so small a hurt kept him away from so pleasant a place as
was his.

"It seems that he fell on his face," answered a thane who had seen him.
"He is not as handsome as he was last night. That is what keeps him
away. Some passerby put his arm in straightway."

At that I almost laughed, but kept a face wooden as that of our old
statue of Thor, for Eglaf had warned me that I was but a torch, as it
were, unless by any chance I was spoken to. But Ragnar glanced my way
with a half smile. Presently they began to talk of the stone putting,
and of the mighty man who had come with Berthun, and I saw several
looking idly down the hall to see if they could spy him. One of the
thanes on the high seat, at the end, was he who had held the prizes at
these sports.

Now it seemed that Alsi had not heard of this before; and when he had
been told all about it, he said that he did not know that he had any man
who was strong enough to make such a cast as they spoke of, though Eglaf
had picked up a big man somewhere lately, whom he had noticed at the
hall end once or twice.

Then he ran his eyes over the tables, for now the women folk had sat
down among the men, and one could see everywhere. But he did not see the
man he meant, and so turned sharply on us two housecarls behind him.

"Here he is," he said, laughing and looking at me. "Were you the mighty
stone putter they make such a talk of?"

"I am not, lord," I said, somewhat out of countenance, because every one
looked at me together. It had never seemed to me that I was so big
before; perhaps because I was used to Havelok, and to Raven, who was
nigh as tall as myself, and maybe a bit broader.

"Why, then, who was he?" said the king. "We must ask Berthun, unless
anyone can see him in the hall."

Then the thane of the prizes said, "He is not here, lord; for little
trouble would there be in seeing him, if he were, seeing that he is a
full head and shoulders over even this housecarl of yours."

Now the princess had turned to look at me, and she saw that I was
abashed, and so she smiled at me pleasantly, as much as to say that she
was a little sorry for me, and turned away. Then thought I that if ever
the princess needed one to fight for her, even to death, I would do so
for the sake of that smile and the thought for a rough housecarl that
was behind it.

Now came Berthun with more wine, before the matter of the stone was
forgotten in other talk, and the king said, "It seems that you