“It is now most fitting that I should take the ring, since thou behavest so handsomely; and now thou mayest make up thy mind that I will undertake the defence, and do all things needful.”

“Now,” said Bjarni, “ye behave handsomely on both sides, and here are men well fitted to be witnesses, since I and Hallbjorn are here, that thou hast undertaken the suit.”

Then Eyjolf arose, and Flosi too, and they took one another by the hand; and so Eyjolf undertook the whole defence of the suit off Flosi’s hands, and so, too, if any suit arose out of the defence, for it often happens that what is a defence in one suit, is a plaintiff’s plea in another.  So he took upon him all the proofs and proceedings which belonged to those suits, whether they were to be pleaded before the Quarter Court or the Fifth Court.  Flosi handed them over in lawful form, and Eyjolf took them in lawful form, and then he said to Flosi and Bjarni.

“Now I have undertaken this defence just as ye asked, but my wish it is that ye should still keep it secret at first; but if the matter comes into the Fifth Court, then be most careful not to say that ye have given goods for my help.”

Then Flosi went home to his booth, and Bjarni with him, but Eyjolf went to the booth of Snorri the priest, and sate down by him, and they talked much together.

Snorri the priest caught hold of Eyjolf’s arm, and turned up the sleeve, and sees that he had a great ring of gold on his arm.  Then Snorri the priest said—­

“Pray, was this ring bought or given?”

Eyjolf was put out about it, and had never a word to say.  Then Snorri said—­

“I see plainly that thou must have taken it as a gift, and may this ring not be thy death!”

Eyjolf jumped up and went away, and would not speak about it; and Snorri said, as Eyjolf arose—­

“It is very likely that thou wilt know what kind of gift thou hast taken by the time this Thing is ended.”

Then Eyjolf went to his booth.

CHAPTER CXXXVIII.

OF ASGRIM, AND GIZUR, AND KARI.

Now Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son talks to Gizur the white, and Kari Solmund’s son, and to Hjallti Skeggi’s son, Mord Valgard’s son, and Thorgeir Craggeir, and says—­

“There is no need to have any secrets here, for only those men are by who know all our counsel.  Now I will ask you if ye know anything of their plans, for if you do, it seems to me that we must take fresh counsel about our own plans.”

“Snorri the priest,” answers Gizur the white, “sent a man to me, and bade him tell me that Flosi had gotten great help from the Northlanders; but that Eyjolf Bolverk’s son, his kinsman, had had a gold ring given him by some one, and made a secret of it, and Snorri said it was his meaning that Eyjolf Bolverk’s son must be meant to defend the suit at law, and that the ring must have been given him for that.”