ights the sun arose, Hartvik and Eigil drew near
to him, as he sat upon the stone, and then Hartvik spoke--

"Halfred, my blood brother, a great calamity has befallen to thee, to
me, to us. Father and sister and many friends have I lost, and Eigil
has also lost many who were dear to him. We must bear it, all three.
Come, Halfred, Sigskald, arouse thyself! This silence and brooding is
evil. Dwelling-house and Mead hall the fire has burnt--the axe will
build them up. Harps, there are many still upon the earth, and the
Singing Swan spreads out her hardly singed pinions. Come, Halfred,
drink! Here I have brought thee from the Greek spoils of the Singing
Swan a cup of Chios wine, which thou ever lovedst. Drink, speak, and
live!"

Halfred stood up with a sigh, took the cup from Hartvik's hand, and
poured the wine slowly upon the grave; the earth drank it greedily in.

"Come hither again about midnight. Then will I give ye an answer. I
cannot even yet think clearly. Once more will I ask the gods who dwell
in the stars if they even yet deny me an answer."

And he sat down again upon the stone, and covered his face with his
hands.

And when about midnight the two came, Halfred pointed towards the
heavens--

"There are so many thousand thousand stars, but they are all dumb to
me.
Unceasingly, for seven days and nights, have I asked myself, and
asked the stars, wherefore have the Gods allowed this awful thing to
happen?
Is it a crime that I vowed a vow, such as many which are vowed in
the north?
Hundreds of women had heard it without resentment.
Is it my crime that Dame Harthild was differently minded?
And it was no lie that I bore love to her, on that night.
Love's fulness truly it was not--as Sudha named it.
That may be. Never knew I love's fulness.
And be it so. If the Gods hate me for an evil deed, wherefore do
they not punish me alone?
Wherefore let others--so many others--suffer and atone for
_my_ sin?
Wherefore should King Hartstein perish, and many other princes,
and thousands of men from all coasts and islands?
Wherefore should Dame Harthild perish, whom they would have
avenged, and our unborn son?
How have all these sinned? Answer me, ye two, if ye know more than
do I and the stars?"

But his blood brethren were silent, and Halfred continued--

"Yet there must be Gods!
Who has else bound the giants, calmed the sea, levelled t