st. "My honour shall be great for the feat, if I chance to live,
and if I die--well, there is an end of troubling after maids and all
other things."

So he went home and sat silent that evening. Now, since Thorgrimur
Iron-Toe's death, his housewife, Saevuna, Eric's mother, had grown dim
of sight, and, though she peered and peered again from her seat in the
ingle nook, she could not see the face of her son.

"What ails thee, Eric, that thou sittest so silent? Was not the meat,
then, to thy mind at supper?"

"Yes, mother, the meat was well enough, though a little undersmoked."

"Now I see that thou art not thyself, son, for thou hadst no meat, but
only stock-fish--and I never knew a man forget his supper on the night
of its eating, except he was distraught or deep in love."

"Was it so?" said Brighteyes.

"What troubles thee, Eric?--that sweet lass yonder?"

"Ay, somewhat, mother."

"What more, then?"

"This, that I go down Golden Falls to-morrow, and I do not know how I
may come from Sheep-saddle rock to Wolf's Fang crag and keep my life
whole in me; and now, I pray thee, weary me not with words, for my brain
is slow, and I must use it."

When she heard this Saevuna screamed aloud, and threw herself before
Eric, praying him to forgo his mad venture. But he would not listen
to her, for he was slow to make up his mind, but, that being made up,
nothing could change it. Then, when she learned that it was to get sight
of Gudruda that he purposed thus to throw his life away, she was very
angry and cursed her and all her kith and kin.

"It is likely enough that thou wilt have cause to use such words before
all this tale is told," said Eric; "nevertheless, mother, forbear to
curse Gudruda, who is in no way to blame for these matters."

"Thou art a faithless son," Saevuna said, "who wilt slay thyself
striving to win speech with thy May, and leave thy mother childless."

Eric said that it seemed so indeed, but he was plighted to it and the
feat must be tried. Then he kissed her, and she sought her bed, weeping.

Now it was the day of the Yule-feast, and there was no sun till one hour
before noon. But Eric, having kissed his mother and bidden her farewell,
called a thrall, Jon by name, and giving him a sealskin bag full of his
best apparel, bade him ride to Middalhof and tell Asmund the Priest that
Eric Brighteyes would come down Golden Falls an hour after mid-day, to
join his feast; and thence go to the foot of