ar of it".

They ride home and tell Hallgerda. She was glad to hear of the slaying,
but Rannveig, Gunnar's mother, said--

"It is said 'but a short while is hand fain of blow,' and so it will be
here; but still Gunnar will set thee free from this matter. But if
Hallgerda makes thee take another fly in thy mouth, then that will be
thy bane."

Hallgerda sent a man to Bergthorsknoll, to tell the slaying, and another
man to the Thing, to tell it to Gunnar. Bergthora said she would not
fight against Hallgerda with ill worth about such a matter; "that,"
quoth she, "would be no revenge for so great a quarrel".

CHAPTER XLIII.

NJAL AND GUNNAR MAKE PEACE FOR THE SLAYING OF THORD.

But when the messenger came to the Thing to tell Gunnar of the slaying,
then Gunnar said--

"This has happened ill, and no tidings could come to my ears which I
should think worse; but yet we will now go at once and see Njal. I still
hope he may take it well, though he be sorely tried."

So they went to see Njal, and called him to come out and talk to them.
He went out at once to meet Gunnar, and they talked, nor were there any
more men by at first than Kolskegg.

"Hard tidings have I to tell thee," says Gunnar; "the slaying of Thord
Freedmanson, and I wish to offer thee self-doom for the slaying."

Njal held his peace some while, and then said--

"That is well offered, and I will take it; but yet it is to be looked
for, that I shall have blame from my wife or from my sons for that, for
it will mislike them much; but still I will run the risk, for I know
that I have to deal with a good man and true; nor do I wish that any
breach should arise in our friendship on my part."

"Wilt thou let thy sons be by, pray?" says Gunnar.

"I will not," says Njal, "for they will not break the peace which I
make, but if they stand by while we make it, they will not pull well
together with us."

"So it shall be," says Gunnar. "See thou to it alone."

Then they shook one another by the hand, and made peace well and
quickly.

Then Njal said--"The award that I make is two hundred in silver, and
that thou wilt think much".

"I do not think it too much," says Gunnar, and went home to his booth.

Njal's sons came home, and Skarphedinn asked whence that great sum of
money came, which his father held in his hand.

Njal said--"I tell you of your foster-father's Thord's slaying, and we
two, Gunnar and I, have now made peace in the matter, and he h