,
and claim guardianship and help from Thorwald's friends. We could
and would help her in either way. She heard me to the end, and then
sighed a little, and said that I was altogether right.

"Whether aught of these plans may come to pass is a matter which
the Norns {1} have in their hands," she said. "We shall see.
But now I am sure that I may not lightly part with the treasure as
I had meant, though it is hard for me to forego what I had set my
heart on. It is true that all was hoarded for me--at least since my
father died. It is well that Thorwald never knew the sore need
there would be for what he could set by for me."

Then I tried to tell her that all our wish was to lighten the
trouble as much as we might, but she stayed me, laughing as if well
content.

"Nay; but you shall mind that pact which we made at the first,
neither more nor less."

She signed to me to go to the others and set all in readiness for
what must be done; but as I bowed and turned to go, she stayed me.

"For us Norse folk," she said, "there is one word needed, perhaps.
I heard my men cry the last farewell to Thorwald as the ship left
the shore. The temple rites were long over. All that was due to a
son of Odin has been done."

Now, it is needless for me to say that I could not tell all that
had passed. All I had to say was that Gerda was content with our
plan, and all three of us were somewhat more easy in our minds. It
had been by no means so certain that she would be so.

Now we made no more delay, but quietly and reverently Bertric
showed us how to make all ready for such a sea burial as he had
many a time seen before. So it was not long before the old king lay
with his feet toward the sea on the fathom of planking which we had
lowered from where it was made to unship for a gangway amidships
for shore-going and the like. We had set him so that it needed but
to raise the inboard end of this planking when the time came that
he should pass from his ship to his last resting in the quiet
water; and he was still in all his arms, with his hands clasped on
the hilt of his sword beneath the shield which covered his breast,
but now shrouded in the new sail of one of his boats in the
seaman's way.

At this time the fog was thinning somewhat, and the low sun seemed
likely to break through it now and then. It was very still all
round us, for there was no sound of ripple at the bows or wash of
water alongside, and the swell which lifted us did