ourney to make to the Westfirths, to get in the money for which
he had sold his wares; but before he set off his wife says to him--

"Dost thou mean to be back before men ride to the Thing?"

"Why dost thou ask?" said Hrut.

"I will ride to the Thing," she said, "to meet my father."

"So it shall be," said he, "and I will ride to the Thing along with
thee."

"Well and good," she says.

After that Hrut rode from home west to the Firths, got in all his money,
and laid it out anew, and rode home again. When he came home he busked
him to ride to the Thing, and made all his neighbours ride with him. His
brother Hauskuld rode among the rest. Then Hrut said to his wife--

"If thou hast as much mind now to go to the Thing as thou saidst a while
ago, busk thyself and ride along with me."

She was not slow in getting herself ready, and then they all rode to the
Thing. Unna went to her father's booth, and he gave her a hearty
welcome, but she seemed somewhat heavy-hearted, and when he saw that he
said to her--

"I have seen thee with a merrier face. Hast thou anything on thy mind?"

She began to weep, and answered nothing. Then he said to her again, "Why
dost thou ride to the Thing, if thou wilt not tell me thy secret? Dost
thou dislike living away there in the west?"

Then she answered him--

"I would give all I own in the world that I had never gone thither."

"Well!" said Mord, "I'll soon get to the bottom of this." Then he sends
men to fetch Hauskuld and Hrut, and they came straightway; and when they
came in to see Mord, he rose up to meet them and gave them a hearty
welcome, and asked them to sit down. Then they talked a long time in a
friendly way, and at last Mord said to Hauskuld--

"Why does my daughter think so ill of life in the west yonder?"

"Let her speak out," said Hrut, "if she has anything to lay to my
charge."

But she brought no charge against him. Then Hrut made them ask his
neighbours and household how he treated her, and all bore him good
witness, saying that she did just as she pleased in the house.

Then Mord said, "Home thou shalt go, and be content with thy lot; for
all the witness goes better for him than for thee".

After that Hrut rode home from the Thing, and his wife with him, and all
went smoothly between them that summer; but when spring came it was the
old story over again, and things grew worse and worse as the spring went
on. Hrut had again a journey to make west to the Firt