GLUM'S WOOING.
Now three brothers are named in the story. One was called Thorarin, the
second Ragi, and the third Glum. They were the sons of Olof the Halt,
and were men of much worth and of great wealth in goods. Thorarin's
surname was Ragi's brother; he had the Speakership of the Law after Rafn
Heing's son. He was a very wise man, and lived at Varmalek, and he and
Glum kept house together. Glum had been long abroad; he was a tall,
strong, handsome man. Ragi their brother was a great man-slayer. Those
brothers owned in the south Engey and Laugarness. One day the brothers
Thorarin and Glum were talking together, and Thorarin asked Glum whether
he meant to go abroad, as was his wont.
He answered--"I was rather thinking now of leaving off trading voyages".
"What hast thou then in thy mind? Wilt thou woo thee a wife?"
"That I will," says he, "if I could only get myself well matched."
Then Thorarin told off all the women who were unwedded in Borgarfirth,
and asked him if he would have any of these--"Say the word, and I will
ride with thee!"
But Glum answered--"I will have none of these".
"Say then the name of her thou wishest to have," says Thorarin.
Glum answered--"If thou must know, her name is Hallgerda, and she is
Hauskuld's daughter away west in the dales".
"Well," says Thorarin, "'tis not with thee as the saw says, 'be warned
by another's woe'; for she was wedded to a man, and she plotted his
death."
Glum said--"May be such ill-luck will not befall her a second time, and
sure I am she will not plot my death. But now, if thou wilt show me any
honour, ride along with me to woo her."
Thorarin said--"There's no good striving against it, for what must be is
sure to happen". Glum often talked the matter over with Thorarin, but he
put it off a long time. At last it came about that they gathered men
together and rode off ten in company, west to the dales, and came to
Hauskuldstede. Hauskuld gave them a hearty welcome, and they stayed
there that night. But early next morning, Hauskuld sends Hrut, and he
came thither at once; and Hauskuld was out of doors when he rode into
the "town". Then Hauskuld told Hrut what men had come thither.
"What may it be they want?" asked Hrut
"As yet," says Hauskuld, "they have not let out to me that they have any
business."
"Still," says Hrut, "their business must be with thee. They will ask the
hand of thy daughter, Hallgerda. If they do, what answer wilt thou
make?"
"What dost thou advise me to say?" says Hauskuld.
"Thou shalt answer well," says Hrut; "but still make a clean breast of
all the good and all the ill thou knowest of the woman."
But while the brothers were talking thus, out came the guests. Hauskuld
greeted them well, and Hrut bade both Thorarin and his brothers good
morning. After that they all began to talk, and Thorarin said--
"I am come hither, Hauskuld, with my brother Glum on this errand, to ask
for Hallgerda thy daughter, at the hand of my brother Glum. Thou must
know that he is a man of worth."
"I know well," says Hauskuld, "that ye are both of you powerful and
worthy men; but I must tell you right out, that I chose a husband for
her before, and that turned out most unluckily for us."
Thorarin answered--"We will not let that stand in the way of the
bargain; for one oath shall not become all oaths, and this may prove to
be a good match, though that turned out ill; besides Thiostolf had most
hand in spoiling it".
Then Hrut spoke: "Now I will give you a bit of advice--this: if ye will
not let all this that has already happened to Hallgerda stand in the way
of the match, mind you do not let Thiostolf go south with her if the
match comes off, and that he is never there longer than three nights at
a time, unless Glum gives him leave, but fall an outlaw by Glum's hand
without atonement if he stay there longer. Of course, it shall be in
Glum's power to give him leave; but he will not if he takes my advice.
And now this match, shall not be fulfilled, as the other was, without
Hallgerda's knowledge. She shall now know the whole course of this
bargain, and see Glum, and herself settle whether she will have him or
not; and then she will not be able to lay the blame on others if it does
not turn out well. And all this shall be without craft or guile."
Then Thorarin said--"Now, as always, it will prove best if thy advice be
taken".
Then they sent for Hallgerda, and she came thither, and two women with
her. She had on a cloak of rich blue wool, and under it a scarlet
kirtle, and a silver girdle round her waist, but her hair came down on
both sides of her bosom, and she had turned the locks up under her
girdle. She sat down between Hrut and her father, and she greeted them
all with kind words, and spoke well and boldly, and asked what was the
news. After that she ceased speaking.
Then Glum said--"There has been some talk between thy father and my
brother Thorarin and myself about a bargain. It was that I might get
thee, Hallgerda, if it be thy will, as it is theirs; and now, if thou
art a brave woman, thou wilt say right out whether the match is at all
to thy mind; but if thou hast anything in thy heart against this bargain
with us, then we will not say anything more about it."
Hallgerda said--"I know well that you are men of worth and might, ye
brothers. I know too that now I shall be much better wedded than I was
before; but what I want to know is, what you have said already about the
match, and how far you have given your words in the matter. But so far
as I now see of thee, I think I might love thee well if we can but hit
it off as to temper."
So Glum himself told her all about the bargain, and left nothing out,
and then he asked Hauskuld and Hrut whether he had repeated it right.
Hauskuld said he had; and then Hallgerda said--"Ye have dealt so well
with me in this matter, my father and Hrut, that I will do what ye
advise, and this bargain shall be struck as ye have settled it".
Then Hrut said--"Methinks it were best that Hauskuld and I should name
witnesses, and that Hallgerda should betroth herself, if the Lawman
thinks that right and lawful".
"Right and lawful it is," says Thorarin.
After that Hallgerda's goods were valued, and Glum was to lay down as
much against them, and they were to go shares, half and half, in the
whole. Then Glum bound himself to Hallgerda as his betrothed, and they
rode away home south; but Hauskuld was to keep the wedding-feast at his
house. And now all is quiet till men ride to the wedding.