THE MYSTERY OF CORFE. 65 



of wine, all point to an eye witness as having given the account, 

 an eye witness, moreover, who was present at the beginning of 

 the quarrel, who was present during the chase, who knew 

 exactly what Wolstanet, the King, and Elfrida did and said, 

 and who gives a consistent homogeneous story from beginning 

 to end ; but who, be it observed, accuses no one of the actual 

 deed. " Some one, I know not who," are the words applied to 

 the murderer, and if, as seems not unlikely, Wolstanet was the 

 guilty man, it is only natural that he should have refrained 

 from being precise as to the identity of the assassin. It may 

 be pointed out, however, that this particular version of the 

 story is only met with in Gaimar, but too much importance 

 must not be attached to this fact, as other versions of the 

 same kind may have existed and been lost. After a careful 

 consideration then of the facts in so far as they are accurately 

 known, it would seem that the sole evidence for fastening the 

 blame on Elfrida consisted in the fact that she happened to 

 be Edward's stepmother, that the deed was committed near 

 her house, and probably in her presence. 



Now in dealing with the next point, that is to say the 

 question of Elfrida's guilt, it is necessary to bear in mind that 

 the actual power seems to have been already in her hands, 

 and that Edward was in any event but a figure head. It is 

 also perfectly true that Elfrida was intensely ambitious, and 

 further that she was smarting under a supposed wrong done 

 her, or rather her son, by the coronation of Edward, whose 

 legitimacy was perhaps doubtful. On the other hand it seems 

 clear that Edgar had designated Edward as his successor 

 while under the influence of Elfrida, and further this choice 

 had been ratified by the nobles, although a strong party 

 supported the queen and Ethelred. Now the point to be 

 considered is whether in any of her other recorded acts there 

 can be found a trace of the merciless ferocity with which she 

 has been credited. One incident, and one incident only, 

 namely, the beating she inflicted upon Ethelred when he made 

 certain allusions to Edward, is the only case that cannot be 

 explained or excused by the fact that she was a woman, and 



