ed at
them with large, bewildered eyes. He tried hard to despise the braggart,
but ended with envying him.

"Ha, fiddler, strike up a tune that shall ring through marrow and bone,"
shouted Syvert Stein, who struck the floor with his heels and moved his
body to the measure of a spring-dance.

Truls still followed them with his eyes; suddenly he leaped up, and
a wild thought burned in his breast. But with an effort he checked
himself, grasped his violin, and struck a wailing chord of lament. Then
he laid his ear close to the instrument, as if he were listening to
some living voice hidden there within, ran warily with the bow over the
strings, and warbled, and caroled, and sang with maddening glee, and
still with a shivering undercurrent of woe. And the dusk which slept
upon the black rafters was quickened and shook with the weird sound;
every pulse in the wide hall beat more rapidly, and every eye kindled
with a bolder fire. Pressently{sic} a Strong male voice sang out to the
measure of the violin:

"Come, fairest maid, tread the dance with me;
O heigh ho!"

And a clear, tremulous treble answered:

"So gladly tread I the dance with thee;
O heigh ho!"

Truls knew the voices only too well; it was Syvert Stein and Borghild
who were singing a stave. [8]

Syvert--Like brier-roses thy red cheeks blush,
Borghild--And thine are rough like the thorny bush;
Both--An' a heigho!

Syvert--So fresh and green is the sunny lea;
O heigh ho!
Borghild--The fiddle twangeth so merrily;
O heigh ho!
Syvert--So lightly goeth the lusty reel,
Borghild--And round we whirl like a spinning-wheel;
Both--An' a heigho!

Syvert--Thine eyes are bright like the sunny fjord;
O heigh ho!
Borghild--And thine do flash like a Viking's sword;
O heigh ho!
Syvert--So lightly trippeth thy foot along,
Borghild--The air is teeming with joyful song;
Both--An' a heigh ho!

Syvert--Then fairest maid, while the woods are green,
O heigh ho!
Borghild--And thrushes sing the fresh leaves between;
O heigh ho!
Syvert--Come, let us dance in the gladsome day,
Borghild--Dance hate, and sorrow, and care away;
Both--An' a heigh ho!

Th