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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/19750-h.zip b/19750-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0c9fd29 --- /dev/null +++ b/19750-h.zip diff --git a/19750-h/19750-h.htm b/19750-h/19750-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f41334a --- /dev/null +++ b/19750-h/19750-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1216 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>The Waif Woman</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + TD { vertical-align: top; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + color: gray;} + + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">The Waif Woman, by Robert Louis Stevenson</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Waif Woman, by Robert Louis Stevenson + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Waif Woman + + +Author: Robert Louis Stevenson + + + +Release Date: November 10, 2006 [eBook #19750] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAIF WOMAN*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>Transcribed from the 1916 Chatto & Windus edition by David +Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org</p> +<h1>THE WAIF WOMAN</h1> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">by</span><br /> +ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><span +class="smcap">london</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">chatto & windus</span><br /> +1916</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><!-- page 2--><a +name="page2"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 2</span><i>First +Edition</i>, <i>October</i>, 1916.<br /> +<i>Second Edition</i>, <i>October</i>, 1916.</p> +<p><!-- page 3--><a name="page3"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +3</span>This unpublished story, preserved among Mrs. +Stevenson’s papers, is mentioned by Mr. Balfour in his life +of Stevenson. Writing of the fables which Stevenson began +before he had left England and “attacked again, and from +time to time added to their number” in 1893, Mr. Balfour +says: “The reference to Odin [Fable XVII] perhaps is due to +his reading of the Sagas, which led him to attempt a tale in the +same style, called ‘The Waif Woman.’”</p> +<h2><!-- page 5--><a name="page5"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +5</span>THE WAIF WOMAN<br /> +A CUE—FROM A SAGA</h2> +<p>This is a tale of Iceland, the isle of stories, and of a thing +that befell in the year of the coming there of Christianity.</p> +<p>In the spring of that year a ship sailed from the South Isles +to traffic, and fell becalmed inside Snowfellness. The +winds had speeded her; she was the first comer of the year; and +the fishers drew alongside to hear the news of the south, and +eager folk put out in boats to see the merchandise and make +prices. From the doors of the hall on Frodis Water, the +house folk saw the ship becalmed and the boats about her, coming +and <!-- page 6--><a name="page6"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +6</span>going; and the merchants from the ship could see the +smoke go up and the men and women trooping to their meals in the +hall.</p> +<p>The goodman of that house was called Finnward Keelfarer, and +his wife Aud the Light-Minded; and they had a son Eyolf, a likely +boy, and a daughter Asdis, a slip of a maid. Finnward was +well-to-do in his affairs, he kept open house and had good +friends. But Aud his wife was not so much considered: her +mind was set on trifles, on bright clothing, and the admiration +of men, and the envy of women; and it was thought she was not +always so circumspect in her bearing as she might have been, but +nothing to hurt.</p> +<p>On the evening of the second day men came to the house from +sea. They told of the merchandise in the ship, which was +well enough and to be had at easy rates, and of a waif woman that +sailed in her, no one could tell why, and had chests of clothes +beyond comparison, fine <!-- page 7--><a name="page7"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 7</span>coloured stuffs, finely woven, the +best that ever came into that island, and gewgaws for a +queen. At the hearing of that Aud’s eyes began to +glisten. She went early to bed; and the day was not yet red +before she was on the beach, had a boat launched, and was pulling +to the ship. By the way she looked closely at all boats, +but there was no woman in any; and at that she was better +pleased, for she had no fear of the men.</p> +<p>When they came to the ship, boats were there already, and the +merchants and the shore folk sat and jested and chaffered in the +stern. But in the fore part of the ship, the woman sat +alone, and looked before her sourly at the sea. They called +her Thorgunna. She was as tall as a man and high in flesh, +a buxom wife to look at. Her hair was of the dark red, time +had not changed it. Her face was dark, the cheeks full, and +the brow smooth. Some of the merchants told that she was +sixty years of age and others laughed and <!-- page 8--><a +name="page8"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 8</span>said she was +but forty; but they spoke of her in whispers, for they seemed to +think that she was ill to deal with and not more than ordinary +canny.</p> +<p>Aud went to where she sat and made her welcome to +Iceland. Thorgunna did the honours of the ship. So +for a while they carried it on, praising and watching each other, +in the way of women. But Aud was a little vessel to contain +a great longing, and presently the cry of her heart came out of +her.</p> +<p>“The folk say,” says she, “you have the +finest women’s things that ever came to Iceland?” and +as she spoke her eyes grew big.</p> +<p>“It would be strange if I had not,” quoth +Thorgunna. “Queens have no finer.”</p> +<p>So Aud begged that she might see them.</p> +<p>Thorgunna looked on her askance. “Truly,” +said she, “the things are for no use but to be +shown.” So she fetched a chest and opened it. +Here was a cloak of the rare scarlet laid <!-- page 9--><a +name="page9"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 9</span>upon with +silver, beautiful beyond belief; hard by was a silver brooch of +basket work that was wrought as fine as any shell and was as +broad as the face of the full moon; and Aud saw the clothes lying +folded in the chest, of all the colours of the day, and fire, and +precious gems; and her heart burned with envy. So, because +she had so huge a mind to buy, she began to make light of the +merchandise.