doubt me not, Gudruda. I love thee alone, but I grew soft as wax
beneath her pleading. My heart consented not, yet I did consent. I have
no more to say."

Now Gudruda looked on him long and steadfastly. "Thy plight is sorry,
Eric," she said, "and this once I forgive thee. Look to it that thou
givest me no more cause to doubt thee, for then I shall remember how
thou didst bid farewell to Swanhild."

"I will give none," he answered, and would have embraced her; but this
she would not suffer then, nor for many days after, for she was angry
with him. But with Swanhild she was still more angry, though she said
nothing of it. That Swanhild had tried to murder her, Gudruda could
forgive, for there she had failed; but not that she had won Eric to kiss
her, for in this she had succeeded well.

XII

HOW ERIC WAS OUTLAWED AND SAILED A-VIKING

Now the marriage-feast went on, and Swanhild, draped in white and girt
about with gold, sat by Atli's side upon the high seat. He was fain of
her and drew her to him, but she looked at him with cold calm eyes in
which hate lurked. The feast was done, and all the company rode to the
sea strand, where the Earl's ship lay at anchor. They came there, and
Swanhild kissed Asmund, and talked a while with Groa, her mother,
and bade farewell to all men. But she bade no farewell to Eric and to
Gudruda.

"Why sayest thou no word to these two?" asked Atli, her husband.

"For this reason, Earl," she answered, "because ere long we three shall
meet again; but I shall see Asmund, my father, and Groa, my mother, no
more."

"That is an ill saying, wife," said Atli. "Methinks thou dost foretell
their doom."

"Mayhap! And now I will add to my redes, for I foretell _thy_ doom also:
it is not yet, but it draws on."

Then Atli bethought him of many wise saws, but spoke no more, for it
seemed to him this was a strange bride that he had wed.

They hauled the anchor home, shook out the great sail, and passed away
into the evening night. But while land could still be seen, Swanhild
stood near the helm, gazing with her blue eyes upon the lessening coast.
Then she passed to the hold, and shut herself in alone, and there she
stayed, saying that she was sick, till at length, after a fair voyage of
twenty days, they made the Orkney Islands.

But all this pleased Atli wondrous ill, yet he dared not cross her mood.

Now, in Iceland the time drew on when men must ride to the Althing, and
notice was g