he will ask.
'Thieves and scoundrels,' thou shalt answer. Then Hrut will smile and
think it sport to listen. You two will go on to talk of the men in the
Eastfirth Quarter, and thou must always find something to say against
them. At last your talk will come to Rangrivervale, and then thou must
say, there is small choice of men left in those parts since Fiddle Mord
died. At the same time sing some stave to please Hrut, for I know thou
art a skald. Hrut will ask what makes thee say there is never a man to
come in Mord's place; and then thou must answer, that he was so wise a
man and so good a taker up of suits, that he never made a false step in
upholding his leadership. He will ask--'Dost thou know how matters fared
between me and him?'
"'I know all about it,' thou must reply, 'he took thy wife from thee,
and thou hadst not a word to say.'
"Then Hrut will ask--'Dost thou not think it was some disgrace to him
when he could not get back his goods, though he set the suit on foot?'
"'I can answer thee that well enough,' thou must say, 'Thou challengedst
him to single combat; but he was old, and so his friends advised him not
to fight with thee, and then they let the suit fall to the ground.'
"'True enough," Hrut will say. 'I said so, and that passed for law among
foolish men; but the suit might have been taken up again at another
Thing if he had the heart.'
"'I know all that,' thou must say.
"Then he will ask--'Dost thou know anything about law?"
"'Up in the North I am thought to know something about it,' thou shalt
say. 'But still I should like thee to tell me how this suit should be
taken up.'
"'What suit dost thou mean?' he will ask.
"'A suit,' thou must answer, 'which does not concern me. I want to know
how a man must set to work who wishes to get back Unna's dower.'
"Then Hrut will say--'In this suit I must be summoned so that I can hear
the summons, or I must be summoned here in my lawful house'.
"'Recite the summons, then,' thou must say, and I will say it after
thee.'
"Then Hrut will summon himself; and mind and pay great heed to every
word he says. After that Hrut will bid thee repeat the summons, and thou
must do so, and say it all wrong, so that no more than every other word
is right.
"Then Hrut will smile and not mistrust thee, but say that scarce a word
is right. Thou must throw the blame on thy companions, and say they put
thee out, and then thou must ask him to say the words first,
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