en weeping.

"Why, my sister," said Halfden, "hardly would you have wept for my
danger--or weeping you would be from my sailing to return."

But she answered not a word, and turned away, for his saying made
her tears come afresh.

"Now am I a blunderer," said Halfden. "If there is one thing that I
fear it is a weeping maiden."

And with that he went from the room, leaving me.

Then I took upon me to comfort Osritha, nor was that a hard task.
And again I would have gone through this new danger I had faced,
for it had brought the one I loved to my arms.

Not long might we be together, for now the feasting began, and I
must go to Halfden and his brothers in the great hall. And then
came remembrance to me. For now must I refuse to eat of the horse
sacrifice, and maybe there would be danger in that. Yet I thought
that no man would trouble more about me and my ways, so that I said
naught of it to Osritha.

So I sat between Halfden and Thormod at the high place, and the
whole hall was full of men seated at the long tables that ran from
end to end, and across the wide floor. The womenfolk and thralls
went busily up and down serving, and it was a gay show enough to
look on, for all were in their best array.

Yet it seemed to me that the men were silent beyond their wont,
surly even in their talk, for the fear of the omen of that eddying
smoke was yet on them. And presently I felt and saw that many eyes
were watching me, and those in no very friendly wise. Some of the
men who watched were strangers to me, but as they sat among our
crew, they must be the rest of the saved from Rorik's following.
Others were men from beyond the village walls, and as Rorik's men
had some reason and the others knew me not, I thought little of
their unfriendly looks.

At last they brought round great cauldrons, in which were flesh
hooks; to every man in turn, and first of all to Ingvar himself. He
thrust the hook in, and brought up a great piece of meat, cutting
for himself therefrom, and at once every man before whom a cauldron
waited, did likewise, and it passed on. They signed Thor's hammer
over the meat and began to eat.

Now after Ingvar had helped himself, the cauldron came to Guthrum,
and then to Halfden, and then it must come to me, and I had heaped
food before me that I might pass it by more easily, knowing that
this was the sacrificed meat of which I might not eat. But the men
stayed before me, and I made a sign to them to pass