The bishop offered him hospitality, evidently sympathising with his distress, and once suggested a doubt of the fidelity of his page, but Edmund repelled it instantly.
"He is true as life," he said.
"But the king himself is witness that Edric has not left his presence."
"If not, he has plenty of villains about him to anticipate his orders, vile as Godwin, port-hund of Shrewsbury. Depend upon it they have murdered him, but if so, I will have vengeance, such vengeance--I will challenge the villain Edric to single combat."
"The Church would forbid it."
"Do you then sympathise with the hypocrite?"
"Alas, my son! who can read the heart of man? I know not what to think."
"But you could read the history of the last campaign. A fool might--I beg pardon--were not all our plans known beforehand? Did not all our enterprises fail? Were not all our ambushes anticipated? Did we not fall into all theirs? If they had had a prophet like Elisha, who told the king of Israel all Benhadad said in his council chamber, they couldn't have managed better. Can you explain this?"
"No, my son."
"Then I can, for I heard Sweyn say that they had a friend in the English camp."