"I am Njal's wife," she says, "and I have as much to say to our
housefolk as he."
"Wilt thou take me in then?" says he.
"I will give thee thy choice of that," says she. "If thou wilt
do all the work that I set before thee, and that, though I wish
to send thee where a man's life is at stake."
"Thou must have so many men at thy beck," says he, "that thou
wilt not need me for such work."
"That I will settle as I please," she says.
"We will strike a bargain on these terms," says he.
Then she took him into the household. Njal and his sons came
home and asked Bergthora what man that might be?
"He is thy house-carle," she says, "and I took him in." Then she
went on to say he was no sluggard at work.
"He will be a great worker enough, I daresay," says Njal, "but I
do not know whether he will be such a good worker."
Skarphedinn was good to Atli.
Njal and his sons ride to the Thing in the course of the summer;
Gunnar was also at the Thing.
Njal took out a purse of money.
"What money is that, father?"
"Here is the money that Gunnar paid me for our housecarle last
summer."
"That will come to stand thee in some stead," says Skarphedinn,
and smiled as he spoke.