ever came to see him, and these were mostly old friends with whom he
had financial dealings. Brandur was willing to make loans against
promissory notes and the payment of interest. There were not many to
whom he would entrust his money, however, and he never lost a penny.
Whenever these callers came, he would bring out the brandy bottle.

The buildings at Holl were all in a tumble-down state; the furniture
was no better. There wasn't a chair in the whole house; even the
baðstofa had only a dirt floor, and it was entirely unsheathed on
the inside except for a few planks nailed on the wall from the bed
up as far as the rafters. The clock was the sole manufactured
article in the room. But friends of the old man knew that underneath
his bed he kept a fairly large carved wooden chest, bearing the
inscription anno 1670. The chest was heavy and was always kept
locked. Only the nearest of kin had ever seen its contents.

Brandur was not considered obliging; it was very difficult to get to
see him. Yet he was willing to sell food at any time for cash; hay,
too, as long as there was still some remaining in his lofts. He
would also sell hay against promises of lambs, especially wethers,
once it was certain that the cold of winter was past. But his old
haystack he refused to touch for anyone.

In this way Brandur stumbled down the pathway of life until he lost
his sight. Even then, he was still sound in mind and body. While his
vision remained unimpaired, it had been his habit to walk out to the
old haystack every day and stroll around it slowly, examining it
carefully from top to bottom and patting it with his hands. This
habit he kept up as long as the weather permitted him to be
outdoors, and he did not give it up even after his sight was gone.