"Faith shall answer to faith," she said in a clear voice. "Here do I
take this man for my husband, in the sight of God, and with you all as
witnesses, and I pray that the blessing of Him may be on us both."
So she drank also, and Havelok stopped and raised the wondrous ring from
where it had been unheeded on the floor, and took the band of Goldberga,
and set it on her finger, and kissed the hand ere he let it go.
But Goldberga lifted her face toward him, and he bent and kissed her
forehead, and so they were wedded.
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.
CHAPTER XVII. HOW THE BRIDE WENT HOME.
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 I saw that the only face
in all the wide hall which was not bright was that of Alsi, and his brow
was black as a thunder cloud, while his fingers were white with the
force with which he clutched and twisted the end of his jewelled belt.
Plainly he was in a royal rage that none had scoffed at this wedding,
but that all had taken it as a matter that was right altogether.
But he had one more evil thing in his mind that must be seen through;
and he came forward, smoothing his face, as best he might, to the fixed
smile that I had seen when he spoke with Ragnar, and learned that his
first plot had miscarried.
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