i's bride, but never Atli's love!" said Swanhild, and swept on.

A while after Eric rode up. He was shamefaced and vexed at heart,
because he had yielded thus to Swanhild's beauty, and been melted by her
tender words and kissed her. Then he saw Gudruda, and at the sight of
her all thought of Swanhild passed from him, for he loved Gudruda and
her alone. He leapt down from his horse and ran to her. But, drawn to
her full height, she stood with dark flashing eyes and fair face set in
anger.

Still, he would have greeted her loverwise; but she lifted her hand and
waved him back, and fear took hold of him.

"What now, Gudruda?" he asked, faltering.

"What now, Eric?" she answered, faltering not. "Hast seen Swanhild?"

"Yea, I have seen Swanhild. She came to bid farewell to me. What of it?"

"What of it? Why '_thus! and thus! and thus!_' didst thou bid farewell
to Atli's bride. Ay, 'thus and thus,' with clinging lips and twined
arms. Warm and soft was thy farewell kiss to her who would have slain
me, Brighteyes!"

"Gudruda, thou speakest truth, though how thou sawest I know not. Think
no ill of it, and scourge me not with words, for, sooth to say, I was
melted by her grief and the music of her talk."

"It is shame to thee so to speak of her whom but now thou heldest in
thine arms. By the grief and the music of the talk of her who would have
murdered me thou wast melted into kisses, Eric!--for I saw it with these
eyes. Knowest thou what I am minded to say to thee? It is this: 'Go
hence and see me no more;' for I have little wish to cleave to such
a feather-man, to one so blown about by the first breath of woman's
tempting."

"Yet, methinks, Gudruda, I have withstood some such winds. I tell thee
that, hadst thou been in my place, thyself hadst yielded to Swanhild and
kissed her in farewell, for she was more than woman in that hour."

"Nay, Eric, I am no weak man to be led astray thus. Yet she is more than
woman--troll is she also, that I know; but less than man art thou, Eric,
thus to fall before her who hates me. Time may come when she shall woo
thee after a stronger sort, and what wilt thou say to her then, thou who
art so ready with thy kisses?"

"I will withstand her, Gudruda, for I love thee only, and this is well
known to thee."

"Truly I know thou lovest me, Eric; but tell me of what worth is this
love of man that eyes of beauty and tongue of craft may so readily
bewray? I doubt me of thee, Eric!"

"Nay,