self in water. Then Leif saw that she was wet through and
almost rigid with cold. He did not believe Thore was dead, nor did
she. "No, no, he won't die so. He will die in my arms." So Gudrid
said.

They took off the sick man first, and Gudrid with him. Both of them
were put to bed, where Gudrid, who was now in a fever, soon became
light-headed. Leif attended to her like a woman. It was wonderful to
see so big a man so gentle and light in the hand.

He brought them all in safely, and Thore and Gudrid were taken up to
Brattalithe, to lodge with Eric until one at least of them was well
again. Gudrid very soon recovered, and seemed none the worse, but in
all her glow of beauty and health. Thore was much slower. His wound
pained him a great deal. Cold had got into it and inflamed it. The
pain made him fretful; he seemed much older than a year and a half's
absence could account for, and was anxious to get home.

Gudrid wished to go also. Everybody was very kind to her at
Brattalithe. She was a great favourite with Eric Red, who used to tell
her that she ought to have married one of his sons. "Then I should
have been sure that things would go right here when I am out of the
way." Gudrid once replied to that that none had asked her, whereupon
the old man looked slyly about him, and then said: "There was one at
least was thinking of you--and so he is now."

She knew that too well. Thorstan was consumed by love, and must always
be with her if he could. She was gentle with him, as she was with
everybody, and had to own to herself that it was Thorstan who now
possessed her thoughts. That may have been going by contraries, for if
Leif paid her nothing but the good-humoured civility he had ready for
everybody, Thorstan, on his part, seemed afraid of her, and was
speechless in her company. But there's all the difference in the world
between a man completely easy in your company and one completely
uneasy. Leif was a young giant, the best-tempered giant in the world;
but it was clear to Gudrid that he had other things to think about
besides love. He was full of the exploration he had made, determined
to get more of the good timber over, and with more than half a mind to
go out and settle in Wineland. Dirk made wine of the grapes which they
had brought back. There was a great feast, and everybody got very
drunk. If Eric Red had not died and left the Greenland settlement on
his hands there is little doubt b