the field

no m

length

is hard

on h

y need h

vam

under a tree, staring up into the rustling greenery. From the booth set apart for her, Helga came out dressed for the feast. She had replaced her scarlet kirtle and hose by garments of azure-blue silk, an

aid he. "Where are the bracelets and gold laces suitable to your rank? I

ve you forgotten my hatred against clothes so fine that one must be careful of them? But this was to be expected," she added, flu

good-naturedly. "Now are you as womanish as your bondmaid. You know that all the gold

er-Tongue," she laughed. Suddenly she was all earnestness again. "Nay, but, Sigurd, tell me this,-I do not car

shook them warmly. "Despise you, Helga my sister? Despise you for

asure. "If that is your fe

ed, and looked back regretfully. "It seems inhospitable to

like better to be left so than to be left in a mound with my head cut of

et your mishap stand in the way of your joy. Leif has great favor with King Olaf;

fighting abroad or serving the King at home, it is great shame for me t

t the afternoon scouring helmets amid a babble of directions and fault-finding, accented by blows. Helga did not see him; but he gazed after her, wondering idly what sort of a mistress she was to the

elga had that morning 'pointed out. But it was not the surprise of the meeting that made Alwin leap suddenly backward into the shelter of the doorway; it was the look that he

the English thrall,-and looking after her already! It seems that Skroppa spoke some

ow has gotten out of his wits," he muttered, cross

e haft of his knife; he drew it with a fierce cry: "But I will make the rest of it

sman was in the booth, arraying himself for the feast. He was a gigantic warrior, with a face seamed with scar

be damaged, Egil the Black. Would you choke him? Loos

win leaped up like a spri

, "that you should so far forget the

, Egil flushed and looked away. "It is enough that

you dislike the tilt of his nose? Go dress yourself. And you," he added, with a nod over his shoulder at Alwin, "do

Alwin cried furiously, "I swear by all

ed Alwin and threw him out of the door, with

ubtedly it was best to follow Valbrand's advice and keep out of his way,-at least until he could secure a weapon with which to defend himself. He stretched himself comfortably in the soft, dewy grass and waited until the revellers, splendid

full of night-noises; and high in the pines a breeze was whispering softly. Very softly and sweetl

d seen her, she had been borne past him, white and unconscious, in the arms of one of the marauding Danes. He shook himself fiercely to drive off the memory. Turning the corner of

to the moonlight, the singer sprang to her

ord A

," she sobbed, "you are so changed! And your hair-your beautiful hair! Oh, it is well that Earl Edmund and your lady mother are dead,-it would b

s future that stretched before them,-it was all full of bitterness. When Editha went in at last, her poor little throat was bursting with sobs. Alwin sank do

ng watching them curiously. Now Alwin started like a colt when a hand fell lightly on his shoulder. "I

him with eyes ful

elga the drudge of an English camp?" He sho

ld look even blacker than you, if that wer

mind, while you two were talking, how unevenly the Fates deal things. It appears, from what the maiden said, that you are the son of an English jarl who has often fought the Northmen. Now

ea comforted and softened him. Neither of the young men turned his eyes from the r

at the right-minded thing for me in this matter is to do what I should desi

om Alwin's sight. "I give you thanks," he said huski

hurl opened the gates to them,-though he had been my father's man for four seasons. It was from him that I learned to speak the Northern tongue. They took me while I slept, bound me, and carried me out to their boats. They carried out also the young maiden

rst out. "Did they not offer y

he bearing of his head grew more haughty. "My

ard of that great monarch. His

him,-how he went alone into the Danish camp, though they were hunting him to kill him; and while they thought him a simple-minded minstrel, he l

s; they were facing each other now.

s easily have happened that I were in your place. Now I will make a bargain with

were generous enough to make. Alwin could not but be m

s to answer. At last he spoke: "If you will do that, I promise on my side that I will