The Greenland sickness took mainly the same course, varying with the
patient's personal quality. It began with a high fever, intense
surface irritation; there ensued violent rheumatic pains, mental
alienation, delirium, madness and death. It was characteristic, as has
been said, that the sufferer turned from his kind, and turned markedly
from whom he knew best.
Thorstan made his preparations carefully, and instructed Gudrid. As a
wife who may be allowed a last word with her husband condemned to die,
she took and gave her kisses. The time was too great for tears, the
heart too faint for strong embraces. All she could do she did. She
would obey him, she would not show herself; but she would be always at
hand. She sat mostly at the head of his bed in the wall, hidden by a
curtain, but ready to fetch and carry; to bring him food which Thorstan
Black could give him; hot stones for his feet, hot rags to ease the
pain in his limbs. He hardly opened his eyes, hardly ever groaned; but
when the fever ran high he talked incessantly, in fierce and rapid
whispers--and she heard told over again the week of rapture and dream
under the snow in the empty ship. She suffered greatly under this
affliction, both by the memories it evoked and the knowledge that such
things could never be again. Her modesty might have been offended; but
Thorstan Black was very kind to her. He used to go gently away when
the sufferer began to speak, and would contrive his returns so as not
to intrude on any privacy. Her heart was full of gratitude to the
black-bearded giant, so huge and so gentle.
The fever seemed to eat Thorstan up; he became so thin that his cheeks
sank away into hollows, and his bones stuck out so sharply that the
skin cracked. Gudrid began to have horror of him. She thought that
her lover was dead, and that this was some terrible mock-image of him
sent there to haunt her. She seemed to become younger as he grew more
like an old man. She was afraid to be left alone with him. Love had
been frightened out of her, and even pity scarce dared to be there.
She could not believe that this was the man who had so keenly loved and
worshipped her body, and by his music had uplifted her soul. She had
seen Thore die and had been compassionate to the end. She remembered
how she had kissed him in the very article of death, and shuddered as
she thought of kissing this living corpse. Her eyes besought Thorstan
Black not to leave her, and he rarely did--for by this time her
husband's weakness was such that, whatever he may have said in his
fever, he could hardly be heard.
Towards the end--as Thorstan Black knew it must be--he persuaded Gudrid
to lie down at night while he kept watch by the bed. And so she did.
The poor girl was worn out, and went to sleep almost at once.
About midnight she was awakened. Thorstan Black stood by the bed with
a taper. She gaped at him, cold to the bones.
"Come, my dear," he said. "He is asking for you." She said nothing.
Then in the silence she heard her husband's voice, calling "Gudrid,
Gudrid, Gudrid." She fell trembling, and knew not what she said.
Thorstan Black put his cloak over her, and helped her out of bed. Her
knees shook. "Is he dead? Is he dead? Oh, don't leave me. I'm
frightened--he looks so strange--don't leave me, Thorstan."
"No, my dear, I won't leave you," he said, and put his arm round her,
for she seemed about to fall. "Come," he said, "I'll take you, and
stay by you."
She mastered her fear. "Yes," she said, "I must go. Oh, but you are
so good to me."
"Don't go if you are afraid," said Thorstan. "He may be dead by now."
"No, no," she said, "not yet. I must hear what he says, for it may be
he knows what the course of my life must be. If God will help me, I
will go. But you will come too--you promised."
Thorstan thereupon lifted her up in his arms, and carried her into the
room where Thorstan Ericsson lay. He went to the side of the bed and
sat down, holding Gudrid on his knee. So they waited fearfully for the
dead man to speak.
Thorstan Ericsson sat up in his bed; his eyes were so deep in his head
that nothing showed of them but dark caves. His mouth was open, as if
his jaw had dropped. But no sound came from him.
Then Thorstan Black said: "My namesake, you called to Gudrid, and I
have her here beside you. What do you desire of her?"