r cold for you, Olaf. Nay, trouble not about Iduna.
Steinar, Lord of Agger, will care for her, I think."

That night there was a feast at Aar, and I sat at it with Iduna by
my side. Beautiful she was indeed in her garment of blue, over which
streamed her yellow hair, bright as the gold rings that tinkled on her
rounded arms. She was kind to me also, and bade me tell her the story of
the slaying of the bear, which I did as best I could, though afterwards
Ragnar told it otherwise, and more fully. Only Steinar said little or
nothing, for he seemed to be lost in dreams.

I thought that this was because he felt sad at the news of the death of
his father and brethren, since, although he had never known them, blood
still calls to blood; and so, I believe, did most there present. At any
rate my father and mother tried to cheer him and in the end bade the men
of Agger draw near to tell him the tale of his heritage.

They obeyed, and set out all their case, of which the sum was that
Steinar must now be one of the wealthiest and most powerful men of the
northern lands.

"It seems that we should all take off our caps to you, young lord," said
Athalbrand when he heard this tale of rule and riches. "Why did you not
ask me for my fair daughter?" he added with a half-drunken laugh, for
all the liquor he had swallowed had got a hold of his brain. Recovering
himself, he went on: "It is my will, Thorvald, that Iduna and this snipe
of an Olaf of yours should be wed as soon as possible. I say that they
shall be wed as soon as possible, since otherwise I know not what may
happen."

Then his head fell forward on the table and he sank to sleep.

CHAPTER III

THE WANDERER'S NECKLACE

On the morrow early I lay awake, for how could I sleep when Iduna rested
beneath the same roof with me--Iduna, who, as her father had decreed,
was to become my wife sooner than I had hoped? I was thinking how
beautiful she looked, and how much I loved her; also of other things
that were not so pleasant. For instance, why did not everybody see her
with my eyes? I could not hide from myself that Ragnar went near to
hating her; more than once she had almost been the cause of a quarrel
between us. Freydisa, too, my nurse, who loved me, looked on her sourly,
and even my mother, although she tried to like her for my sake, had not
yet learned to do so, or thus it appeared to me.

When I asked her why, she replied that she feared the maid was somewhat
selfis