ORNULF. No, I say! I must fight my own battle, be my fortune what
it may.
KARE (approaching). Right friendly is Sigurd's rede, but if thou
wilt indeed fight thine own battle with all thy might, I can counsel
thee better. Dream not of atonement so long as Hiordis has aught to
say; but revenge can be thine if thou wilt hearken to me.
ORNULF. Revenge? What dost thou counsel?
SIGURD. Evil, I can well see.
DAGNY (to ORNULF). Oh, do not hear him!
KARE. Hiordis has declared me an outlaw; with cunning will she seek
to take my life; do thou swear to see me scatheless, and this night
will I burn Gunnar's hall and all within it. Is that to thy mind?
SIGURD. Dastard!
ORNULF (quietly). To my mind? Knowest thou, Kare, what were more
to my mind? (In a voice of thunder.) To hew off thy nose and ears,
thou vile thrall. Little dost thou know old Ornulf if thou thinkest
to have his help in such a deed of shame!
KARE (who has shrunk backwards). If thou fall not upon Gunnar he
will surely fall upon thee.
ORNULF. Have I not weapons, and strength to wield them?
SIGURD (to KARE). And now away with thee! Thy presence is a shame
to honourable men!
KARE (going off). Well well, I must shield myself as best I can.
But this I tell you: if ye think to deal gently with Hiordis, ye will
come to rue it; I know her--and I know where to strike her sorest!
(Goes down towards the shore.)
DAGNY. He is plotting revenge. Sigurd, it must be hindered!
ORNULF (with annoyance). Nay, let him do as he will; she is worth
no better!
DAGNY. That meanest thou not; bethink thee she is thy foster-child.
ORNULF. Woe worth the day when I took her under my roof! Jokul's
words are coming true.
SIGURD. Jokul's?
ORNULF. Ay, her father's. When I gave him his death-wound he fell
back upon the sward, and fixed his eyes on on me and sang:--
Jokul's kin for Jokul's slayer
many a woe shall still be weaving;
Jokul's hoard whoe'er shall harry
heartily shall rue his rashness.
When he had sung that, he was silent a while, and laughed; and thereupon
he died.
SIGURD. Why should'st thou heed his words?
ORNULF. Who knows? The story goes, and many believe it, that Jokul
gave his children a wolf's heart to eat, that they might be fierce and
fell; and Hiordis has surely had her share, that one can well see.
(Breaks off, on looking out towards the right.) Gunnar!--Are we two
to meet again!
GUNNAR (enters). Ay, Ornulf, think of me what thou wilt, but I
cannot part from thee as thy foe.
ORNULF. What is thy purpose?
GUNNAR. To hold out the hand of fellowship to thee ere thou depart.
Hear me all of you: go with me to my homestead, and be my guests as
long as ye will. We lack not meat or drink or sleeping-room, and there
shall be no talk of our quarrel either to-day or to-morrow.
SIGURD. But Hiordis----?
GUNNAR. Yields to my will; she changed her thought on the homeward
way, and deemed, as I did, that we would soon be at one if ye would
but be our guests.
DAGNY. Yes, yes; let it be so.