take the throne."

"I know him," Bertric said. "It were well for Norway if he did
return. Good warrior and good Christian he is, and that means good
friend, moreover."

"We must make for Dublin," I said. "We must go to the Norse king,
Sigtryg, who is there, and ask him for help. It will be hard if we
cannot find a ship to serve us--even if not men who will sail to
set a queen in her place once more."

"If that fails," put in Bertric, "we will go to England and speak
with Hakon himself. Maybe he will take you back to Norway when he
sails. For he will sail."

Gerda laughed, and shook her head again.

"You make too much of me. Hakon would not heed so small a matter.
No, take me to Norway, and I will find my cousins who are in the
south, and there I may be welcome. At least, I shall be no burden
to them, and they are folk who live on their own land. It will be
the quiet life of the homestead and the saeter which I love."

She sighed, and there was a far-off look in her eyes as if she saw
again the Norse mountains and streams and the flower-edged
glaciers, and heard the song of the maidens on the pastures round
the saeters, and the homing call for the cattle, and longed for
them.

"What of yourselves?" she said presently, and a little timidly as I
thought.

"We shall not be content till we have seen you in safety, and in
Norway if that may be," I answered. "That is all we have to think
of now."

"We are two men at a loose end if we have not you to follow as your
courtmen," added Bertric. "We would pray you not to turn us off."

"It is good to hear you speak so," she said, with a smile that was
of sheer relief. "But it is a barren service, though I would not
part with you if it must be put in that way. I think that I could
not have found better friends, and I fear nothing while you are
near."

So she went on to thank us for all our thought for her, as if we
did something wonderful, and we were fain to laugh and make light
of it.

"Now we are bound for Norway," said Bertric. "What shall be done
with all this troublesome treasure? We cannot hale it all over
Ireland."

We thought it best to leave the bulk of it with the hermits, taking
enough for all possible needs in silver coin and in the rings and
links of gold, which were easily carried and hidden. For we had
heard from Dalfin how that between the courts of the Irish kings
and that of Sigtryg of Dublin was little intercourse, save when
fighting was on ha