</p> +<p>“They are good enough things,” says she, +“though I have better in my chest at home. It is a +good enough cloak, and I am in need of a new cloak.” +At that she fingered the scarlet, and the touch of the fine stuff +went to her mind like singing. “Come,” says +she, “if it were only for your civility in showing it, what +will you have for your cloak?”</p> +<p>“Woman,” said Thorgunna, “I am no +merchant.” And she closed the chest and locked it, +like one angry.</p> +<p>Then Aud fell to protesting and caressing her. That was +Aud’s practice; for she thought if she <!-- page 10--><a +name="page10"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 10</span>hugged and +kissed a person none could say her nay. Next she went to +flattery, said she knew the things were too noble for the like of +her—they were made for a stately, beautiful woman like +Thorgunna; and at that she kissed her again, and Thorgunna seemed +a little pleased. And now Aud pled poverty and begged for +the cloak in a gift; and now she vaunted the wealth of her +goodman and offered ounces and ounces of fine silver, the price +of three men’s lives. Thorgunna smiled, but it was a +grim smile, and still she shook her head. At last Aud +wrought herself into extremity and wept.</p> +<p>“I would give my soul for it,” she cried.</p> +<p>“Fool!” said Thorgunna. “But there +have been fools before you!” And a little after, she +said this: “Let us be done with beseeching. The +things are mine. I was a fool to show you them; but where +is their use, unless we show them? Mine they are and mine +they shall be till I die. <!-- page 11--><a +name="page11"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 11</span>I have paid +for them dear enough,” said she.</p> +<p>Aud saw it was of no avail; so she dried her tears, and asked +Thorgunna about her voyage, and made believe to listen while she +plotted in her little mind. “Thorgunna,” she +asked presently, “do you count kin with any folk in +Iceland?”</p> +<p>“I count kin with none,” replied Thorgunna. +“My kin is of the greatest, but I have not been always +lucky, so I say the less.”</p> +<p>“So that you have no house to pass the time in till the +ship return?” cries Aud. “Dear Thorgunna, you +must come and live with us. My goodman is rich, his hand +and his house are open, and I will cherish you like a +daughter.”</p> +<p>At that Thorgunna smiled on the one side; but her soul laughed +within her at the woman’s shallowness. “I will +pay her for that word <i>daughter</i>,” she thought, and +she smiled again.</p> +<p>“I will live with you gladly,” says she, +“for your house has a good <!-- page 12--><a +name="page12"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 12</span>name, and I +have seen the smoke of your kitchen from the ship. But one +thing you shall understand. I make no presents, I give +nothing where I go—not a rag and not an ounce. Where +I stay, I work for my upkeep; and as I am strong as a man and +hardy as an ox, they that have had the keeping of me were the +better pleased.”</p> +<p>It was a hard job for Aud to keep her countenance, for she was +like to have wept. And yet she felt it would be unseemly to +eat her invitation; and like a shallow woman and one that had +always led her husband by the nose, she told herself she would +find some means to cajole Thorgunna and come by her purpose after +all. So she put a good face on the thing, had Thorgunna +into the boat, her and her two great chests, and brought her home +with her to the hall by the beach.</p> +<p>All the way in she made much of the wife; and when they were +arrived gave her a locked bed-place in the <!-- page 13--><a +name="page13"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 13</span>hall, where +was a bed, a table, and a stool, and space for the two +chests.</p> +<p>“This shall be yours while you stay here,” said +Aud. And she attended on her guest.</p> +<p>Now Thorgunna opened the second chest and took out her +bedding—sheets of English linen, the like of it never seen, +a cover of quilted silk, and curtains of purple wrought with +silver. At the sight of these Aud was like one distracted, +greed blinded her mind; the cry rose strong in her throat, it +must out.</p> +<p>“What will you sell your bedding for?” she cried, +and her cheeks were hot.</p> +<p>Thorgunna looked upon her with a dusky countenance. +“Truly you are a courteous hostess,” said she, +“but I will not sleep on straw for your +amusement.”</p> +<p>At that Aud’s two ears grew hot as her cheeks; and she +took Thorgunna at her word; and left her from that time in +peace.</p> +<p>The woman was as good as her <!-- page 14--><a +name="page14"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 14</span>spoken +word. Inside the house and out she wrought like three, and +all that she put her hand to was well done. When she +milked, the cows yielded beyond custom; when she made hay, it was +always dry weather; when she took her turn at the cooking, the +folk licked their spoons. Her manners when she pleased were +outside imitation, like one that had sat with kings in their high +buildings. It seemed she was pious too, and the day never +passed but she was in the church there praying. The rest +was not so well. She was of few words, and never one about +her kin and fortunes. Gloom sat on her brow, and she was +ill to cross. Behind her back they gave her the name of the +Waif Woman or the Wind Wife; to her face it must always be +Thorgunna. And if any of the young men called her +<i>mother</i>, she would speak no more that day, but sit apart in +the hall and mutter with her lips.</p> +<p>“This is a queer piece of goods that we have +gotten,” says Finnward <!-- page 15--><a +name="page15"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 15</span>Keelfarer, +“I wish we get no harm by her! But the good +wife’s pleasure must be done,” said he, which was his +common word.</p> +<p>When she was at work, Thorgunna wore the rudest of plain +clothes, though ever clean as a cat; but at night in the hall she +was more dainty, for she loved to be admired. No doubt she +made herself look well, and many thought she was a comely woman +still, and to those she was always favourable and full of +pleasant speech. But the more that some pleased her, it was +thought by good judges that they pleased Aud the less.