Part 5 (1/2)
”This lord It was told aift to him who should discover to thee the fairest maid in Iceland So I asked leave of my mistress to come on a journey and tell thee of her”
”Then a lie was told thee Still, I love to hear of fair h So speak on, Koll the Fox, and lie not to me, I warn thee, else I will knock its are left there from that red head of thine”
So Koll took up the tale and greatly bepraised Gudruda's beauty; nor in truth, for all his talk, could he praise it too much He told of her dark eyes and the whiteness of her skin, of the nobleness of her shape and the gold of her hair, of her wit and gentleness, till at length Ospakar grew afire to see this flower of irl be but half of what thou sayest, her luck is good, for she shall be wife to Ospakar But if thou hast lied to me about her, beware! for soon there shall be a knave the less in Iceland”
Now a man rose in the hall and said that Koll spoke truth, for he had seen Gudruda the Fair, Ashter, and there was no maid like her in Iceland
”I will do this now,” said Blacktooth ”To- to Asmund the Priest that I purpose to visit hiirl pleasesthe thralls, and here is so for thy pains,” and he took off the purple cloak and threw it to him
”Thanks to thee, Gold-scatterer,” said Koll ”It is wise to go soon to Middalhof, for such a bloo in the south, nahteyes, who loves Gudruda, and she, I think, loves hih he is but a yeoman of small wealth and is only twenty-five years old”
”Ho! ho!” laughed great Ospakar, ”and I a cross my desire, lest er of Ospakar came to Middalhof, and his words pleased Asreat feast And Swanhild smiled, but Gudruda was afraid
IV
HOW ERIC CAME DOWN GOLDEN FALLS
Now Ospakar rode up to Middalhof on the day before the Yule-feast He was splendidly apparelled, and with hi men of pro at the woht and loathed him
”What thinkest thou of hie, foster-sister?” asked Swanhild, watching at her side
”I think he is like a troll, and that, seek as he will, he shall not find me I had rather lie in the pool beneath Golden Falls than in Ospakar's hall”
”That shall be proved,” said Swanhild ”At the least he is rich and noble, and the greatest of o hard with Eric were those arms about him”
”I am not so sure of that,” said Gudruda; ”but it is not likely to be known”
”Comes Eric to the feast by the road of Golden Falls, Gudruda?”
”Nay, no man may try that path and live”
”Then he will die, for Eric will risk it”
Now Gudruda thought, and a great fire burned in her heart and shone through her eyes ”If Eric dies,” she said, ”on thee be his blood, Swanhild--on thee and that darkthis evil on us How have I harmed thee that thou shouldst deal thus with , for passion azed into Gudruda's face and answered: ”How hast thou harmed me?
Surely I will tell thee Thy beauty has robbed me of Eric's love”
”It would be better to prate of Eric's love when he had told it thee, Swanhild”