After that men fare home from the Thing.

CHAPTER CII.

THE WEDDING OF HAUSKULD, THE PRIEST OF WHITENESS.

Now we must take up the story, and say that Njal spoke thus to Hauskuld, his foster-son, and said—­

“I would seek thee a match.”

Hauskuld bade him settle the matter as he pleased, and asked whether he was most likely to turn his eyes.

“There is a woman called Hildigunna,” answers Njal, “and she is the daughter of Starkad, the son of Thord Freyspriest.  She is the best match I know of.”

“See thou to it, foster-father,” said Hauskuld; “that shall be my choice which thou choosest.”

“Then we will look thitherward,” says Njal.

A little while after, Njal called on men to go along with him.  Then the sons of Sigfus, and Njal’s sons, and Kari Solmund’s son, all of them fared with him and they rode east to Swinefell.

There they got a hearty welcome.

The day after, Njal and Flosi went to talk alone, and the speech of Njal ended thus, that he said—­

“This is my errand here, that we have set out on a wooing-journey, to ask for thy kinswoman Hildigunna.”

“At whose hand?” says Flosi.

“At the hand of Hauskuld my foster-son,” says Njal.

“Such things are well meant,” says Flosi, “but still ye run each of you great risk, the one from the other; but what hast thou to say of Hauskuld?”

“Good I am able to say of him,” says Njal; “and besides, I will lay down as much money as will seem fitting to thy niece and thyself, if thou wilt think of making this match.”

“We will call her hither,” says Flosi, “and know how she looks on the man.”

Then Hildigunna was called, and she came thither.

Flosi told her of the wooing, but she said she was a proud-hearted woman.

“And I know not how things will turn out between me and men of like spirit; but this, too, is not the least of my dislike, that this man has no priesthood or leadership over men, but thou hast always said that thou wouldest not wed me to a man who had not the priesthood.”

“This is quite enough,” says Flosi, “if thou wilt not be wedded to Hauskuld, to make me take no more pains about the match.”

“Nay!” she says, “I do not say that I will not be wedded to Hauskuld if they can get him a priesthood or a leadership over men; but otherwise I will have nothing to say to the match.”

“Then,” said Njal, “I will beg thee to let this match stand over for three winters, that I may see what I can do.”

Flosi said that so it should be.

“I will only bargain for this one thing,” says Hildigunna, “if this match comes to pass, that we shall stay here away east.”

Njal said he would rather leave that to Hauskuld, but Hauskuld said that he put faith in many men, but in none so much as his foster-father.