in
Iceland] After that Hoskuld went on board his ship, and put to sea.
They had a fair wind, and hove in to the south of Iceland; and after
that sailed west by Reekness, and so by Snowfellness in to Broadfirth.
Hoskuld landed at Salmon-river-Mouth. He had the cargo taken out of
his ship, which he took into the river and beached, having a shed
built for it. A ruin is to be seen now where he built the shed. There
he set up his booths, and that place is called Booths'-Dale. After
that Hoskuld had the timber taken home, which was very easy, as it was
not far off. Hoskuld rode home after that with a few men, and was
warmly greeted, as was to be looked for. He found that all his
belongings had been kept well since he left. Jorunn asked, "What woman
that was who journeyed with him?" Hoskuld answered, "You will think I
am giving you a mocking answer when I tell you that I do not know her
name." Jorunn said, "One of two things there must be: either the talk
is a lie that has come to my ears, or you must have spoken to her so
much as to have asked her her name." Hoskuld said he could not gainsay
that, and so told her the truth, and bade that the woman should be
kindly treated, and said it was his wish she should stay in service
with them. Jorunn said, "I am not going to wrangle with the mistress
you have brought out of Norway, should she find living near me no
pleasure; least of all should I think of it if she is both deaf and
dumb." Hoskuld slept with his wife every night after he came home,
and had very little to say to the mistress. [Sidenote: Melkorka's
history discovered] Every one clearly saw that there was something
betokening high birth in the way she bore herself, and that she was no
fool. Towards the end of the winter Hoskuld's mistress gave birth to a
male child. Hoskuld was called, and was shown the child, and he
thought, as others did, that he had never seen a goodlier or a more
noble-looking child. Hoskuld was asked what the boy should be called.
He said it should be named Olaf, for Olaf Feilan had died a little
time before, who was his mother's brother. Olaf was far before other
children, and Hoskuld bestowed great love on the boy. The next summer
Jorunn said, "That the woman must do some work or other, or else go
away." Hoskuld said she should wait on him and his wife, and take care
of her boy besides. When the boy was two years old he had got full
speech, and ran about like children of four years old. Early one
m