But Emma the queen turned half away from him, her face growing hard and scornful as she heard.

Then Eadward set his book down gently, and, looking sadly at his mother, came and stood over against me at the other side of the king, and took his wan hand and said: "There are laws which you have made, my father, which will live in the hearts of men alongside those that Eadgar made--our best.

There will not be all blame to you in the days to come, when men see clearly how things have gone with you." Thereat Ethelred smiled faintly, and he answered: "I pray that it may be so.

But the good outweighs not the evil.

I may not count the one--I must confess the other." He passed into thought, looking into the fire, and we were still beside him.