, as if he were musing aloud rather than
speaking to his companion, "with intent to try its metal on the head of
the King; but I fear me it will be necessary to use it in cracking a
viking's headpiece before it cleaves a royal crown."

"The King!" exclaimed Hilda, with a look of surprise, not unmingled with
terror, "Erling, has ambition led thee to this?"

"Not so; but self-preservation urges me to it."

The maiden paused a few seconds, ere she replied in a meditative
voice--"The old man who came among us a year ago, and who calls himself
Christian, tells me that his god is not a god of war, like Odin; he says
that his god permits no war to men, save that of self-defence; but,
Erling, would slaying the King be indeed an act of self-preservation?"

"Aye, in good sooth would it," replied the youth quickly, while a dark
frown crossed his brow.

"How can that be?" asked the maiden.

"Hast such small love for gossip, Hilda, that the foul deeds and
ambitious projects of Harald Haarfager have not reached thine ear?"

"I have heard," replied Hilda, "that he is fond of war, which, truly, is
no news, and that he is just now more busy with his bloody game than
usual; but what does that matter to thee?"

"Matter!" cried the youth impatiently, as he seized the lump of metal on
which he had been at work, and, thrusting it into the smouldering
charcoal, commenced to blow the fire energetically, as if to relieve his
feelings. "Know ye not that the King--this Harald Fairhair--is not
satisfied with the goodly domains that of right belong to him, and the
kingly rule which he holds, according to law, over all Norway, but that
he means to subdue the whole land to himself, and trample on our necks
as he has already trampled on our laws?"

"I know somewhat of this," said Hilda.

"No one," pursued Erling vehemently, and blowing the fire into a fervent
heat--"no one denies to Harald the right to wear the crown of Norway.
That was settled at the Ore Thing [see note 1] in Drontheim long ago;
but everyone denies his right to interfere with our established laws and
privileges. Has he not, by mere might and force of arms, slain many,
and enslaved others, of our best and bravest men? And now he proposes
to reduce the whole land to slavery, or something like it, and all
because of the foolish speech of a proud girl, who says she will not wed
him until he shall first subdue to himself the whole of Norway, and rule
over it as fully and fre