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Harold, without waiting once more to see Edith, nor even taking leaveof his father, repaired to Dunwich [124], the capital of his earldom.In his absence, the King wholly forgot Algar and his suit; and in themean while the only lordships at his disposal, Stigand, the graspingbishop, got from him without an effort. In much wrath, Earl Algar, onthe fourth day, assembling all the loose men-at-arms he could findaround the metropolis, and at the head of a numerous disorderly band,took his way into Wales, with his young daughter Aldyth, to whom thecrown of a Welch king was perhaps some comfort for the loss of thefair Earl; though the rumour ran that she had long since lost herheart to her father's foe.
Edith, after a long homily from the King, returned to Hilda; nor didher godmother renew the subject of the convent. All she said onparting, was, "Even in youth the silver cord may be loosened, and thegolden bowl may be broken; and rather perhaps in youth than in age,when the heart has grown hard, wilt thou recall with a sigh mycounsels."
Godwin had departed to Wales; all his sons were at their severallordships; Edward was left alone to his monks and relic-venders. Andso months passed.
Now it was the custom with the old kings of England to hold state andwear their crowns thrice a year, at Christmas, at Easter, and atWhitsuntide; and in those times their nobles came round them, andthere was much feasting and great pomp.
So, in the Easter of the year of our Lord 1053, King Edward kept hiscourt at Windshore [125], and Earl Godwin and his sons, and manyothers of high degree, left their homes to do honour to the King. AndEarl Godwin came first to his house in London—near the TowerPalatine, in what is now called the Fleet—and Harold the Earl, andTostig, and Leofwine, and Gurth, were to meet him there, and gothence, with the full state of their sub-thegns, and cnehts, andhouse-carles, their falcons, and their hounds, as become men of suchrank, to the court of King Edward.
Earl Godwin sate with his wife, Githa, in a room out of the Hall,which looked on the Thames,—awaiting Harold, who was expected toarrive ere nightfall. Gurth had ridden forth to meet his brother, andLeofwine and Tostig had gone over to Southwark, to try their band-dogson the great bear, which had been brought from the north a few daysbefore, and was said to have hugged many good hounds to death, and alarge train of thegns and house-carles had gone with them to see thesport; so that the old Earl and his lady the Dane sate alone. Andthere was a cloud upon Earl Godwin's large forehead, and he sate bythe fire, spreading his hands before it, and looking thoughtfully onthe flame, as it broke through the smoke which burst out into thecover, or hole in the roof. And in that large house there were noless than three "covers," or rooms, wherein fires could be lit in thecentre of the floor; and the rafters above were blackened with thesmoke; and in those good old days, ere chimneys, if existing, weremuch in use, "poses, and rheumatisms, and catarrhs," were unknown, sowholesome and healthful was the smoke. Earl Godwin's favourite hound,old, like himself, lay at his feet, dreaming, for it whined and wasrestless. And the Earl's old hawk, with its feathers all stiff andsparse, perched on the dossal of the Earl's chair and the floor waspranked with rushes and sweet herbs—the first of the spring; andGitha's feet were on her stool, a