Part 51 (1/2)

Say, lovers, where shall ye kiss again?”

Then the light went out of her eyes and she laughed low And ever as she whispered, the spoken words of the two in the shut bed grew fainter and th they died away, and a silence fell upon the place

”Thou hast no cause to fear the sword of Eric, Gizur,” she said

”Nothing ake hiht comes”

”Thou art awesome!” answered Gizur, for he shook with fear ”Look not oneyes, I pray thee!”

”Fear not,” she said, ”the fire is out Now to the work”

”What must we do, then?”

”_Thou_ must do this Thou must enter and slay Eric”

”That I can not--that I will not!” said Gizur

She turned and looked at hiain--upon his eyes they seemed to burn

”Thou wilt do as I bid thee,” she said ”With Eric's sword thou shalt slay Eric, else I will curse thee where thou art, and bring such evil on thee as thou knowest not of”

”Look not so, Swanhild,” he said ”Lead on--I come”

Now they creep into the shut cha, and nothing can they hear except the heavy breathing of the sleepers

This is to be told, that at this time Swanhild had it in her mind to kill, not Eric but Gudruda, for thus she would shteyes Moreover, she loved Eric, and while he lived she ht yet win him; but Eric dead ed--Gudruda, who, for all her sche, had yet been a wife to Eric!

Now they stand by the bed Swanhild puts out her hand, dran the clothes, and feels the breast of Gudruda beneath, for Gudruda slept on the outside of the bed

Then she searches by the head of the bed and finds Whitefire which hung there, and draws the sword

”Here lies Eric, on the outside,” she says to Gizur, ”and here is Whitefire Strike and strike ho Whitefire in the wound”

Gizur takes the sword and lifts it He is sore at heart that he must do such a coward deed; but the spell of Swanhild is upon hiht takes hihts upon Gudruda's golden hair, that hangs about her breast and falls froround

”Here is woman's hair,” he whispers

”No,” Swanhild answers, ”it is Eric's hair The hair of Eric is long, as thou hast seen”

Now neither of them knows that Gudruda cut Eric's locks when he lay sick on Mosfell, though Swanhild knoell that it is not Brighteyes whom she bids Gizur slay

Then Gizur, Ospakar's son, lifts the sword, and the faint starlight struggling into the chaleams upon the blade Thrice he lifts it, and thrice it draws it back Then with an oath he strikes--and drives it hoth!

Froh and a sound as of liear Then all is still