no hope of honour where there's good store of it."
So they rode thence to the Broadfirth dales, and there is nothing to be told about them till they came to Hauskuldstede, and Hrut was there before them. Oswif called out Hauskuld and Hrut, and they both went out and bade him good day. After that they began to talk. Hauskuld asked Oswif whence he came. He said he had set out to search for Thiostolf, but couldn't find him. Hauskuld said he must have gone north to Swanshol, "and thither it is not every man's lot to go to find him."
"Well," says Oswif, "I am come hither for this, to ask atonement for my son from thee."
Hauskuld answered, "I did not slay thy son, nor did I plot his death; still it may be forgiven thee to look for atonement somewhere."
"Nose is next of kin, brother, to eyes," said Hrut, "and it is needful to stop all evil tongues, and to make him atonement for his son, and so mend thy daughter's state, for that will only be the case when this suit is dropped, and the less that is said about it the better it will be."
Hauskuld said, "Wilt thou undertake the award?"
"That I will," says Hrut, "nor will I shield thee at all in my award; for if the truth must be told thy daughter planned his death."
Then Hrut held his peace some little while, and afterwards he stood up, and said to Oswif, "Take now my hand in handsel as a token that thou lettest the suit drop."
So Oswif stood up and said, "This is not an atonement on equal terms when thy brother utters the award, but still thou (speaking to Hrut) hast behaved so well about it that I trust thee thoroughly to make it." Then he stood up and took Hauskuld's hand, and came to an atonement in the matter, on the understanding that Hrut was to make up his mind and utter the award before Oswif went away. After that, Hrut made his award, and said, "For the slaying of Thorwald I award two hundred in silver" – that was then thought a good price for a man – "and thou shalt pay it down at once, brother, and pay it too with an open hand."
Hauskuld did so, and then Hrut said to Oswif, "I will give thee a good cloak which I brought with me from foreign lands."
He thanked him for his gift, and went home well pleased at the way in which things had gone.
After that Hauskuld and Hrut came to Oswif to share the goods, and they and Oswif came to a good agreement about that too, and they went home with their share of the goods, and Oswif is now out of our story. Hallgerda begged Hauskuld to let her come back home to him, and he gave her leave, and for a long time there was much talk about Thorwald's slaying. As for Hallgerda's goods they went on growing till they were worth a great sum.
13. GLUM'S WOOING
Now three brothers are named in the story. One was called Thorarin, the second Ragi, and the third Glum. They were the sons of Olof the Halt, and were men of much worth and of great wealth in goods. Thorarin's surname was Ragi's brother; he had the Speakership of the Law after Rafn Heing's son. He was a very wise man, and lived at Varmalek, and he and Glum kept house together. Glum had been long abroad; he was a tall, strong, handsome man. Ragi their brother was a great manslayer. Those brothers owned in the south Engey and Laugarness. One day the brothers Thorarin and Glum were talking together, and Thorarin asked Glum whether he meant to go abroad, as was his wont?
He answered, "I was rather thinking now of leaving off trading voyages."
"What hast thou then in thy mind? Wilt thou woo thee a wife?"
"That I will," says he, "if I could only get myself well matched."
Then Thorarin told off all the women who were unwedded in Borgarfirth, and asked him if he would have any of these, "Say the word, and I will ride with thee!"
But Glum answered, "I will have none of these."
"Say then the name of her thou wishest to have," says Thorarin.
Glum answered, "If thou must know, her name is Hallgerda, and she is Hauskuld's daughter away west in the dales."
"Well," says Thorarin, "'tis not with thee as the saw says, `be warned by another's woe'; for she was wedded to a man, and she plotted his death."
Glum said, "Maybe such ill-luck will not befall her a second time, and sure I am she will not plot my death. But now, if thou wilt show me any honour, ride along with me to woo her."
Thorarin said, "There's no good striving against it, for what must be is sure to happen." Glum often talked the matter over with Thorarin, but he put it off a long time. At last it came about that they gathered men together and rode off ten in company, west to the dales, and came to Hauskuldstede. Hauskuld gave them a hearty welcome, and they stayed there that night. But early next morning, Hauskuld sends for Hrut, and he came thither at once: and Hauskuld was out of doors when he rode into the "town". Then Hauskuld told Hrut what men had come thither.
"What may it be they want?" asked Hrut.
"As yet," says Hauskuld, "they have not let out to me that they have any business."
"Still," says Hrut, "their business must be with thee. They will ask the hand of thy daughter, Hallgerda. If they do, what answer wilt thou make?"
"What dost thou advise me to say?" says Hauskuld.
"Thou shalt answer well," says Hrut; "but still make a clean breast of all the good and all the ill thou knowest of the woman."
But while the brothers were talking thus, out came the guests. Hauskuld greeted them well, and Hrut bade both Thorarin and his brothers good morning. After that they all began to talk, and Thorarin said, "I am come hither, Hauskuld, with my brother Glum on this errand, to ask for Hallgerda thy daughter, at the hand of my brother Glum. Thou must know that he is a man of worth."
"I know well," says Hauskuld, "that ye are both of you powerful and worthy men; but I must tell you right out, that I chose a husband for her before, and that turned out most unluckily for us."
Thorarin answered, "We will not let that stand in the way of the bargain; for one oath shall not become all oaths, and this may prove to be a good match, though that turned out ill; besides Thiostolf had most hand in spoiling it."
Then Hrut spoke: "Now I will give you a bit of advice – this: if ye will not let all this that has already happened to Hallgerda stand in the way of the match, mind you do not let Thiostolf go south with her if the match comes off, and that he is never there longer than three nights at a time, unless Glum gives him leave, but fall an outlaw by Glum's hand without atonement if he stay there longer. Of course, it shall be in Glum's power to give him leave; but he will not if he takes my advice. And now this match shall not be fulfilled, as the other was, without Hallgerda's knowledge. She shall now know the whole course of this bargain, and see Glum, and herself settle whether she will have him or not; and then she will not be able to lay the blame on others if it does not turn out well. And all this shall be without craft or guile."
Then Thorarin said, "Now, as always, it will prove best if thy advice be taken."
Then they sent for Hallgerda, and she came thither, and two women with her. She had on a cloak of rich blue woof, and under it a scarlet kirtle, and a silver girdle round her waist, but her hair came down on both sides of her bosom, and she had turned the locks up under her girdle. She sat down between Hrut and her father, and she greeted them all with kind words, and spoke well and boldly, and asked what was the news. After that she ceased speaking.
Then Glum said, "There has been some talk between thy father and my brother Thorarin and myself about a bargain. It was that I might get thee,
