Hauskuld answered, “I did not slay thy son, nor did I plot his
death; still it may be forgiven thee to look for atonement
somewhere.”
“Nose is next of kin, brother, to eyes,” said Hrut, “and it is
needful to stop all evil tongues, and to make him atonement for
his son, and so mend thy daughter’s state, for that will only be
the case when this suit is dropped, and the less that is said
about it the better it will be.”
Hauskuld said, “Wilt thou undertake the award?”
“That I will,” says Hrut, “nor will I shield thee at all in my
award; for if the truth must be told thy daughter planned his
death.”
Then Hrut held his peace some little while, and afterwards he
stood up, and said to Oswif, “Take now my hand in handsel as a
token that thou lettest the suit drop.”
So Oswif stood up and said, “This is not an atonement on equal
terms when thy brother utters the award, but still thou (speaking
to Hrut) hast behaved so well about it that I trust thee
thoroughly to make it.” Then he stood up and took Hauskuld’s
band, and came to an atonement in the matter, on the
understanding that Hrut was to make up his mind and utter the
award before Oswif went away. After that, Hrut made his award,
and said, “For the slaying of Thorwald I award two hundred in
silver” — that was then thought a good price for a man — “and
thou shalt pay it down at once, brother, and pay it too with an
open hand.”
Hauskuld did so, and then Hrut said to Oswif, “I will give thee a
good cloak which I brought with me from foreign lands.”
He thanked him for his gift, and went home well pleased at the
way in which things had gone.
After that Hauskuld and Hrut came to Oswif to share the goods,
and they and Oswif came to a good agreement about that too, and
they went home with their share of the goods, and Oswif is now
out of our story. Hallgerda begged Hauskuld to let her come back
home to him, and he gave her leave, and for a long time there was
much talk about Thorwald’s slaying. As for Hallgerda’s goods
they went on growing till they were worth a great sum.
13. 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 manslayer. 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
