He gave me the message, and I know no more.

Not even of whom he speaks." Now for a moment I grew angry with Ailwin again, for it seemed to me that I should have been told more than this.

Then I thought that perhaps Ailwin himself knew not yet where he would go.
"Does Ailwin know that there is news from Denmark ?" I asked.
"Our abbot told him, but he knew already, having had word from Colchester in some way.

He had heard before we as it seems." That was doubtless Gunnhild's work, for I came to know afterwards that in the long years of trouble she had made a chain of friends who would pass word to her from every point whence trouble would come.

It seems to me that much of the dame's knowledge of coming events was gained in ways like this rather than by witchcraft.
Then I was glad that the danger that I had learned had been foreseen by her and Ailwin; and as I sat without speaking for a few minutes I felt that now I was free to follow Olaf where he would lead his men to meet the Danes, for Hertha was not here, and her I could follow no longer.
There was no more to be learned from the priest, and so we rose up and went down to the churchyard, and saw the work, and I told him what I could of Ailwin and his ways, and thought that he had found one who was like him in thought and gentleness.
So presently I took Eadmund's penny from my pouch and gave it to him, telling him about it, even as I would have told Ailwin.
"Give me this back when I return, father," I said, "and it shall remind me of some vow which I will make at your advice." "Make no vows, my son, save this one," he said.