At that moment the door of the cottage opened, and its mistress
came in in great haste.

Then Sir Archie drew back from Elsalill. He simply gave her his
hand in farewell and hurried away.

But Torarin's mother said to Elsalill: "It was well that you sent
for me, for it is not fitting for a maid to sit alone in the house
with such a man as Sir Archie. You know full well that a soldier
of fortune has neither honour nor conscience."

"Did I send for you?" asked Elsalill, astonished.

"Yes," answered the old woman. "As I stood at work on the quay
there came a little maid I had never seen before, and brought me
word that you begged me to go home."

"How did this maid look?" asked Elsalill.

"I heeded her not so closely that I can tell you how she looked,"
said the old woman. "But one thing I marked; she went so lightly
upon the snow that not a sound was heard."

When Elsalill heard this she turned very pale and said: "Then it
must have been an angel from heaven who brought you the message
and led you home."

II

Another time Sir Archie sat in Torarin's cabin and talked with