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Updated: May 2, 2025
There was a great company in Hauskuld's hall to witness Hallgerda's marriage, and when the feast began Thiostolf might have been seen stalking about holding his axe aloft; but, as the guests pretended not to know he was there, no harm came of it. For some time Glum and his wife lived happily together, though Hallgerda proved herself the same greedy yet wasteful woman she had been before.
She wore a dress of scarlet, girdled by a silver belt, and over it a mantle of soft dark blue, while her thick yellow hair was unbound, and fell almost to her knees. She smiled and spoke kindly to the visitors, then sat herself down between her father and uncle. After that Glum spoke. 'Your father and Thorarin my brother have had talk about a marriage betwixt you and me, Hallgerda.
'It beseems a man to eat what is before him and not to trouble himself further, answered Hallgerda; but Gunnar cried out: 'I will have no part in food that is ill come by, and with that he gave her a buffet on the cheek. 'I shall remember that, said Hallgerda, and she got up and went out.
'Swart, your house servant has been killed by Hallgerda and Kol her man, said Gunnar gravely when Njal stood before him; and he told the tale as he had heard it from the messenger. 'It is for you, Njal, to fix the atonement, he said at the end. 'You will have work to atone for all Hallgerda's misdoings, answered Njal, 'and it will take all our old friendship to keep us from quarrelling now.
Njal and his wife greeted them heartily, and by-and-by Helgi, Njal's son, came, and with him Thorhalla his wife. Then Bergthora, Njal's wife, went up to Hallgerda, and said, 'Give place to Thorhalla, but Hallgerda would not, and she fell to quarrelling with Bergthora, and at last Bergthora taunted Hallgerda with having plotted to do Thorwald her husband to death.
But Atli told Njal that he would sooner be slain in his service than live free in the service of another master, and he would gladly stay where he was if Njal would grant him the atonement due to a free man. This Njal granted, and Atli remained in his house. Hallgerda soon came to know what had happened, and she sent messengers both to Bergthora and to Gunnar at the Thing to tell them about it.
Now, though nothing had been said to Hallgerda as to the business which brought all these men to her father's house, perhaps she may have guessed something, for when she appeared she was attended by her two women, and clad in her festal garments.
Then they rode back to Lithend and spent the rest of the winter there. When the spring came, Gunnar went to the Thing, bidding Hallgerda take heed, and to give no cause of offence to his friends. But she would give no promise, and he set forth with a heavy heart.
Tall and stately she was, and fair, but sly and greedy of gain, as in the days of her childhood, and more she loved Thiostolf, whose wife had brought her up, than Hauskuld her father, or Hrut her uncle. When Hallgerda went back to Hauskuld her father, he saw that he must be looking out for a husband for her, as the fame of her beauty would go far.
After that he took the road back to Varmalek, and found Hallgerda sitting in front of the door. Her eyes fell instantly on the bloody axe, and Thiostolf saw this and said hastily: 'Glum, your husband, is slain. 'Then it is by your hand, she answered. 'Yes, it is, said Thiostolf, and added after a moment's pause: 'What is best to be done now?
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