“I say nothing against that,” Rolf assented.

They wheeled promptly toward a gate.  But at that moment, Alwin caught sight of a blue-gowned figure watering linen in front of the women’s-house.

“Do you go on without me,” he said, drawing back.  “I will follow in a moment.”

Sigurd threw him a keen glance.  “Is it your intention to do anything exciting, like quarrelling with Thorhall as you did last night?  Let me stay and share it.”

There was a little embarrassment in Alwin’s laugh.  “No such intention have I. I wish to see the hunters ride in.”

The hunters were an imposing sight, as they swept into the court, and broke ranks with a cheer that brought heads to every door.  White-robed thralls ran among the champing horses, unsaddling them; scarlet-cloaked sportsmen tumbled heaps of feathered slain out of their game-bags upon the grass; horns brayed, and hounds bayed and struggled in the leash.  But Alwin forgot to notice it, he was hurrying so eagerly to where Helga, Gilli’s daughter, walked between her strips of bleaching linen, sprinkling them with water from a bronze pan with a little broom of twigs.

The outline of her face was sharper and the roses glowed more faintly in her cheeks, but she welcomed him with her beautiful frank smile.

“I was hoping some of you would think it worth while to come over here.  It is a great relief for me to speak to a man again.  I am so tired of women and their endless gabble of brewing and spinning.  Yesterday Freydis, Eric’s daughter, drove over, and all the while she was here she talked of nothing but—­”

“Eric’s daughter?” Alwin repeated in surprise.  “Not until now have I heard that Leif had a sister.  Why is she never spoken of?  Where does she live?”

Helga shrugged impatiently.  “She lives at Gardar with a witless man named Thorvard, whom she married for his wealth.  She is a despisable creature.  And the reason no one speaks of her is that if he did he would feel Thorhild’s hands in his hair.  There is great hatred between them.  Yesterday they quarrelled before Freydis had been here any time at all.  And I was about to say that I was glad of it, since it brought about Freydis’ departure:  all the time she was here she spoke of nothing save her ornaments and costly things.  Oh, I do not see why Odin had the wish to create women!  It would have been pleasanter if they had remained elm-trees.”

Alwin regarded her with eyes of the warmest good-will.  “It would become a heavy misfortune to me if you were an elm-tree,—­though it is likely that I should speak with you then quite as often as I do now.  Except at meals, I seldom see you.  But I never pass your window that I do not remember that you are toiling within, and say to myself that I am sorry for your bad luck.”

“I give you thanks,” answered Helga, with her friendly smile.  “Where have the other men gone?  I wished to speak with Sigurd.”