not excite yourself, mother," said the bard. "I carry silver,
you know."

"What is that to me? If you think you have a charm which will turn me,
know that there is none. I've no fear of your metal!"

Cappen threw back his head and sang:

"_A lovely lady full oft lies.
The light that lies within her eyes
And lies and lies, in no surprise.
All her unkindness can devise
To trouble hearts that seek the prize
Which is herself, are angel lies--_"

"_Aaaarrrgh!_" It was like thunder drowning him out. The troll-wife
turned and went on all fours and poked up the fire with her nose.

Cappen stepped softly around her and touched the girl. She looked up
with a little whimper.

"You are Svearek's only daughter, are you not?" he whispered.

"Aye--" She bowed her head, a strengthless despair weighting it down.
"The troll stole me away three winters agone. It has tickled her to have
a princess for slave--but soon I will roast on her spit, even as ye,
brave man--"

"Ridiculous. So fair a lady is meant for another kind of, um, never
mind! Has she treated you very ill?"

"She beats me now and again--and I have been so lonely, naught here at
all save the troll-wife and I--" The small work-roughened hands clutched
desperately at his waist, and she buried her face against his breast.

"Can ye save us?" she gasped. "I fear 'tis for naught ye ventured yer
life, bravest of men. I fear we'll soon both sputter on the coals."

Cappen said nothing. If she wanted to think he had come especially to
rescue her, he would not be so ungallant to tell her otherwise.

The troll-wife's mouth gashed in a grin as she walked through the fire
to him. "There is a price," she said. "If you cannot tell me three
things about myself which are true beyond disproving, not courage nor
amulet nor the gods themselves may avail to keep that red head on your
shoulders."

Cappen clapped a hand to his sword. "Why, gladly," he said; this was a
rule of magic he had learned long ago, that three truths were the
needful armor to make any guardian charm work. "Imprimis, yours is the
ugliest nose I ever saw poking up a fire. Secundus, I was never in a
house I cared less to guest at. Tertius, ever among trolls you are
little liked, being one of the worst."

Hildigund moaned with terror as the monster swelled in rage. But there
was no movement. Only the leaping flames and the eddying smoke stirred.

Cappen's voice rang out, coldly: "Now th