, it remains true that peace is better than war."

"That may be so," said Dame Astrid; "but it seems to me that war is
necessary, and what is necessary must be right."

"I agree with that," said Ada, with a toss of her pretty head--for it
would seem that that method of expressing contempt for an adversary's
opinion was known to womankind at least a thousand years ago, if not
longer. "But _thou_ dost not fight, Christian: what has war done to
thee that thou shouldst object to it so?"

"What has war done for me?" exclaimed the old man, springing up with
sudden excitement, and clasping his lean hands tight together; "has it
not done all that it could do? Woman, it has robbed me of all that
makes life sweet, and left me only what I did not want. It has robbed
me of wife and children, and left a burdened life. Yet no--I sin in
speaking thus. Life was left because there was something worth living
for; something still to be done: the truth of God to be proclaimed; the
good of man to be compassed. But sometimes I forget this when the past
flashes upon me, and I forget that it is my duty as well as my joy to
say, `The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name
of the Lord.'"

The old man sat down again, and leaned his brow on his hand. The women,
although sympathetic, were puzzled by some of his remarks, and therefore
sat in silence for a little, but presently the volatile Ada looked up
and said--

"What thinkest thou, Hilda, in regard to war?"

"I know not what to think," replied Hilda.

"Nay, then, thy spirit must be flying from thee, for thou wert not wont
to be without an opinion on most things. Why, even Erling's sister,
Ingeborg, has made up her mind about war I doubt not, though she is too
modest to express it."

Now this was a sly hit at Ingeborg, who was sitting by, for she was well
known to have a shrewish temper, and to be self-willed and opinionated,
in so much that most men kept out of her way. She was very unlike
Erling, or her father and mother, or her little sisters, in this
respect.

"I can express my opinion well enough when I have a mind," said Ingeborg
sharply; "and as to war, it stands to reason that a Sea-king's daughter
must approve of a Sea-king's business. Why, the beautiful cloths, and
gold and jewels, that are so plentiful in the dale, would never have
delighted our eyes if our men had not gone on viking cruise, and fallen
in with those rich traders from the far s