most?"

Still I said no word; but she said in a wearied way: "Well now, I
think you will be strong enough to get to your feet and walk; take my
hand and try." Therewith she held it out: I strove hard to be brave
enough to take it, but could not; I only turned away shuddering, sick,
and grieved to the heart's core of me; then struggling hard with hand
and knee and elbow, I scarce rose, and stood up totteringly; while she
watched me sadly, still holding out her hand.

But as I rose, in my swinging to and fro the steel sheath of my sword
struck her on the hand so that the blood flowed from it, which she
stood looking at for a while, then dropped it downwards, and turned to
look at me, for I was going.

Then as I walked she followed me, so I stopped and turned and said
almost fiercely: "I am going alone to look for my brother."

The vehemence with which I spoke, or something else, burst some
blood-vessel within my throat, and we both stood there with the blood
running from us on to the grass and summer flowers.

She said: "If you find him, wait with him till I come."

"Yea," and I turned and left her, following the course of the stream
upwards, and as I went I heard her low singing that almost broke my
heart for its sadness.

And I went painfully because of my weakness, and because also of the
great stones; and sometimes I went along a spot of earth where the