mber?"

I remembered, but that was different; for that we did because the
shores were so well watched that we ran short of food, and had to
take what we could under cover of night at one time. But this of
which Osritha spoke was that which Holy Writ will by no means
suffer us to do--to eat of a sacrifice to idols knowingly, for that
would be to take part therein. Nor might I pretend that the holy
sign was as the signing of Thor's Hammer.

"Halfden," I said, having full trust in him, "I may not do this. I
may not honour the old gods, for so should I dishonour the White
Christ whom I serve."

"This is more than I can trouble about in my mind," said Halfden;
"but if it troubles you, I will help you somehow, brother Wulfric.
But you must needs come to the sacrifice."

"Cannot I go hunting?"

"Why, no; all men must be present. And to be away would but make
things worse, for there would be question."

Then I strengthened myself, and said that I must even go through
with the matter, and so would have no more talk about it. But
Osritha kept on looking sadly at me, and I knew that she was in
fear for me.

Now presently we began to talk of my home and how they would mourn
me as surely lost. And I said that this mourning would be likely to
hinder my sister's wedding for a while. And then, to make a little
more cheerful thought, I told Halfden what his father had said
about his wishing that he had been earlier with us.

"Why, so do I," said my comrade, laughing a little; "for many
reasons," he added more sadly, thinking how that all things would
have been different had he sailed back at once.

Then he must needs go back to the question of the sacrifice.

"Now I would that you would turn good Dane and Thor's man, and bide
here with us; and then maybe--"

But Osritha rose up quickly and said that she must begone, and so
bade us goodnight and went her way into the upper story of that end
of the great hall where her own place was. Whereat Halfden laughed
quietly, looking at me, and when she was quite gone, and the heavy
deerskins fell over the doorway, said, still smiling:

"How is this? It is in my mind that my father's wish might easily
come to pass in another way not very unlike."

That was plain speaking, nor would I hesitate to meet the kindly
look and smile, but said that indeed I had come to long that it
might be so. But I said that the jarl, his father, had himself
shown me that no man should leave his old fai