Then his head fell forward on the table and he sank to sleep.

CHAPTER III

THE WANDERER’S NECKLACE

On the morrow early I lay awake, for how could I sleep when Iduna rested beneath the same roof with me—­Iduna, who, as her father had decreed, was to become my wife sooner than I had hoped?  I was thinking how beautiful she looked, and how much I loved her; also of other things that were not so pleasant.  For instance, why did not everybody see her with my eyes?  I could not hide from myself that Ragnar went near to hating her; more than once she had almost been the cause of a quarrel between us.  Freydisa, too, my nurse, who loved me, looked on her sourly, and even my mother, although she tried to like her for my sake, had not yet learned to do so, or thus it appeared to me.

When I asked her why, she replied that she feared the maid was somewhat selfish, also too fond of drawing the eyes of men, and of the adornment of her beauty.  Of those who were dearest to me, indeed, only Steinar seemed to think Iduna as perfect as I did myself.  This, so far as it went, was well; but, then, Steinar and I had always thought alike, which robbed his judgment of something of its worth.

Whilst I was pondering over these things, although it was still so early that my father and Athalbrand were yet in bed sleeping off the fumes of the liquor they had drunk, I heard Steinar himself talking to the messengers from Agger in the hall.  They asked him humbly whether he would be pleased to return with them that day and take possession of his inheritance, since they must get back forthwith to Agger with their tidings.  He replied that if they would send some or come themselves to escort him on the tenth day from that on which they spoke, he would go to Agger with them, but that until then he could not do so.

“Ten days!  In ten days who knows what may happen?” said their spokesman.  “Such a heritage as yours will not lack for claimants, Lord, especially as Hakon has left nephews behind him.”

“I know not what will or will not happen,” answered Steinar, “but until then I cannot come.  Go now, I pray you, if you must, and bear my words and greetings to the men of Agger, whom soon I hope to meet myself.”

So they went, as I thought, heavily enough.  A while afterwards my father rose and came into the hall, where from my bed I could see Steinar seated on a stool by the fire brooding.  He asked where the men of Agger were, and Steinar told him what he had done.

“Are you mad, Steinar?” he asked, “that you have sent them away with such an answer?  Why did you not consult me first?”

“Because you were asleep, Foster-father, and the messengers said they must catch the tide.  Also I could not leave Aar until I had seen Olaf and Iduna married.”

“Iduna and Olaf can marry without your help.  It takes two to make a marriage, not three.  I see well that you owe love and loyalty to Olaf, who is your foster-brother and saved your life, but you owe something to yourself also.  I pray Odin that this folly may not have cost you your lordship.  Fortune is a wench who will not bear slighting.”