pon?' but Hrut held his peace. Again
Hauskuld would know what was in the thoughts of Hrut concerning the
maiden, and this time Hrut made answer:

'Of a truth fair is the maid, and great will be the havoc wrought by her
among men. But one thing I would know, which of our race has given her
those thief's eyes?'

At that Hauskuld waxed wroth, and bade Hrut begone to his own house.

* * * * *

After this some years went by. Hrut left Iceland and spent some time at
the Court of Norway, and then he came back and married, and had much
trouble with his wife, Unna. But after they had parted and she had gone
back to her father, Hrut was a free man again, and he went to visit his
brother Hauskuld, whose daughter Hallgerda had now become a woman. Tall
and stately she was, and fair, but sly and greedy of gain, as in the
days of her childhood, and more she loved Thiostolf, whose wife had
brought her up, than Hauskuld her father, or Hrut her uncle.

When Hallgerda went back to Hauskuld her father, he saw that he must be
looking out for a husband for her, as the fame of her beauty would go
far. It was indeed not long before one came to her, Thorwald, son of
Oswif, who, besides the broad lands which he possessed on the island,
owned the Bear Isles out in the sea, where fish were to be had in
abundance.

Oswif, Thorwald's father, knew more about the maiden than did Thorwald,
who had been on a journey, and he tried to turn his son's thought to
some other damsel, but Thorwald only answered, 'Whatever you may say,
she is the only woman I will marry;' and Oswif made reply, 'Well, after
all, the risk is yours and not mine.'

So they two set out for Hauskuld's house and he bade them welcome
heartily. They wasted no time before telling him their business, and
Hauskuld answered that for his part he could desire no more honourable
match for his daughter, but he would not hide from them that her temper
was hard and cruel.

'That shall not stand between us,' said Thorwald, 'so tell me what I
shall pay for her.'

And the bargain was made, and Thorwald rode home with his father, but
Hallgerda was never asked if she wished to wed Thorwald or not.

When Hauskuld told his daughter that she was to be married to Thorwald,
she was not pleased, and said that if her father had loved her as much
as he pretended to do he would have consulted her in such a matter.
Besides, she did not think that the match was in any wa