</p> +<p>When midsummer was past, a company of young men upon a journey +came to the house by Frodis Water. That was always a great +day for Aud, when there were gallants at table; and what made +this day the greater, Alf of the Fells was in the company, and +she thought Alf fancied her. So be sure Aud wore her +best. But when Thorgunna came from the bed-place, she was +<!-- page 16--><a name="page16"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +16</span>arrayed like any queen and the broad brooch was in her +bosom. All night in the hall these women strove with each +other; and the little maid, Asdis, looked on, and was ashamed and +knew not why. But Thorgunna pleased beyond all; she told of +strange things that had befallen in the world; when she pleased +she had the cue to laughter; she sang, and her voice was full and +her songs new in that island; and whenever she turned, the eyes +shone in her face and the brooch glittered at her bosom. So +that the young men forgot the word of the merchants as to the +woman’s age, and their looks followed her all night.</p> +<p>Aud was sick with envy. Sleep fled her; her husband +slept, but she sat upright beside him in the bed, and gnawed her +fingers. Now she began to hate Thorgunna, and the +glittering of the great brooch stood before her in the +dark. “Sure,” she thought, “it must be +the glamour of that brooch! She is not so fair as I; <!-- +page 17--><a name="page17"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +17</span>she is as old as the dead in the hillside; and as for +her wit and her songs, it is little I think of them!” +Up she got at that, took a light from the embers, and came to her +guest’s bed-place. The door was locked, but Aud had a +master-key and could go in. Inside, the chests were open, +and in the top of one the light of her taper shone upon the +glittering of the brooch. As a dog snatches food she +snatched it, and turned to the bed. Thorgunna lay on her +side; it was to be thought she slept, but she talked the while to +herself, and her lips moved. It seemed her years returned +to her in slumber, for her face was grey and her brow knotted; +and the open eyes of her stared in the eyes of Aud. The +heart of the foolish woman died in her bosom; but her greed was +the stronger, and she fled with that which she had stolen.</p> +<p>When she was back in bed, the word of Thorgunna came to her +mind, that these things were for no use but to be shown. +Here she had the <!-- page 18--><a name="page18"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 18</span>brooch and the shame of it, and might +not wear it. So all night she quaked with the fear of +discovery, and wept tears of rage that she should have sinned in +vain. Day came, and Aud must rise; but she went about the +house like a crazy woman. She saw the eyes of Asdis rest on +her strangely, and at that she beat the maid. She scolded +the house folk, and, by her way of it, nothing was done +aright. First she was loving to her husband and made much +of him, thinking to be on his good side when trouble came. +Then she took a better way, picked a feud with him, and railed on +the poor man till his ears rang, so that he might be in the wrong +beforehand. The brooch she hid without, in the side of a +hayrick. All this while Thorgunna lay in the bed-place, +which was not her way, for by custom she was early astir. +At last she came forth, and there was that in her face that made +all the house look one at the other and the heart of Aud to be +straitened. Never <!-- page 19--><a name="page19"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 19</span>a word the guest spoke, not a bite +she swallowed, and they saw the strong shudderings take and shake +her in her place. Yet a little, and still without speech, +back she went into her bad-place, and the door was shut.</p> +<p>“That is a sick wife,” said Finnward, “Her +weird has come on her.”</p> +<p>And at that the heart of Aud was lifted up with hope.</p> +<p>All day Thorgunna lay on her bed, and the next day sent for +Finnward.</p> +<p>“Finnward Keelfarer,” said she, “my trouble +is come upon me, and I am at the end of my days.”</p> +<p>He made the customary talk.</p> +<p>“I have had my good things; now my hour is come; and let +suffice,” quoth she. “I did not send for you to +hear your prating.”</p> +<p>Finnward knew not what to answer, for he saw her soul was +dark.</p> +<p>“I sent for you on needful matters,” she began +again. “I die here—I!—in this black +house, in a bleak island, far from all decency and proper ways of +man; and now my <!-- page 20--><a name="page20"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 20</span>treasure must be left. Small +pleasure have I had of it, and leave it with the less!” +cried she.</p> +<p>“Good woman, as the saying is, needs must,” says +Finnward, for he was nettled with that speech.</p> +<p>“For that I called you,” quoth Thorgunna. +“In these two chests are much wealth and things greatly to +be desired. I wish my body to be laid in Skalaholt in the +new church, where I trust to hear the mass-priests singing over +my head so long as time endures. To that church I will you +to give what is sufficient, leaving your conscience judge of +it. My scarlet cloak with the silver, I will to that poor +fool your wife. She longed for it so bitterly, I may not +even now deny her. Give her the brooch as well. I +warn you of her; I was such as she, only wiser; I warn you, the +ground she stands upon is water, and whoso trusts her leans on +rottenness. I hate her and I pity her. When she comes +to lie where I lie—” There she broke <!-- page +21--><a name="page21"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +21</span>off. “The rest of my goods I leave to your +black-eyed maid, young Asdis, for her slim body and clean +mind. Only the things of my bed, you shall see +burned.”</p> +<p>“It is well,” said Finnward.</p> +<p>“It may be well,” quoth she, “if you +obey. My life has been a wonder to all and a fear to +many. While I lived none thwarted me and prospered. +See to it that none thwart me after I am dead. It stands +upon your safety.”</p> +<p>“It stands upon my honour,” quoth Finnward, +“and I have the name of an honourable man.”</p> +<p>“You have the name of a weak one,” says +Thorgunna. “Look to it, look to it, Finnward. +Your house shall rue it else.”</p> +<p>“The rooftree of my house is my word,” said +Finnward.</p> +<p>“And that is a true saying,” says the woman. +“See to it, then. The speech of Thorgunna is +ended.”