Then there was great laughter.  Snorri the priest smiled, and sang this between his teeth, but so that many heard—­

  Skill hath Skapti us to tell
  Whether Asgrim’s shaft flew well;
  Holmstein hurried swift to flight,
  Thorstein turned him soon to fight.

Now men burst out in great fits of laughter.

Then Hall of the Side said—­

“All men know what a grief I have suffered in the loss of my son Ljot; many will think that he would be valued dearest of all those men who have fallen here; but I will do this for the sake of an atonement—­I will put no price on my son, and yet will come forward and grant both pledges and peace to those who are my adversaries.  I beg thee, Snorri the priest, and other of the best men, to bring this about, that there may be an atonement between us.”

Now he sits him down, and a great hum in his favour followed, and all praised his gentleness and good-will.

Then Snorri the priest stood up and made a long and clever speech, and begged Asgrim and the others who took the lead in the quarrel to look towards an atonement.

Then Asgrim said—­

“I made up my mind when Flosi made an inroad on my house that I would never be atoned with him; but now Snorri the priest, I will take an atonement from him for thy word’s sake and other of our friends.”

In the same way spoke Thorleif crow and Thorgrim the big, that they were willing to be atoned, and they urged in every way their brother Thorgeir Craggeir to take an atonement also; but he hung back, and says he would never part from Kari.

Then Gizur the white said—­

“Now Flosi must see that he must make his choice, whether he will be atoned on the understanding that some will be out of the atonement.”

Flosi says he will take that atonement; “and methinks it is so much the better,” he says, “that I have fewer good men and true against me”.

Then Gudmund the powerful said—­

“I will offer to hansel peace on my behalf for the slayings that have happened here at the Thing, on the understanding that the suit for the Burning is not to fall to the ground.”

In the same way spoke Gizur the white and Hjallti Skeggi’s son, Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son and Mord Valgard’s son.

In this way the atonement came about, and then hands were shaken on it, and twelve men were to utter the award; and Snorri the priest was the chief man in the award, and others with him.  Then the manslaughters were set off the one against the other, and those men who were over and above were paid for in fines.  They also made an award in the suit about the Burning.

Njal was to be atoned for with a triple fine, and Bergthora with two.  The slaying of Skarphedinn was to be set off against that of Hauskuld the Whiteness priest.  Both Grim and Helgi were to be paid for with double fines; and one full man-fine should be paid for each of those who had been burnt in the house.