“WhenyouhavetoldusthestoryofSteinarwewilltellyouwhoweareandwhatweseek，“answeredtheman，adding:“Fearnot，wemeanhimnoharm，butrathergoodifheisthemanwethink。“
“Wife，“calledmyfather，“comehither。HerearemenwhowouldknowthestoryofSteinar，andsaythattheymeanhimgood。“
Somymothercame，andthemenbowedtoher。
“ThestoryofSteinarisshort，sirs，“shesaid。“Hismother，Steingerdi，whowasmycousinandthefriendofmychildhood，marriedthegreatchiefHakon，ofAgger，twoandtwentysummersgone。Ayearlater，justbeforeSteinarwasborn，shefledtomehere，askingshelterofmylord。HertalewasthatshehadquarrelledwithHakonbecauseanotherwomanhadcreptintoherplace。Findingthatthistalewastrue，andthatHakonhadtreatedherillindeed，wegavehershelter，andherehersonSteinarwasborn，ingivingbirthtowhomshedied——ofabrokenheart，asIthink，forshewasmadwithgriefandjealousy。InursedhimwithmysonOlafyonder，andas，althoughhehadnewsofhisbirth，Hakonneverclaimedhim，withushehasdweltasasoneversince。Thatisallthetale。NowwhatwouldyouwithSteinar？“
“ThisLady。ThelordHakonandthethreesonswhomthatotherwomanyoutellofborehimereshedied——forafterSteingerdi’sdeathhemarriedher——weredrownedinmakingharbouronthenightofthegreatgaleeighteendaysago。“
“ThatisthedaywhenthebearnearlykilledSteinar，“Iinterrupted。
“Wellforhim，then，youngsir，thatheescapedthisbear，fornow，asitseemstous，heisthelordofallHakon’slandsandpeople，beingtheonlymaleleftlivingofhisissue。This，bythewishoftheheadmenofAgger，whereisHakon’shall，wehavecometotellhim，ifhestilllives，sincebyreportheisagoodlymanandbrave——onewellfittedtositinHakon’splace。
“Istheheritagegreat？“askedmyfather。
“Aye，verygreat，Lord。InallJutlandtherewasnorichermanthanHakon。“
“ByOdin！“exclaimedmyfather，“itseemsthatSteinarisinFortune’sfavour。Well，menofAgger，enterandrestyou。Afteryouhaveeatenwewilltalkfurtherofthesematters。“
Itwasjustthenthat，appearingbetweenthetreesontheroadthatrantoFladstrandandtothesea，Isawacompanymounteduponhorses。
Infrontwasayoungwoman，wrappedinacoatoffurs，talkingeagerlytoamanwhorodebyher。Behind，cladinarmour，withabattle-axegirtabouthim，rodeanotherman，bigandfork-bearded，whostaredabouthimgloomily，andbehindhimagaintenortwelvethrallsandseamen。
Oneglancewasenoughforme。ThenIsprangup，crying:
“Iduna’sself，andwithhermybrotherSteinar，thelordAthalbrandandhisfolk。Ahappysightindeed！“AndIwouldhaverunforwardtomeetthem。
“Yes，yes，“saidmymother；“butawaitthemhere，Iprayyou。Youarenotyetstrong，myson。“Andsheflungherarmsaboutmeandheldme。
Presentlytheywereatthebridge，andSteinar，springingfromhishorse，liftedIdunafromhersaddle，asightatwhichIsawmymotherfrown。ThenIwouldnolongerberestrained，butranforward，cryinggreetingsasIcame，and，seizingIduna’shand，Ikissedit。Indeed，I
wouldhavekissedhercheekalso，butsheshrankback，saying:
“Notbeforeallthesefolk，Olaf。“
“Asyouwill，“Ianswered，thoughjustthenachillstruckme，which，Ithoughttomyself，camedoubtlessfromthecoldwind。“Itwillbethesweeterafterwards，“IaddedasgailyasIcould。
“Yes，“shesaidhurriedly。“But，Olaf，howwhiteandthinyouare。I
hadhopedtofindyouwellagain，though，notknowinghowitfaredwithyou，Icametoseewithmyowneyes。“
“Thatisgoodofyou，“ImutteredasIturnedtograspSteinar’shand，adding:“Iknowwellwhoitwasthatbroughtyouhere。“
“Nay，nay，“shesaid。“Icameofmyself。Butmyfatherwaitsyou，Olaf。“
SoIwenttowherethelordAthalbrandFork-beardwasdismounting，andgreetedhim，liftingmycap。
“What！“grumbledAthalbrand，whoseemedtobeinanilltemper，“areyouOlaf？Ishouldscarcelyhaveknownyouagain，lad，foryoulookmorelikeawispofhaytiedonastickthanaman。NowthatthefleshisoffyouIseeyoulackbone，unlikesomeothers，“andheglancedatthebroad-shoulderedSteinar。“Greetingtoyou，Thorvald。Wearecomeherethroughaseathatnearlydrownedus，somewhatbeforetheappointedtime，because——well，because，onthewhole，Ithoughtitbesttocome。IprayOdinthatyouaremoregladtoseeusthanIamtoseeyou。“
“Ifso，friendAthalbrand，whydidyounotstopaway？“askedmyfather，firingup，thenaddingquickly:“Nay，nooffence；youarewelcomehere，whateveryourhumour，andyoutoo，mydaughterthatistobe，andyou，Steinar，myfosterling，who，asitchances，arecomeinagoodhour。“
“How’sthat，Lord？“askedSteinarabsently，forhewaslookingatIduna。