</p> +<p>With that she turned her face against the wall and Finnward +left her.</p> +<p><!-- page 22--><a name="page22"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +22</span>The same night, in the small hours of the clock, +Thorgunna passed. It was a wild night for summer, and the +wind sang about the eaves and clouds covered the moon, when the +dark woman wended. From that day to this no man has learned +her story or her people’s name; but be sure the one was +stormy and the other great. She had come to that isle, a +waif woman, on a ship; thence she flitted, and no more remained +of her but her heavy chests and her big body.</p> +<p>In the morning the house women streaked and dressed the +corpse. Then came Finnward, and carried the sheets and +curtains from the house, and caused build a fire upon the +sands. But Aud had an eye on her man’s doings.</p> +<p>“And what is this that you are at?” said she.</p> +<p>So he told her.</p> +<p>“Burn the good sheets!” she cried. +“And where would I be with my two hands? No, +troth,” said Aud, “not so long as your wife is above +ground!”</p> +<p><!-- page 23--><a name="page23"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +23</span>“Good wife,” said Finnward, “this is +beyond your province. Here is my word pledged and the woman +dead I pledged it to. So much the more am I bound. +Let me be doing as I must, goodwife.”</p> +<p>“Tilly-valley!” says she, “and a +fiddlestick’s end, goodman! You may know well about +fishing and be good at shearing sheep for what I know; but you +are little of a judge of damask sheets. And the best word I +can say is just this,” she says, laying hold of one end of +the goods, “that if ye are made up to burn the plenishing, +you must burn your wife along with it.”</p> +<p>“I trust it will not go so hard,” says Finnward, +“and I beg you not to speak so loud and let the house folk +hear you.”</p> +<p>“Let them speak low that are ashamed!” cries +Aud. “I speak only in reason.”</p> +<p>“You are to consider that the woman died in my +house,” says Finnward, “and this was her last <!-- +page 24--><a name="page24"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +24</span>behest. In truth, goodwife, if I were to fail, it +is a thing that would stick long in my throat, and would give us +an ill name with the neighbours.”</p> +<p>“And you are to consider,” says she, “that I +am your true wife and worth all the witches ever burnt, and +loving her old husband”—here she put her arms about +his neck. “And you are to consider that what you wish +to do is to destroy fine stuff, such as we have no means of +replacing; and that she bade you do it singly to spite me, for I +sought to buy this bedding from her while she was alive at her +own price; and that she hated me because I was young and +handsome.”</p> +<p>“That is a true word that she hated you, for she said so +herself before she wended,” says Finnward.</p> +<p>“So that here is an old faggot that hated me, and she +dead as a bucket,” says Aud; “and here is a young +wife that loves you dear, and is alive forby”—and at +that she kissed him—<!-- page 25--><a +name="page25"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 25</span>“and +the point is, which are you to do the will of?”</p> +<p>The man’s weakness caught him hard, and he +faltered. “I fear some hurt will come of it,” +said he.</p> +<p>There she cut in, and bade the lads tread out the fire, and +the lasses roll the bed-stuff up and carry it within.</p> +<p>“My dear,” says he, “my honour—this is +against my honour.”</p> +<p>But she took his arm under hers, and caressed his hand, and +kissed his knuckles, and led him down the bay. +“Bubble-bubble-bubble!” says she, imitating him like +a baby, though she was none so young. “Bubble-bubble, +and a silly old man! We must bury the troll wife, and here +is trouble enough, and a vengeance! Horses will sweat for +it before she comes to Skalaholt; ’tis my belief she was a +man in a woman’s habit. And so now, have done, good +man, and let us get her waked and buried, which is more than she +deserves, or her old duds are like to pay for. And <!-- +page 26--><a name="page26"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +26</span>when that is ended, we can consult upon the +rest.”</p> +<p>So Finnward was but too well pleased to put it off.</p> +<p>The next day they set forth early for Skalaholt across the +heaths. It was heavy weather, and grey overhead; the horses +sweated and neighed, and the men went silent, for it was nowhere +in their minds that the dead wife was canny. Only Aud +talked by the way, like a silly sea-gull piping on a cliff, and +the rest held their peace. The sun went down before they +were across Whitewater; and the black night fell on them this +side of Netherness. At Netherness they beat upon the +door. The goodman was not abed nor any of his folk, but sat +in the hall talking; and to them Finnward made clear his +business.</p> +<p>“I will never deny you a roof,” said the goodman +of Netherness. “But I have no food ready, and if you +cannot be doing without meat, you must e’en fare +farther.”</p> +<p><!-- page 27--><a name="page27"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +27</span>They laid the body in a shed, made fast their horses, +and came into the house, and the door was closed again. So +there they sat about the lights, and there was little said, for +they were none so well pleased with their reception. +Presently, in the place where the food was kept, began a +clattering of dishes; and it fell to a bondman of the house to go +and see what made the clatter. He was no sooner gone than +he was back again; and told it was a big, buxom woman, high in +flesh and naked as she was born, setting meats upon a +dresser. Finnward grew pale as the dawn; he got to his +feet, and the rest rose with him, and all the party of the +funeral came to the buttery-door. And the dead Thorgunna +took no heed of their coming, but went on setting forth meats, +and seemed to talk with herself as she did so; and she was naked +to the buff.</p> +<p>Great fear fell upon them; the marrow of their back grew +cold. Not one word they spoke, neither <!-- page 28--><a +name="page28"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 28</span>good nor bad; +but back into the hall, and down upon their bended knees, and to +their prayers.</p> +<p>“Now, in the name of God, what ails you?” cried +the goodman of Netherness.