d to make no stand against it, but took to his bed, from
which Gudrid knew he would never rise. She waited on him hand and
foot; he lay there watching her with his aching eyes, and wounded her
to the heart. He hardly ever spoke, and seldom asked for anything.
Thorstan used to come up most days to ask how he did. Gudrid knew
quite well when he was on the road, and would tell Thore. "Here is
Thorstan Ericsson coming. Will you not see him?"

"Nay, nay, not yet," was Thore's answer.

Then there came a day when, being very ill, and nearly blind with
fever, Thore asked to see Thorstan. So Gudrid opened the door to him,
and her colour came back to her when she said, "Thore has asked for
you. Come in, then."

Thorstan, glowing in his health and strength, came into the hall.
Gudrid took his furs from him to dry them by the fire, for the fog was
frozen thick upon them.

Thorstan sat on the edge of the bed, and asked Thore how he did. "I do
badly," said Thore, "but before long it will be better with me."
Gudrid was turning away when he said to her, "Nay, do you stop here. I
shall need you." So she stood where she was, a little way from the
bed, half dreading and half glorying in what was to come.

Thore shut his eyes and seemed to wander in sleep. They heard him
talking very fast to himself--counting the same things over and over
again, and always failing at a certain number. They thought he was
counting sheep--but it was salmon in a net. Thorstan watched him
attentively, while Gudrid stood in a spell; but presently Thorstan got
up and fetched a stool for her to sit upon. She could not look at him
to thank him. So the time passed in silence, broken only by the
feverish whispering of the sick man. The thoughts of the man were
deeply upon the woman, and the joy of her nearness made his heart beat.
As for her thoughts, if there was no joy in them, there was great
content, and a sense of peace which she had not known for a long while.
She thought that a word from him might have broken down her peace.
"What need of speech between us two?" she thought. "I would live with
him and know all his thoughts, and tell him all mine without speech at
all."

Presently Thore woke up with a start and asked what time it was. "It
is late," Gudrid said. "I will bring you your broth, and maybe you
will sleep a little." She turned away to the fire, but Thore said
sharply, "Stay; there is no need for broth now." Then he said, "