ed, as it began, in great glee.

Albeit the Hall-Sun was troubled about the carline, both that she had
come, and that she had gone: and she determined that the next time she
met her she would strive to have of her a true tale of what she was, and
of all that was toward.

CHAPTER XIII--THE HALL-SUN SAITH ANOTHER WORD

It was no later than the next night, and a many of what thralls were not
with the host were about in the feast-hall with the elders and lads and
weaklings of the House; for last night's tidings had drawn them thither.
Gisli had gone back to his kindred and the wain-burg in the Upper-mark,
and the women were sitting, most of them, in the Women's-Chamber, some of
them doing what little summer work needed doing about the looms, but more
resting from their work in field and acre.

Then came the Hall-Sun forth from her room clad in glittering raiment,
and summoned no one, but went straight to her place on the dais under her
namesake the Lamp, and stood there a little without speaking. Her face
was pale now, her lips a little open, her eyes set and staring as if they
saw nothing of all that was round about her.

Now went the word through the Hall and the Women's-Chamber that the Hall-
Sun would speak again, and that great tidings were toward; so all folk
came flock-meal to the dais, both thralls and free; and scarce were all
gathered there, ere the Hall-Sun began speaking, and said:

"The days of the world thrust onward, and men are born therein
A many and a many, and divers deeds they win
In the fashioning of stories for the kindreds of the earth,
A garland interwoven of sorrow and of mirth.
To the world a warrior cometh; from the world he passeth away,
And no man then may sunder his good from his evil day.
By the Gods hath he been tormented, and been smitten by the foe:
He hath seen his maiden perish, he hath seen his speech-friend go:
His heart hath conceived a joyance and hath brought it unto birth:
But he hath not carried with him his sorrow or his mirth.
He hath lived, and his life hath fashioned the outcome of the deed,
For the blossom of the people, and the coming kindreds' seed.

"Thus-wise the world is fashioned, and the new sun of the morn
Where earth last night was desert beholds a kindred born,
That to-morrow and to-morrow blossoms all gloriously
With many a man and maiden for the kindreds yet to be,
And fair the Goth-folk groweth.