</p> +<p>And when they had told him, shame fell upon him for his +churlishness.</p> +<p>“The dead wife reproves me,” said the honest +man.</p> +<p>And he blessed himself and his house, and caused spread the +tables, and they all ate of the meats that the dead wife laid +out.</p> +<p>This was the first walking of Thorgunna, and it is thought by +good judges it would have been the last as well, if men had been +more wise.</p> +<p>The next day they came to Skalaholt, and there was the body +buried, and the next after they set out for home. +Finnward’s heart was heavy, and his mind divided. He +feared the dead wife and the living; he feared dishonour and he +feared dispeace; and his will was like a sea-gull <!-- page +29--><a name="page29"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 29</span>in +the wind. Now he cleared his throat and made as if to +speak; and at that Aud cocked her eye and looked at the goodman +mocking, and his voice died unborn. At the last, shame gave +him courage.</p> +<p>“Aud,” said he, “yon was a most uncanny +thing at Netherness.”</p> +<p>“No doubt,” said Aud.</p> +<p>“I have never had it in my mind,” said he, +“that yon woman was the thing she should be.”</p> +<p>“I dare say not,” said Aud. “I never +thought so either.”</p> +<p>“It stands beyond question she was more than +canny,” says Finnward, shaking his head. “No +manner of doubt but what she was ancient of mind.”</p> +<p>“She was getting pretty old in body, too,” says +Aud.</p> +<p>“Wife,” says he, “it comes in upon me +strongly this is no kind of woman to disobey; above all, being +dead and her walking. I think, wife, we must even do as she +commanded.”</p> +<p><!-- page 30--><a name="page30"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +30</span>“Now what is ever your word?” says she, +riding up close and setting her hand upon his shoulder. +“‘The goodwife’s pleasure must be done’; +is not that my Finnward?”</p> +<p>“The good God knows I grudge you nothing,” cried +Finnward. “But my blood runs cold upon this +business. Worse will come of it!” he cried, +“worse will flow from it!”</p> +<p>“What is this todo?” cries Aud. “Here +is an old brimstone hag that should have been stoned with stones, +and hated me besides. Vainly she tried to frighten me when +she was living; shall she frighten me now when she is dead and +rotten? I trow not. Think shame to your beard, +goodman! Are these a man’s shoes I see you shaking +in, when your wife rides by your bridle-hand, as bold as +nails?”</p> +<p>“Ay, ay,” quoth Finnward. “But there +goes a byword in the country: Little wit, little fear.”</p> +<p>At this Aud began to be concerned, for he was usually easier +to lead. <!-- page 31--><a name="page31"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 31</span>So now she tried the other method on +the man.</p> +<p>“Is that your word?” cried she. “I +kiss the hands of ye! If I have not wit enough, I can rid +you of my company. Wit is it he seeks?” she +cried. “The old broomstick that we buried yesterday +had wit for you.”</p> +<p>So she rode on ahead and looked not the road that he was +on.</p> +<p>Poor Finnward followed on his horse, but the light of the day +was gone out, for his wife was like his life to him. He +went six miles and was true to his heart; but the seventh was not +half through when he rode up to her.</p> +<p>“Is it to be the goodwife’s pleasure?” she +asked.</p> +<p>“Aud, you shall have your way,” says he; +“God grant there come no ill of it!”</p> +<p>So she made much of him, and his heart was comforted.</p> +<p>When they came to the house, Aud had the two chests to her own +bed-place, and gloated all night on what <!-- page 32--><a +name="page32"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 32</span>she +found. Finnward looked on, and trouble darkened his +mind.</p> +<p>“Wife,” says he at last, “you will not +forget these things belong to Asdis?”</p> +<p>At that she barked upon him like a dog.</p> +<p>“Am I a thief?” she cried. “The brat +shall have them in her turn when she grows up. Would you +have me give her them now to turn her minx’s head +with?”</p> +<p>So the weak man went his way out of the house in sorrow and +fell to his affairs. Those that wrought with him that day +observed that now he would labour and toil like a man furious, +and now would sit and stare like one stupid; for in truth he +judged the business would end ill.</p> +<p>For a while there was no more done and no more said. Aud +cherished her treasures by herself, and none was the wiser except +Finnward. Only the cloak she sometimes wore, for that was +hers by the will of the dead wife; but the others she let lie, +<!-- page 33--><a name="page33"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +33</span>because she knew she had them foully, and she feared +Finnward somewhat and Thorgunna much.</p> +<p>At last husband and wife were bound to bed one night, and he +was the first stripped and got in. “What sheets are +these?” he screamed, as his legs touched them, for these +were smooth as water, but the sheets of Iceland were like +sacking.</p> +<p>“Clean sheets, I suppose,” says Aud, but her hand +quavered as she wound her hair.</p> +<p>“Woman!” cried Finnward, “these are the +bed-sheets of Thorgunna—these are the sheets she died in! +do not lie to me!”</p> +<p>At that Aud turned and looked at him. +“Well?” says she, “they have been +washed.”</p> +<p>Finnward lay down again in the bed between Thorgunna’s +sheets, and groaned; never a word more he said, for now he knew +he was a coward and a man dishonoured. Presently his wife +came beside him, and they lay still, but neither slept.</p> +<p><!-- page 34--><a name="page34"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +34</span>It might be twelve in the night when Aud felt Finnward +shudder so strong that the bed shook.</p> +<p>“What ails you?” said she.</p> +<p>“I know not,” he said. “It is a chill +like the chill of death. My soul is sick with +it.” His voice fell low. “It was so +Thorgunna sickened,” said he. And he arose and walked +in the hall in the dark till it came morning.</p> +<p>Early in the morning he went forth to the sea-fishing with +four lads. Aud was troubled at heart and watched him from +the door, and even as he went down the beach she saw him shaken +with Thorgunna’s shudder. It was a rough day, the sea +was wild, the boat laboured exceedingly, and it may be that +Finnward’s mind was troubled with his sickness. +Certain it is that they struck, and their boat was burst, upon a +skerry under Snowfellness. The four lads were spilled into +the sea, and the sea broke and buried them, but Finnward was cast +upon the skerry, and clambered up, and sat there all <!