"Deira," said Beatrice quickly. "Is not Deira the ancient name for this part of the country?"
"Yes," Godfrey answered, "and it is rather a wide area for our friend Idris to explore, seeing that the name included all the country from the Tyne to the Humber, and from the Pennines to the sea."
"True," assented Idris; "but we may narrow the area of our search considerably. These old Vikings had such love for the sea that they were usually buried within sound of the breakers. We shall not err, therefore, if we confine our attention to the sea-board only of Deira."
"Even then you will have a coast-line of more than one hundred miles to explore."
"A glance at an ordnance map will help us to fix the site."
"In what way?"
"Thus. I take it that Orm the Viking, being master of much wealth, as is clear from the words on the ring, would build for himself a dwelling or castle by the sea. Around the abode of their chief the vassals and dependants would fix theirs, thus forming the nucleus of a town. Now what name would such a place be likely to take?"
"My dear Idris," said Godfrey, protestingly, "how can I tell?—or you either?" he added.
"Well, like most town-names of Norse origin it would probably end in the syllable by."