with a younger Hilda and Ada in their
attentions upon two frail but cheery old women whom they called "Granny
Heff" and "Granny Ast". How very unlike--and yet how like--were these
to the Herfrida and Astrid of former days!

Between the old dames there sat on a low stool a man of gigantic
proportions, who had scarcely reached middle age, and who was still
overflowing with the fun and fire of youth. He employed himself in
alternately fondling and "chaffing" the two old women, and he was such
an exact counterpart of what Erling the Bold was at the age of thirty,
that his own mother was constantly getting confused, and had to be
reminded that he was _Alric_, and not Erling!

Alric's wife, a daughter of Glumm, was with the young people on the
lawn, and his six riotous children were among the chief tormentors of
old Haldor.

Ingeborg was there too, sharp as ever, but not quite so sour. She was
not a spinster. There were few spinsters in those days! She had
married a man of the neighbouring valley, whom she loved to distraction,
and whom she led the life of a dog! But it was her nature to be
cross-grained. She could not help it, and the poor man appeared to grow
fonder of her the more she worried him!

As for Ivor the Old and Finn the One-eyed, they, with most of their
contemporaries, had long been gathered to their fathers, and their bones
reposed on the grassy slopes of Laxriverdale.

As for the other personages of our tale, we have only space to remark
that King Harald Haarfager succeeded in his wish to obtain the undivided
sovereignty of Norway, but he failed to perpetuate the change; for the
kingdom was, after his death, redivided amongst his sons. The last
heard of Hake the berserk was, that he had been seen in the midst of a
great battle to have both his legs cut off at one sweep, and that he
died fighting on his stumps! Jarl Rongvold was burnt by King Harald's
sons, but his stout son, Rolf Ganger, left his native land, and
conquered Normandy, whence his celebrated descendant, William the
Conqueror, came across the Channel and conquered England.

Yes, there is perhaps more of Norse blood in your veins than you wot of,
reader, whether you be English or Scotch; for those sturdy sea rovers
invaded our lands from north, south, east, and west many a time in days
gone by, and held it in possession for centuries at a time, leaving a
lasting and beneficial impress on our customs and characters. We have
good rea