"Tell me now of Eadmund Atheling;" for some strange power that the old woman had seemed to draw me to ask of her what I would most know.
"For Eadmund of Wessex?
For him the shadow of Edric Streone over all his brave life." "What then of Cnut, the Dane King ?" "Honour and peace, and the goodwill of all men." "Not mine," I said.
"Yours also, Redwald--for England's sake and his own." But I could not believe her at that time.
Now the angry voice of Wulfnoth called me from outside the place, and the dame said "Go," smiling at me and holding out her hand.
"No more can I tell you, Redwald.

But I have this to say of you, that you have pleased me in asking nought concerning yourself." "I would know nought beforehand," I said, speaking old thoughts of my own plainly.

"It is enough to hope ever for good that may not come, and to live with one's life unclouded by fear of the evil that must needs be." The dame smiled again, very sadly, as it seemed to me.

"It is well said.

Now I will tell you this, that over your life is the shadow of no greater evil than what every man must meet.