-- page +35--><a name="page35"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 35</span>day +long: God knows his thoughts. The sun was half-way down, +when a shepherd went by on the cliffs about his business, and +spied a man in the midst of the breach of the loud seas, upon a +pinnacle of reef. He hailed him, and the man turned and +hailed again. There was in that cove so great a clashing of +the seas and so shrill a cry of sea-fowl that the herd might hear +the voice and nor the words. But the name Thorgunna came to +him, and he saw the face of Finnward Keelfarer like the face of +an old man. Lively ran the herd to Finnward’s house; +and when his tale was told there, Eyolf the boy was lively to out +a boat and hasten to his father’s aid. By the +strength of hands they drove the keel against the seas, and with +skill and courage Eyolf won upon the skerry and climbed up, There +sat his father dead; and this was the first vengeance of +Thorgunna against broken faith.</p> +<p>It was a sore job to get the corpse on board, and a sorer yet +to bring it <!-- page 36--><a name="page36"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 36</span>home before the rolling seas. +But the lad Eyolf was a lad of promise, and the lads that pulled +for him were sturdy men. So the break-faith’s body +was got home, and waked, and buried on the hill. Aud was a +good widow and wept much, for she liked Finnward well +enough. Yet a bird sang in her ears that now she might +marry a young man. Little fear that she might have her +choice of them, she thought, with all Thorgunna’s fine +things; and her heart was cheered.</p> +<p>Now, when the corpse was laid in the hill, Asdis came where +Aud sat solitary in hall, and stood by her awhile without +speech.</p> +<p>“Well, child?” says Aud; and again +“Well?” and then “Keep us holy, if you have +anything to say, out with it!”</p> +<p>So the maid came so much nearer, “Mother,” says +she, “I wish you would not wear these things that were +Thorgunna’s.”</p> +<p>“Aha,” cries Aud. “This is what it +is? You begin early, brat! And <!-- page 37--><a +name="page37"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 37</span>who has been +poisoning your mind? Your fool of a father, I +suppose.” And then she stopped and went all +scarlet. “Who told you they were yours?” she +asked again, taking it all the higher for her stumble. +“When you are grown, then you shall have your share and not +a day before. These things are not for babies.”</p> +<p>The child looked at her and was amazed. “I do not +wish them,” she said. “I wish they might be +burned.”</p> +<p>“Upon my word, what next?” cried Aud. +“And why should they be burned?”</p> +<p>“I know my father tried to burn these things,” +said Asdis, “and he named Thorgunna’s name upon the +skerry ere he died. And, O mother, I doubt they have +brought ill luck.”</p> +<p>But the more Aud was terrified, the more she would make light +of it.</p> +<p>Then the girl put her hand upon her mother’s. +“I fear they are ill come by,” said she.</p> +<p>The blood sprang in Aud’s face. <!-- page 38--><a +name="page38"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 38</span>“And +who made you a judge upon your mother that bore you?” cried +she.</p> +<p>“Kinswoman,” said Asdis, looking down, “I +saw you with the brooch.”</p> +<p>“What do you mean? When? Where did you see +me?” cried the mother.</p> +<p>“Here in the hall,” said Asdis, looking on the +floor, “the night you stole it.”</p> +<p>At that Aud let out a cry. Then she heaved up her hand +to strike the child. “You little spy!” she +cried. Then she covered her face, and wept, and rocked +herself. “What can you know?” she cried. +“How can you understand, that are a baby, not so long +weaned? He could—your father could, the dear good +man, dead and gone! He could understand and pity, he was +good to me. Now he has left me alone with heartless +children! Asdis,” she cried, “have you no +nature in your blood? You do not know what I have done and +suffered for them. I have done—<!-- page 39--><a +name="page39"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 39</span>oh, and I +could have done anything! And there is your father +dead. And after all, you ask me not to use them? No +woman in Iceland has the like. And you wish me to destroy +them? Not if the dead should rise!” she cried. +“No, no,” and she stopped her ears, “not if the +dead should rise, and let that end it!”</p> +<p>So she ran into her bed-place, and clapped at the door, and +left the child amazed.</p> +<p>But for all Aud spoke with so much passion, it was noticed +that for long she left the things unused. Only she would be +locked somewhile daily in her bed-place, where she pored on them +and secretly wore them for her pleasure.</p> +<p>Now winter was at hand; the days grew short and the nights +long; and under the golden face of morning the isle would stand +silver with frost. Word came from Holyfell to Frodis Water +of a company of young men upon a journey; that night they supped +at Holyfell, the next it would be at <!-- page 40--><a +name="page40"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 40</span>Frodis Water; +and Alf of the Fells was there, and Thongbrand Ketilson, and Hall +the Fair. Aud went early to her bed-place, and there she +pored upon these fineries till her heart was melted with +self-love. There was a kirtle of a mingled colour, and the +blue shot into the green, and the green lightened from the blue, +as the colours play in the ocean between deeps and shallows: she +thought she could endure to live no longer and not wear it. +There was a bracelet of an ell long, wrought like a serpent and +with fiery jewels for the eyes; she saw it shine on her white arm +and her head grew dizzy with desire. “Ah!” she +thought, “never were fine lendings better met with a fair +wearer.” And she closed her eyelids, and she thought +she saw herself among the company and the men’s eyes go +after her admiring. With that she considered that she must +soon marry one of them and wondered which; and she thought Alf +was perhaps the best, or Hall the Fair, but was not certain, and +then <!