“Leave him to me,” said the bishop. “He shall not be shriven until he declareth the truth. The other two, methinks, are the real culprits.”
A hue and cry was now raised that Ælfric was escaping, and many left the assembly to go in pursuit. The juggler was soon overtaken and borne again to the bishop. Oswald had brought the bond-woman forward.
The two stood defiantly before the tribunal. Ælfric had given the woman a quick, warning glance under which she quailed.
“What sayest thou?” asked Denewulf of the woman. “Why didst thou deny giving the harp to the maiden?”
“I gave it not,” answered she sullenly.
“Woman, God hath judged the maiden innocent. Then thou and this man are guilty. It must be so. Tell, then, why thou didst the thing.”
No answer came from the woman’s lips. The bishop turned to the gerefa and ealdorman. “Brothers, do ye question her. Stubborn and hard of heart hath she proven herself. Seek ye to soften her.”
No amount of questions, threats or persuasion would induce the woman to answer further than that she gave not the harp to the maiden. Presently, hoping to gain more by it, they turned to Ælfric. The man’s eyes were shining with a triumphant light as he saw that the woman was obdurate.
To all questions he answered nothing. In an insolent attitude he listened, but replied not. At last the bishop said, with some impatience: “Fully am I convinced of the guilt of these two. By his attempt at flight hath Ælfric shown his crime. Brothers, in this matter the man and the woman have sinned against heaven. Let, then, the church give the punishment. To the ordeal shall both be condemned. The woman to trial by water and stone even as the maiden; the man, the ordeal by fire.”
The gerefa and ealdorman willingly gave consent, as they were convinced that Ælfric and the woman were truly the offenders.