ut Leif would have colonised Wineland.

Meantime, Thorwald, the third of the brothers, was on fire with the
thought of going. He said that he should go out next spring if Leif
would let him have his boat. Thore--to the surprise of all--said that
he would go too, but nobody seemed to want him. Leif said: "I don't
think you a lucky man, Thore. And I don't think your wife will care
about so long and rough a voyage, seeing what you made of her last."
The laugh went against Thore.

"Gudrid shall stay with her father," said he; but Gudrid said, "I shall
go if you do." Thorstan's face fell, and Eric Red burst into a great
shout of laughter. "Oh, sour face," he cried out, "let us hear what
you have to say about all this."

Thorstan was very hot, but he answered his father. "I think that
Gudrid should not go, nor Thore either"--which made Eric chuckle.

When he was with her the next day, after a long time of brooding,
Thorstan said that he hoped she would not go to Wineland.

"I must go if Thore goes," she said over her needlework.

"If Thore goes, I shall go myself," Thorstan said after a pause.
Gudrid looked up, but said nothing.

"He is not a lucky man--that is to be seen," Thorstan said then. "And
he has no great knowledge of the sea, and is moreover infirm. It would
come to this, that he would hurt himself, and you would have the care
of him as you did upon the rock out beyond the head."

She answered him gravely. "It may be as you say, that he is not lucky.
Indeed, I know it too well. For it was told me before ever I saw or
heard of him, that he would die before me."

Thorstan was now strongly moved. He wrung his hands together. "I beg
you to tell me just what was said about that."

She coloured deeply. "No, I cannot tell you."

But Thorstan said: "I know what it was. It was said that you would
have two husbands. Was it not so?"

She could not tell him the truth; so she said, "Yes." Then Thorstan
said in a voice which did not sound like his, "That is another reason
why I must go." And then they looked at each other for a measurable
space of time--and then Thorstan got up and left her.

When they met again he was as he had always been before; but Gudrid was
frightened, and insisted on going home to Stockness. It was hard to
persuade Eric Red to let her leave him. He had grown very fond of her,
and the more so because he hated his own daughter Freydis. But Gudrid
held to her determination,