-- page 41--><a name="page41"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +41</span>she remembered Finnward Keelfarer in his cairn upon the +hill, and was concerned. “Well, he was a good husband +to me,” she thought, “and I was a good wife to +him. But that is an old song now.” So she +turned again to handling the stuffs and jewels. At last she +got to bed in the smooth sheets, and lay, and fancied how she +would look, and admired herself, and saw others admire her, and +told herself stories, till her heart grew warm and she chuckled +to herself between the sheets. So she shook awhile with +laughter; and then the mirth abated but not the shaking; and a +grue took hold upon her flesh, and the cold of the grave upon her +belly, and the terror of death upon her soul. With that a +voice was in her ear: “It was so Thorgunna +sickened.” Thrice in the night the chill and the +terror took her, and thrice it passed away; and when she rose on +the morrow, death had breathed upon her countenance.</p> +<p>She saw the house folk and her <!-- page 42--><a +name="page42"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 42</span>children gaze +upon her; well she knew why! She knew her day was come, and +the last of her days, and her last hour was at her back; and it +was so in her soul that she scarce minded. All was lost, +all was past mending, she would carry on until she fell. So +she went as usual, and hurried the feast for the young men, and +railed upon her house folk, but her feet stumbled, and her voice +was strange in her own ears, and the eyes of the folk fled before +her. At times, too, the chill took her and the fear along +with it; and she must sit down, and the teeth beat together in +her head, and the stool tottered on the floor. At these +times, she thought she was passing, and the voice of Thorgunna +sounded in her ear: “The things are for no use but to be +shown,” it said. “Aud, Aud, have you shown them +once? No, not once!”</p> +<p>And at the sting of the thought her courage and strength would +revive, and she would rise again and move about her business.</p> +<p><!-- page 43--><a name="page43"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +43</span>Now the hour drew near, and Aud went to her bed-place, +and did on the bravest of her finery, and came forth to greet her +guests. Was never woman in Iceland robed as she was. +The words of greeting were yet between her lips, when the +shuddering fell upon her strong as labour, and a horror as deep +as hell. Her face was changed amidst her finery, and the +faces of her guests were changed as they beheld her: fear +puckered their brows, fear drew back their feet; and she took her +doom from the looks of them, and fled to her bed-place. +There she flung herself on the wife’s coverlet, and turned +her face against the wall.</p> +<p>That was the end of all the words of Aud; and in the small +hours on the clock her spirit wended. Asdis had come to and +fro, seeing if she might help, where was no help possible of man +or woman. It was light in the bed-place when the maid +returned, for a taper stood upon a chest. There lay Aud in +her fine clothes, and <!-- page 44--><a name="page44"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 44</span>there by her side on the bed the big +dead wife Thorgunna squatted on her hams. No sound was +heard, but it seemed by the movement of her mouth as if Thorgunna +sang, and she waved her arms as if to singing.</p> +<p>“God be good to us!” cried Asdis, “she is +dead.”</p> +<p>“Dead,” said the dead wife.</p> +<p>“Is the weird passed?” cried Asdis.</p> +<p>“When the sin is done the weird is dreed,” said +Thorgunna, and with that she was not.</p> +<p>But the next day Eyolf and Asdis caused build a fire on the +shore betwixt tide-marks. There they burned the +bed-clothes, and the clothes, and the jewels, and the very boards +of the waif woman’s chests; and when the tide returned it +washed away their ashes. So the weird of Thorgunna was +lifted from the house on Frodis Water.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">printed +by</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">billing and sons, limited</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">guildford, england</span>.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAIF WOMAN***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 19750-h.htm or 19750-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/9/7/5/19750 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Waif Woman + + +Author: Robert Louis Stevenson + + + +Release Date: November 10, 2006 [eBook #19750] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAIF WOMAN*** + + + + + +Transcribed from the 1916 Chatto & Windus edition by David Price, email +ccx074@pglaf.org + + + + + +THE WAIF WOMAN + + +BY +ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON + +LONDON +CHATTO & WINDUS +1916 + +_First Edition_, _October_, 1916. +_Second Edition_, _October_, 1916. + +This unpublished story, preserved among Mrs. Stevenson's papers, is +mentioned by Mr. Balfour in his life of Stevenson. Writing of the fables +which Stevenson began before he had left England and "attacked again, and +from time to time added to their number" in 1893, Mr. Balfour says: "The +reference to Odin [Fable XVII] perhaps is due to his reading of the +Sagas, which led him to attempt a tale in the same style, called 'The +Waif Woman.'" + + + + +THE WAIF WOMAN +A CUE--FROM A SAGA + + +This is a tale of Iceland, the isle of stories, and of a thing that +befell in the year of the coming there of Christianity. + +In the spring of that year a ship sailed from the South Isles to traffic, +and fell becalmed inside Snowfellness. The winds had speeded her; she +was the first comer of the year; and the fishers drew alongside to hear +the news of the south, and eager folk put out in boats to see the +merchandise and make prices. From the doors of the hall on Frodis Water, +the house folk saw the ship becalmed and the boats about her, coming and +going; and the merchants from the ship could see the smoke go up and the +men and women trooping to their meals in the hall. + +The goodman of that house was called Finnward Keelfarer, and his wife Aud +the Light-Minded; and they had a son Eyolf, a likely boy, and a daughter +Asdis, a slip of a maid. Finnward was well-to-do in his affairs, he kept +open house and had good friends. But Aud his wife was not so much +considered: her mind was set on trifles, on bright clothing, and the +admiration of