entering a vessel whose sails were already spread, and all William's
entreaties would have availed nothing had not Gibourc herself implored
his forgiveness.

'I am your brother,' cried Rainouart, throwing himself on her neck; 'I
may confess it now, and for you I will pardon the Count's ingratitude
and never more will I remind you of it.'

There was great joy in Orange when William rode through the gates with
Rainouart beside him, and the next day the Count made him his
Seneschal, and he was baptized. Then William sent his brothers on an
embassy to the King in Paris, to beg that he would bestow the hand of
Princess Alix on Rainouart, son of King Desrame and brother of Lady
Gibourc. And when the embassy returned Alix returned with it, and the
marriage took place with great splendour; but to the end of his life,
whenever Rainouart felt cold, he warmed himself in the kitchen.

WAYLAND THE SMITH

_WAYLAND THE SMITH_

Far up to the north of Norway and Sweden, looking straight at the
Pole, lies the country of Finmark. It is very cold and very bare, and
for half the year very dark; but inside its stony mountains are rich
stores of metals, and the strong, ugly men of the country spent their
lives in digging out the ore and in working it. Like many people who
dwell in mountains, they saw and heard strange things, which were
unknown to the inhabitants of the lands to the south.

Now in Finmark there were three brothers whose names were Slagfid,
Eigil, and Wayland, all much handsomer and cleverer than their
neighbours. They had some money of their own, but this did not prevent
them working as hard as anyone else; and as they were either very
clever or very lucky, they were soon in a fair way to grow rich.

One day they went to a new part of the mountains which was yet
untouched, and began to throw up the earth with their pick-axes; but
instead of the iron they expected to see they found they had lighted
upon a mine of gold. This discovery pleased them greatly and their
blows became stronger and harder, for the gold was deep in the rock
and it was not easy to get it out. At last a huge lump rolled out at
their feet, and when they picked it up they saw three stones shining
in it, one red and one blue and one green. They took it home to their
mother, who began to weep bitterly at the sight of it. 'What is the
matter?' asked her sons anxiously, for they knew things lay open to
her which were hidden from others.

'Ah,