“Thus，Steinar:Thesemen“——andhepointedtothethreemessengers——
“havebutjustarrivedfromAggerwiththenewsthatyourfather，Hakon，andyourhalf-brothersarealldrowned。TheysayalsothatthefolkofAggerhavenamedyouHakon’sheir，as，indeed，youarebyrightofblood。“
“Isthatso？“exclaimedSteinar，bewildered。“Well，asIneversawmyfatherormybrothers，andtheytreatedmebutill，Icannotweepforthem。“
“Hakon！“brokeinAthalbrand。“Why，Iknewhimwell，forinmyyouthwewerecomradesinwar。HewasthewealthiestmaninJutlandincattle，lands，thrallsandstoredgold。Youngfriend，yourluckisgreat，“andhestaredfirstatSteinar，thenatIduna，pullinghisforkedbeardandmutteringwordstohimselfthatIcouldnotcatch。
“Steinargetsthefortunehedeserves，“Iexclaimed，embracinghim。
“NotfornothingdidIsaveyoufromthebear，Steinar。Come，wishmyfoster-brotherjoy，Iduna。“
“Aye，thatIdowithallmyheart，“shesaid。“Joyandlonglifetoyou，andwiththemruleandgreatness，Steinar，LordofAgger，“andshecurtsiedtohim，herblueeyesfixeduponhisface。
ButSteinarturnedaway，makingnoanswer。OnlyRagnar，whostoodby，burstintoaloudlaugh。Then，puttinghisarmthroughmine，heledmeintothehall，saying:
“Thiswindisovercoldforyou，Olaf。Nay，troublenotaboutIduna。
Steinar，LordofAgger，willcareforher，Ithink。“
ThatnighttherewasafeastatAar，andIsatatitwithIdunabymyside。Beautifulshewasindeedinhergarmentofblue，overwhichstreamedheryellowhair，brightasthegoldringsthattinkledonherroundedarms。Shewaskindtomealso，andbademetellherthestoryoftheslayingofthebear，whichIdidasbestIcould，thoughafterwardsRagnartolditotherwise，andmorefully。OnlySteinarsaidlittleornothing，forheseemedtobelostindreams。
Ithoughtthatthiswasbecausehefeltsadatthenewsofthedeathofhisfatherandbrethren，since，althoughhehadneverknownthem，bloodstillcallstoblood；andso，Ibelieve，didmosttherepresent。
AtanyratemyfatherandmothertriedtocheerhimandintheendbadethemenofAggerdrawneartotellhimthetaleofhisheritage。
Theyobeyed，andsetoutalltheircase，ofwhichthesumwasthatSteinarmustnowbeoneofthewealthiestandmostpowerfulmenofthenorthernlands。
“Itseemsthatweshouldalltakeoffourcapstoyou，younglord，“
saidAthalbrandwhenheheardthistaleofruleandriches。“Whydidyounotaskmeformyfairdaughter？“headdedwithahalf-drunkenlaugh，foralltheliquorhehadswallowedhadgotaholdofhisbrain。Recoveringhimself，hewenton:“Itismywill，Thorvald，thatIdunaandthissnipeofanOlafofyoursshouldbewedassoonaspossible。Isaythattheyshallbewedassoonaspossible，sinceotherwiseIknownotwhatmayhappen。“
Thenhisheadfellforwardonthetableandhesanktosleep。
OnthemorrowearlyIlayawake，forhowcouldIsleepwhenIdunarestedbeneaththesameroofwithme——Iduna，who，asherfatherhaddecreed，wastobecomemywifesoonerthanIhadhoped？Iwasthinkinghowbeautifulshelooked，andhowmuchIlovedher；alsoofotherthingsthatwerenotsopleasant。Forinstance，whydidnoteverybodyseeherwithmyeyes？IcouldnothidefrommyselfthatRagnarwentneartohatingher；morethanonceshehadalmostbeenthecauseofaquarrelbetweenus。Freydisa，too，mynurse，wholovedme，lookedonhersourly，andevenmymother，althoughshetriedtolikeherformysake，hadnotyetlearnedtodoso，orthusitappearedtome。
WhenIaskedherwhy，sherepliedthatshefearedthemaidwassomewhatselfish，alsotoofondofdrawingtheeyesofmen，andoftheadornmentofherbeauty。Ofthosewhoweredearesttome，indeed，onlySteinarseemedtothinkIdunaasperfectasIdidmyself。This，sofarasitwent，waswell；but，then，SteinarandIhadalwaysthoughtalike，whichrobbedhisjudgmentofsomethingofitsworth。
WhilstIwasponderingoverthesethings，althoughitwasstillsoearlythatmyfatherandAthalbrandwereyetinbedsleepingoffthefumesoftheliquortheyhaddrunk，IheardSteinarhimselftalkingtothemessengersfromAggerinthehall。Theyaskedhimhumblywhetherhewouldbepleasedtoreturnwiththemthatdayandtakepossessionofhisinheritance，sincetheymustgetbackforthwithtoAggerwiththeirtidings。Herepliedthatiftheywouldsendsomeorcomethemselvestoescorthimonthetenthdayfromthatonwhichtheyspoke，hewouldgotoAggerwiththem，butthatuntilthenhecouldnotdoso。
“Tendays！Intendayswhoknowswhatmayhappen？“saidtheirspokesman。“Suchaheritageasyourswillnotlackforclaimants，Lord，especiallyasHakonhasleftnephewsbehindhim。“
