"See! He will stir up other men
against me! Get thee gone, old man, or thou shalt not escape a
beating."

Now Howard was greatly angered, and said: "Yes, old I am--too old and
feeble to win respect; but the days have been when I would not have
endured such wrong; yea, and if Olaf were still alive thou wouldst not
have flouted me thus." As he left Thorbiorn's sight his grief and
anger were so great that he did not notice Guest returning, but went
heavily to Steinthor's booth, where he told all Thorbiorn's injustice,
and won much sympathy.

Guest and Howard

When Guest had entered the booth he sat down beside Thorbiorn and
said:

"Who was the man whom I met leaving the booth just now?"

"A wise question for a wise man to ask! How can I tell? So many come
and go," said Thorbiorn.

"But this was an old man, large of stature, lame in one knee; yet he
looked a brave warrior, and he was so wrathful that he did not know
where he went. He seemed a man likely to be lucky, too, and not one to
be lightly wronged."

"That must have been old Howard the Halt," said Thorbiorn. "He is a
man from my district, who has come after me to the Thing."

"Ah! Was it his brave son Olaf whom thou didst slay guiltless?"

"Yes, certainly," returned Thorbiorn.

"How hast thou kept the promise of better ways which thou didst make
when thou didst marry my sister?" he asked; and Thorbiorn sat silent.
"This wrong must be amended," said Guest, and sent an honourable man
to bring Howard to him. Howard at first refused to face Thorbiorn
again, but at last reluctantly consented to meet Guest, and when the
latter had greeted him in friendly and honourable fashion he told the
whole story, from the time of Thorbiorn's first jealousy of Olaf.

Guest was horrified. "Heard ever man such injustice!" he cried. "Now,
Thorbiorn, choose one of two things: either my sister shall no longer
be thy wife, or thou shalt allow me to give judgment between Howard
and thee."

Guest's Judgment and the Payment of the Wergild

Thorbiorn agreed to leave the matter in Guest's hands, and many men
were called to make a ring as assessors, that all might be legally
done, and Thorbiorn and Howard stood together in the ring. Then Guest
gave judgment: "Thorbiorn, I cannot condemn thee to pay Howard all
thou owest--with all thy wealth, thou hast not money enough for that;
but for slaying Olaf thou shalt pay a threefold wergild. For the other
wrongs thou hast done him, I