush! thane," the boy said.
Now Eadmund made no more delay, but all that night went forth the summons of the war arrow, and the men mustered in force at last in Thetford town, and I spurred back to Hoxne and found the thane, and spoke to him. "Let the wedding go on," I said, "for the Danes are yet far, and must pass the earl and us also before they come hither.
He did not know me, though it happened that he looked right at me for a moment; but I did not expect him to do so after twelve years, seeing that I was but a boy when we parted. I thought that I would seek him presently. Then I saw Griffin, the Welsh thane, and I did not like the looks of him at all.
"Pardon me, Mr. Thane, for coming up to speak to you about your bill. Will it be convenient for you to let me have the money this evening?" She did not soften the dun by offering the usual excuse about "expenses being a little heavier this month than we expected," or that she "hated to ask him for the amount."
Then was fear enough for me, seeing that from our village more than one child has wandered forth thus and been seen no more, and I was the only son of the long-widowed thane, and the last of the ancient line that went back to Ella, and beyond him even to Woden.
Here were guards and many thanes, and I must show the tokens given me, before we might enter, while our thane stood by, impatient at the formalities. Those over, we came to a greet hall high-ceiled with oak, and carved everywhere, and strewn with sweet sedges, and on the high place sat the king and queen and one of the athelings.
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