that all along the shores the Irish
watched us as they had watched us as we came.

The beacon fires had died down now, for their work was done, and
the fair reaches of water were still and peaceful in the evening
glow, looking even more beautiful than in the morning, for the tide
was full to the banks. Gerda came with the other ladies and sat on
deck, and spoke with Hakon of the treasure, which he promised to
seek with daylight.

"I would have you take it, King Hakon," she said. "I do not
altogether know its worth, but it may go toward the freeing of
Norway from Eric and the men who follow him."

"Nay," he answered, "I cannot take it from you."

"Once," she said, and she looked at me as I sat on the deck hard by
with Bertric, "once--it seems long ago, though it is but so few
days--I would have sent it into the deep with him who gathered it.
These friends of mine over-persuaded me, saying that I should need
it. Now I am in your care, and I have not so much as to hire a ship
to take me home. It was Thorwald's. What if you had come back and
asked him to help you? Would it not have been laid at your feet for
the sake of the old land and the old friendship?"

He smiled, but did not answer. So she set the gift before him once
more, with eager words. I knew, as I listened, that she would be
the happier if the wealth once dedicated, so to speak, to so high
an end as that gift to the old hero were taken from her charge, and
used to the freeing of the land she loved; and at last Hakon saw
that there was some deeper feeling about it than gratitude to
himself only.

"Well," he said, "it seems that I must not refuse. Only, I will put
it in this way--I am to know that you hold it for me in case I need
it. Be sure that if it is needed I will make haste to ask."

"Aye, and you will need it," said Earl Osric bluntly.

Then Gerda said: "Take it now, and use it if and when you need it.
Let it be so, I pray you, King Hakon."

The young king bowed and thanked her, and there that matter ended
for the time. Presently, after the ships had come to anchor with
the last light in the river mouth, and the men had spread the
awnings for us aft, he spoke to us about it, and I told him what I
thought. Also I told him how that Bertric and I had enough wealth
on us at this moment for the fitting out of a ship as we had
planned. Whereon he laughed.

"Keep that," he said, "and I shall be content. Gerda will know
nothing of the worth of what