hoves you to give a good answer to such a
matter, for this match is a noble one." Thorgerd answered, "I have
often heard you say that you love me best of all your children, but
now it seems to me you make that a falsehood if you wish me to marry
the son of a bonds-woman, however goodly and great a dandy he may be."
Egil said, "In this matter you are not so well up, as in others. Have
you not heard that he is the son of the daughter of Myrkjartan, king
of Ireland? so that he is much higher born on his mother's side than
on his father's, which, however, would be quite good enough for us."
Thorgerd would not see this; and so they dropped the talk, each being
somewhat of a different mind. The next day Egil went to Hoskuld's
booth. Hoskuld gave him a good welcome, and so they fell a-talking
together. Hoskuld asked how this wooing matter had sped. Egil held out
but little hope, and told him all that had come to pass. Hoskuld said
it looked like a closed matter, "Yet I think you have behaved well."
Olaf did not hear this talk of theirs. After that Egil went away. Olaf
now asks, "How speeds the wooing?" Hoskuld said, "It pointed to slow
speed on her side." [Sidenote: Olaf proposes himself] Olaf said, "It
is now as I told you, father, that I should take it very ill if in
answer (to the wooing) I should have to take shaming words, seeing
that the broaching of the wooing gives undue right to the wooed. And
now I shall have my way so far, that this shall not drop here. For
true is the saw, that 'others' errands eat the wolves'; and now I
shall go straightway to Egil's booth." Hoskuld bade him have his own
way. Olaf now dressed himself in this way, that he had on the scarlet
clothes King Harald had given him, and a golden helmet on his head,
and the gold-adorned sword in his hand that King Myrkjartan had given
him. Then Hoskuld and Olaf went to Egil's booth. Hoskuld went first,
and Olaf followed close on his heels. Egil greeted him well, and
Hoskuld sat down by him, but Olaf stood up and looked about him. He
saw a woman sitting on the dais in the booth, she was goodly and had
the looks of one of high degree, and very well dressed. He thought to
himself this must be Thorgerd, Egil's daughter. Olaf went up to the
dais and sat down by her. Thorgerd greeted the man, and asked who he
was. Olaf told his own and his father's name, and "You must think it
very bold that the son of a slave should dare to sit down by you and
presume to talk to