The stranger began again: "Be not afraid of us, mistress! We are
Scotsmen who have been in the service of King John of Sweden ten
full years, but now have taken our discharge and are bound for
home. We have come to Marstrand to find a ship for Scotland, but
when we came hither we found every channel and firth frozen over,
and here we must bide and wait. We have no business to employ us,
and therefore we range about the quays to meet whom we may. We
should be happy, mistress, if you would let us hear your tale."

Elsalill knew that he had talked thus long to let her recover from
her emotion. At last she thought to herself: "You can surely show
that you are not too homely to speak to a noble gentleman,
Elsalill! For you are a maiden of good birth and no fisher lass."

"I was but telling of the great butchery at Solberga parsonage,"
said Elsalill. "There are so many who have heard that story."

"Yes," said the stranger, "but I did not know till now that any of
Herr Arne's household had escaped alive."

Then Elsalill told once more of the wild robbers' deed. She spoke
of how the old serving-men had gathered about Herr Arne to protect
him and how Herr Arne himself had snatched his sword from the wall
and pressed upon the robbers, but they had overcome them all. And
the old mistress had taken up her husband's sword and set upon the
robbers, but they had only laughed at her and felled her to the
floor with a billet of wood. And all the other women had crouched
against the wall of the stove, but when the men were dead the
robbers came and pulled them down and slew them. "The last they
slew," said Elsalill, "was my dear foster sister. She begged for