hands left Thiodolf's head, and strayed down to his shoulders
and his breast, and he felt the cold rings of the hauberk, and let his
hands fall down to his side again; and the tears gushed out of his old
eyes and again he spake:

"O house of the heart of the mighty, O breast of the battle-lord
Why art thou coldly hidden from the flickering flame of the sword?
I know thee not, nor see thee; thou art as the fells afar
Where the Fathers have their dwelling, and the halls of Godhome are:
The wind blows wild betwixt us, and the cloud-rack flies along,
And high aloft enfoldeth the dwelling of the strong;
They are, as of old they have been, but their hearths flame not for
me;
And the kindness of their feast-halls mine eyes shall never see."

Thiodolf's lips still smiled on the old man, but a shadow had come over
his eyes and his brow; and the chief of the Daylings and their mighty
guests stood by listening intently with the knit brows of anxious men;
nor did any speak till the ancient man again betook him to words:

"I came to the house of the foeman when hunger made me a fool;
And the foeman said, 'Thou art weary, lo, set thy foot on the stool;'
And I stretched out my feet,--and was shackled: and he spake with a
dastard's smile,
'O guest, thine hands are heavy; now rest them for a while!'
So I stretched out my hands, and the hand-gyves lay cold on either
wrist:
And the wood of the wolf had been better than that feast-hall, had I
wist
That this was the ancient pit-fall, and the long expected trap,
And that now for my heart's desire I had sold the world's goodhap."

Therewith the ancient man turned slowly away from Thiodolf, and departed
sadly to his own place. Thiodolf changed countenance but little, albeit
those about him looked strangely on him, as though if they durst they
would ask him what these words might be, and if he from his hidden
knowledge might fit a meaning to them. For to many there was a word of
warning in them, and to some an evil omen of the days soon to be; and
scarce anyone heard those words but he had a misgiving in his heart, for
the ancient man was known to be foreseeing, and wild and strange his
words seemed to them.

But Agni would make light of it, and he said: "Asmund the Old is of good
will, and wise he is; but he hath great longings for the deeds of men,
when he hath tidings of battle; for a great warrior and a red-hand hewer
he