when he saw that he said to her, "I have seen thee with a merrier
face. Hast thou anything on thy mind?"

She began to weep, and answered nothing. Then he said to her
again. "Why didst thou ride to the Thing, if thou wilt not tell
me thy secret? Dost thou dislike living away there in the west?"

Then she answered him, "I would give all I own in the world that
I had never gone thither."

"Well!" said Mord, "I'll soon get to the bottom of this." Then
he sends men to fetch Hauskuld and Hrut, and they came
straightway; and when they came in to see Mord, he rose up to
meet them and gave them a hearty welcome, and asked them to sit
down. Then they talked a long time in a friendly way, and at
last Mord said to Hauskuld, "Why does my daughter think so ill of
life in the west yonder?"

"Let her speak out," said Hrut, "if she has anything to lay to my
charge."

But she brought no charge against him. Then Hrut made them ask
his neighbours and household how he treated her, and all bore him
good witness, saying that she did just as she pleased in the
house.

Then Mord said, "Home thou shalt go, and be content with thy lot;
for all the witness goes better for him than for thee."

After that Hrut rode home from the Thing, and his wife with him,