that there was nought sure about his coming back:
"Now do I give thanks to all of you," says he, "for the heed ye paid
to my goods when I was last away from the land; now I will offer you,
and pray you to take to you my children's havings, and my children,
and bring them up according to the manliness that is in you; for I am
fallen so far into eld that there is little to say as to whether I may
return or not, though I may live; but ye shall in such wise look after
all that I leave behind me here, even as if I should never come back
to Norway."

Then men answered, that good redes would be plenteous if the housewife
should abide behind to look after his affairs; but she said--

"For that cause did I come hither from the out-lands, and from
Micklegarth, with Thorstein, leaving behind both kin and goods,
for that I was fain that one fate might be over us both; now have I
thought it good to be here; but I have no will to abide long in Norway
or the North-lands if he goes away; ever has there been great love
betwixt us withal, and nought has happed to divide us; now therefore
will we depart together, for to both of us is known the truth about
many things that befell since we first met."

So, when they had settled their affairs in this wise, Thorstein bade
chosen folk divide his goods into halves; and his kin took the half
which his children were to own, and they were brought up by their
father's kin, and were in aftertimes the mightiest of men, and great
kin in the Wick has come from them. But Thorstein and Spes divided
their share of the goods, and some they gave to churches for their
souls' health, and some they took with them. Then they betook
themselves Romeward, and many folk prayed well for them.

CHAP. XCV.

<i>How Thorstein Dromund and Spes fared to Rome and died there</i>.

Now they went their ways till they came to Rome-town; and so when they
came before him, who was appointed to hear the shrifts of men, they
told him well and truly all things even as they had happed, and
with what cunning and craft they had joined together in wedlock;
therewithal they gave themselves up with great humility to such
penance for the amending of their lives as he should lay on them; but
because that they themselves had turned their minds to the atoning
of their faults, without any urging or anger from the rulers of the
church, they were eased of all fines as much as might be, but were
bidden gently that they should now