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Updated: June 6, 2025
There was a fire on the great hearth in the midst of the hall; but as it was high summer, only a little one, and over it were no cauldrons, as there would have been in the winter. Berthun was doing his cookery elsewhere. But between the tables were spaces where his thralls and the women could pass as they bore round the food and drink.
And backwards and forwards among them went Berthun until the very last, anxious and important, seeing that all was right, and showing one guest after another to their places. No light matter was that either, for to set a thane in too low a place for his rank was likely to be a cause of strife and complaint.
Whereat Berthun, without hesitation, spoke hastily to Havelok, and told him to let him answer, meaning, as I have not the least doubt, to promise all that he had saved in long years of service.
But one day he came to me and said that he was sure he knew the ways of a king too well for it all to be a dream, adding that Berthun saw that also, and was curious about him. "Tell me, brother, whence came I? /Was/ I truly brought up in a court?" "I have never heard," I answered.
"I shall not feel that I have shaken off service to Alsi until I have done so." And then he saw Berthun here for the first time. "Nay, but here is my master," he added. "And I will say that I owe him much for his kindness." "Now the kindness shall be on your part, if any was on mine. Take me into your service, I pray you, henceforward."
"The folk in this place are unmannerly," said Havelok; "hut if you want the bread carried up the hill I will do it for you." Berthun looked him up and down in a puzzled sort of way once or twice ere he answered, "Well, as that is your own proposal, pick your helpers and do so; I would not have asked such a thing of you myself." "There is not much help needed," said Havelok.
Let it be so." "Now, I do not think that you would make a gain by my work this morning?" "Truly not, if any one is wronged by my doing so," the puzzled steward said. Then Havelok asked how many men would have been needed to carry up the goods that he had brought, and Berthun said that he was wont to send one at least from each stall, and more if the burden was heavy.
But I think that when Alsi saw this he half repented of the match, though he had gone too far now to draw back. So he bowed, and said that it was well, as he would have said had there been nothing forthcoming. Then Berthun, in his turn, asked for the bridegroom that the dowry of the bride should be stated for all to hear. "The wealth left my niece by her father," said Alsi.
I have heard men scoff at the thought of love at first sight, but never can any one of us do so who saw this wedding. Now the folk cheered, and loudest of all honest Eglaf and his warriors. I wondered what should come next, for neither feast nor bride ale was prepared, and Berthun was looking puzzled.
Then Berthun came and beckoned to me, for I must fetch Eglaf the captain at once, as the king had need of him, in haste. Then Eglaf hurried to the hall; and after a word or two with Alsi, the horns were blown outside the hall door to call every man of the guard to the place. And when they came, we were all set round the wall as if guarding all that were in it.
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