And it was much for me that here this open-hearted king was telling me his hopes as if I were an old friend.

Maybe that was because to his subjects he did not care to speak thus, or could not, by reason of old habit.

He was wise beyond his years, being, as I think, about two years younger than myself.

And as to this match, of course it was plain that Offa in furthering it was in nowise unwilling to link the land to the east of Mercia to himself in so peaceful a bond as he had linked Wessex in the year when I left home.

It did come into my mind that thus in time the descendants of that mighty king would be likely to rule from the Humber to the Channel, but that was a dim thought of years to come.