efore him in costly raiment, and a
Russian hat on his head. Hoskuld asked him his name. He said he was
called Gilli: "But many call to mind the man if they hear my
nickname--I am called Gilli the Russian." Hoskuld said he had often
heard talk of him, and that he held him to be the richest of men that
had ever belonged to the guild of merchants. [Sidenote: The bargain
for the slave woman] Still Hoskuld spoke: "You must have things to
sell such as we should wish to buy." Gilli asked what he and his
companions wished to buy. Hoskuld said he should like to buy some
bonds-woman, "if you have one to sell." Gilli answers: "There, you mean
to give me trouble by this, in asking for things you don't expect me
to have in stock; but it is not sure that follows." Hoskuld then saw
that right across the booth there was drawn a curtain; and Gilli then
lifted the curtain, and Hoskuld saw that there were twelve women
seated behind the curtain. So Gilli said that Hoskuld should come on
and have a look, if he would care to buy any of these women. Hoskuld
did so. They sat all together across the booth. Hoskuld looks
carefully at these women. He saw a woman sitting out by the skirt of
the tent, and she was very ill-clad. Hoskuld thought, as far as he
could see, this woman was fair to look upon. Then said Hoskuld, "What
is the price of that woman if I should wish to buy her?" Gilli
replied, "Three silver pieces is what you must weigh me out for her."
"It seems to me," said Hoskuld, "that you charge very highly for this
bonds-woman, for that is the price of three (such)." Then Gilli said,
"You speak truly, that I value her worth more than the others. Choose
any of the other eleven, and pay one mark of silver for her, this one
being left in my possession." Hoskuld said, "I must first see how much
silver there is in the purse I have on my belt," and he asked Gilli to
take the scales while he searched the purse. [Sidenote: Of the dumb
slave woman] Gilli then said, "On my side there shall be no guile in
this matter; for, as to the ways of this woman, there is a great
drawback which I wish, Hoskuld, that you know before we strike this
bargain." Hoskuld asked what it was. Gilli replied, "The woman is
dumb. I have tried in many ways to get her to talk, but have never
got a word out of her, and I feel quite sure that this woman knows not
how to speak." Then, said Hoskuld, "Bring out the scales, and let us
see how much the purse I have got here may weig