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I left him then with a little wonder as to what this business might be, but thought little of it, as it would very likely be a matter of taking some men on some errand or the like house-carle work, and then I bethought me that I would even go and see how fared Elfrida. It was not unpleasant to think of taking her by surprise, for I did not suppose that she had heard of my return yet.
Just then he sees a man running fast, Grettir asks who it is who is running there; the man answered that his name was Skeggi, and that he was a house-carle from the Ridge in Waterdale. "I am one of the following of goodman Thorkel," he says, "but, faring heedlessly, I have lost my meal-bag."
"His news? his news?" cried the Earl, "with his own lips let him speak his news." The house-carle withdrew but to usher in the messenger, an Anglo-Dane. "The weight on thy brow shows the load on thy heart," cried Tostig. "Speak, and be brief." "Edward is dead." "Ha? and who reigns?" "Thy brother is chosen and crowned."
"His news? his news?" cried the Earl, "with his own lips let him speak his news." The house-carle withdrew but to usher in the messenger, an Anglo-Dane. "The weight on thy brow shows the load on thy heart," cried Tostig. "Speak, and be brief." "Edward is dead." "Ha? and who reigns?" "Thy brother is chosen and crowned."
The man who thus spoke was Haldor's chief house-carle. He was a very short and extremely powerful man of about forty-five years of age, and so sturdy and muscular as to have acquired the title of Thorer the Thick. He wore a shirt of scale armour, rather rusty, and somewhat the worse of having figured in many a tough battle by land and sea.
Now they set forth their judgment, that half-fines should be paid for the sons of Thorir, but half fell away because of the onslaught and attack, and attempt on Atli's life, the slaying of Atli's house-carle, who was slain on Ramfirth-neck, and the slaying of those twain who fell with the sons of Thorir were set off one against the other.
"We heard the men above singing and feasting as usual, when suddenly there was a great silence, for one of the big stones over our heads was loosened, and they had evidently felt or seen it. Now was the time come; so, while the house-carle shovelled off the earth, some of us got our fingers in about the edge of the stone, and pulled with all our force.
Now the next year wears through its seasons, but the winter after the goodwife would fain go to worship, and bade her house-carle abide behind at home; thereto was he loth, but said nathless that she must rule; so all went the same way and the house-carle vanished; and marvellous men deemed it; but folk saw certain stains of blood about the outer door; therefore they deemed it sure that an evil wight had taken them both.
"But you had no doubts at all concerning Elfrida." "That was foolishness, my Queen, and I see it now. This is different altogether." "I know it, and it was my fault in a way. Still, you were then but the landless house-carle captain, and yet you dared to look up to the daughter of the ealdorman.
There, jumbled together, he will find names marking the noblest Saxon or Angle blood Kenward or Kenric, Osgood or Osborne, side by side with Cordery or Banister now names of farmers in my own parish or other Norman-French names which may be, like those two last, in Battle Abbey roll and side by side the almost ubiquitous Brown, whose ancestor was probably some Danish or Norwegian house-carle, proud of his name Biorn the Bear, and the ubiquitous Smith or Smythe, the Smiter, whose forefather, whether he be now peasant or peer, assuredly handled the tongs and hammer at his own forge.
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