GNY (smiling). He spares thee more than thou hast a mind to? Thou
wast ever well-nigh too dear to him.

SIGURD. Whither has he gone?

THOROLF. Down to his ships;--he will return ere long.

SIGURD. I await my men; they are mooring my ships and bringing
ashore wares.

THOROLF. There must I lend a hand!

(Goes down towards the shore.)

SIGURD (after a moment's reflection). Dagny, my wife, we are alone;
I have that to tell thee which must no longer be hidden.

DAGNY (surprised). What meanest thou?

SIGURD. There may be danger in this faring to Gunnar's hall.

DAGNY. Danger? Thinkest thou that Gunnar----?

SIGURD. Nay, Gunnar is brave and true--yet better had it been that
I had sailed from the isle without crossing his threshold.

DAGNY. Thou makest me fear! Sigurd, what is amiss?

SIGURD. First answer me this: the golden ring that I gave thee,
where hast thou it?

DAGNY (showing it). Here, on my arm; thou badest me wear it.

SIGURD. Cast it to the bottom of the sea, so deep that none may
ever set eyes on it again; else may it be the bane of many men.

DAGNY. The ring!

SIGURD (in a low voice). That evening when we carried away thy
father's daughters--dost remember it?

DAGNY. Do I remember it!

SIGURD. It is of that I would speak.

DAGNY (in suspense). What is it? Say on!

SIGURD. Thou knowest there had been a feast; thou didst seek thy
chamber betimes; but Hiordis still sat among the men in the feast-hall.
The horn went busily round, and many a great vow was sworn. I swore
to bear away a fair maid with me from Iceland; Gunnar swore the same
as I, and passed the cup to Hiordis. She grasped it and stood up, and
vowed this vow, that no warrior should have her to wife, save he who
should go to her bower, slay the white bear that stood bound at the
door, and carry her away in his arms.

DAGNY. Yes, yes; all this I know!

SIGURD. All men deemed that it might not be, for the bear was the
fiercest of beasts; none but Hiordis might come near it, and it had
the strength of twenty men.

DAGNY. But Gunnar slew it, and by that deed won fame throughout
all lands.

SIGURD (in a low voice). He won the fame--but--_I_ did the deed!

DAGNY (with a cry). Thou!

SIGURD. When the men left the feast-hall, Gunnar prayed me to come
with him alone to our sleeping-place. Then said he: "Hiordis is dearer
to me than all women; without her I cannot live." I answered