shall not deny it. Thorolf summoned your husband before the judgment
of God before he was put to death. Now he is dead I can do nothing more
pleasing to him than to see to it that Brand Kolbeinsson follow the
summons in due time.

_Jorun_.--You are a devil, Helga! You dare to treat thus a chieftain as
beloved as Brand Kolbeinsson?

_Helga_.--Loud you exclaim now, my lady! Yet I am better than you
think me. If Brand is as beloved a chieftain as you make him out to
be, somebody will surely be ready to die in his place; and that will I
promise you that I shall give your husband full release, and kill _him_
instead who offers himself to that end. (_She laughs_.)

_Jorun_.--You promise me that because you know full well that no one
will do that.

_Helga_.--Is not Brand Kolbeinsson a beloved chieftain?

_Jorun_.--Yet you will stand by your word neither to me nor my husband.

_Helga_.--When did I ever fail to live up to my promise?

_Jorun_.--Did you never say that you would love your husband?

_Helga_.--When I was given to Kolbein I never once was asked whether
I would love him, so that if I have been much lacking in this matter I
have never deceived him in any way. Your husband may rest assured that
if any one offer to die instead of so highly beloved a chieftain, then
shall I take that man's life, and not Brand's.