uda, and swiftly, though it grieves me much to part
with thee."

Then Eric called Skallagrim and bade him make things ready to ride down
to Middalhof with the Lady Gudruda.

This Skallagrim did swiftly, and afterwards Eric and Gudruda kissed and
parted, and they were sad at heart to part.

Now on the fifth day after the going of Gudruda, Skallagrim came back
to Mosfell somewhat cold and weary. And he told Eric, who could now walk
and grew strong again, that he and Jon had ridden with Gudruda the Fair
to Horse-Head Heights, seeing no man, and had left her there to go on
with her thralls. He had come back also seeing no one, for the weather
was too cold for the men of Gizur to watch the fell in the snows.

Now Gudruda came safely to Middalhof, having been eleven days gone, and
found that few had visited the house, and that these had been told that
she lay sick abed. Her secret had been well kept, and, though Swanhild
had no lack of spies, many days went by before she learned that Gudruda
had gone up to Mosfell to nurse Eric.

After this Gudruda began to make ready for her flight from Iceland. She
called in the moneys that she had out at interest, and with them bought
from a certain chapman a good trading-ship which lay in its shed under
the shelter of Westman Isles. This ship she began to make ready for sea
so soon as the heart of the winter was broken, putting it about that she
intended to send her on a trading voyage to Scotland in the spring. And
also to give colour to this tale she bought many pelts and other goods,
such as chapmen deal in.

Thus the days passed on--not so badly for Gudruda, who strove to fill
their emptiness in making ready for the full and happy time; but for
Eric in his cave they were very heavy, for he could find nothing to do
except to sleep and eat, and think of Gudruda, whom he might not see.

For Swanhild also, sitting at Coldback, the days did not go well. She
was weary of the courting of Gizur, whom she played with as a cat plays
with a rat, and her heart was sick with love, hate, and jealousy. For
she well knew that Gudruda and Eric still clung to each other and found
means of greeting, if not of speech. At that time she wished to kill
Eric if she could, though she would rather kill Gudruda if she dared.
Still, she could not come at Eric, for her men feared to try the narrow
way of Mosfell, and when they met him in the open they fled before him.

Presently it came to her ears th