men, and the envy of women; and it was thought she was not +always so circumspect in her bearing as she might have been, but nothing +to hurt. + +On the evening of the second day men came to the house from sea. They +told of the merchandise in the ship, which was well enough and to be had +at easy rates, and of a waif woman that sailed in her, no one could tell +why, and had chests of clothes beyond comparison, fine coloured stuffs, +finely woven, the best that ever came into that island, and gewgaws for a +queen. At the hearing of that Aud's eyes began to glisten. She went +early to bed; and the day was not yet red before she was on the beach, +had a boat launched, and was pulling to the ship. By the way she looked +closely at all boats, but there was no woman in any; and at that she was +better pleased, for she had no fear of the men. + +When they came to the ship, boats were there already, and the merchants +and the shore folk sat and jested and chaffered in the stern. But in the +fore part of the ship, the woman sat alone, and looked before her sourly +at the sea. They called her Thorgunna. She was as tall as a man and +high in flesh, a buxom wife to look at. Her hair was of the dark red, +time had not changed it. Her face was dark, the cheeks full, and the +brow smooth. Some of the merchants told that she was sixty years of age +and others laughed and said she was but forty; but they spoke of her in +whispers, for they seemed to think that she was ill to deal with and not +more than ordinary canny. + +Aud went to where she sat and made her welcome to Iceland. Thorgunna did +the honours of the ship. So for a while they carried it on, praising and +watching each other, in the way of women. But Aud was a little vessel to +contain a great longing, and presently the cry of her heart came out of +her. + +"The folk say," says she, "you have the finest women's things that ever +came to Iceland?" and as she spoke her eyes grew big. + +"It would be strange if I had not," quoth Thorgunna. "Queens have no +finer." + +So Aud begged that she might see them. + +Thorgunna looked on her askance. "Truly," said she, "the things are for +no use but to be shown." So she fetched a chest and opened it. Here was +a cloak of the rare scarlet laid upon with silver, beautiful beyond +belief; hard by was a silver brooch of basket work that was wrought as +fine as any shell and was as broad as the face of the full moon; and Aud +saw the clothes lying folded in the chest, of all the colours of the day, +and fire, and precious gems; and her heart burned with envy. So, because +she had so huge a mind to buy, she began to make light of the +merchandise. + +"They are good enough things," says she, "though I have better in my +chest at home. It is a good enough cloak, and I am in need of a new +cloak." At that she fingered the scarlet, and the touch of the fine +stuff went to her mind like singing. "Come," says she, "if it were only +for your civility in showing it, what will you have for your cloak?" + +"Woman," said Thorgunna, "I am no merchant." And she closed the chest +and locked it, like one angry. + +Then Aud fell to protesting and caressing her. That was Aud's practice; +for she thought if she hugged and kissed a person none could say her nay. +Next she went to flattery, said she knew the things were too noble for +the like of her--they were made for a stately, beautiful woman like +Thorgunna; and at that she kissed her again, and Thorgunna seemed a +little pleased. And now Aud pled poverty and begged for the cloak in a +gift; and now she vaunted the wealth of her goodman and offered ounces +and ounces of fine silver, the price of three men's lives. Thorgunna +smiled, but it was a grim smile, and still she shook her head. At last +Aud wrought herself into extremity and wept. + +"I would give my soul for it," she cried. + +"Fool!" said Thorgunna. "But there have been fools before you!" And a +little after, she said this: "Let us be done with beseeching. The things +are mine. I was a fool to show you them; but where is their use, unless +we show them? Mine they are and mine they shall be till I die. I have +paid for them dear enough," said she. + +Aud saw it was of no avail; so she dried her tears, and asked Thorgunna +about her voyage, and made believe to listen while she plotted in her +little mind. "Thorgunna," she asked presently, "do you count kin with +any folk in Iceland?" + +"I count kin with none," replied Thorgunna. "My kin is of the greatest, +but I have not been always lucky, so I say the less." + +"So that you have no house to pass the time in till the ship return?" +cries Aud. "Dear Thorgunna, you must come and live with us. My goodman +is rich, his hand and his house are open, and I will cherish you like a +daughter." + +At that Thorgunna smiled on the one side; but her soul laughed within her +at the woman's shallowness. "I will pay her for that word _daughter_," +she thought, and she smiled again. + +"I will live with you gladly," says she, "for your house has a good name, +and I have seen the smoke of your kitchen from the ship. But one thing +you shall understand. I make no presents, I give nothing where I go--not +a rag and not an ounce. Where I stay, I work for my upkeep; and as I am +strong as a man and hardy as an ox, they that have had the keeping of me +were the better pleased." + +It was a hard job for Aud to keep her countenance, for she was like to +have wept. And yet she felt it would be unseemly to eat her invitation; +and like a shallow woman and one that had always led her husband by the +nose, she told herself she would find some means to cajole Thorgunna and +come by her purpose after all. So she put a good face on the thing, had +Thorgunna into the boat, her and her two great chests, and brought her +home with her to the hall by the beach. + +All the way in she made much of the wife; and when they were arrived gave +her a locked bed-place in the hall, where was a bed, a table, and a +stool, and space for the two chests. + +"This shall be yours while you stay here," said Aud. And she attended on +her guest. + +Now Thorgunna opened the second chest and took out her bedding--sheets of +English linen, the like of it never seen, a cover of quilted silk, and +curtains of purple wrought with silver. At the sight of these Aud was +like one distracted, greed blinded her mind; the cry rose strong in her +throat, it must out. + +"What will you sell your bedding for?" she cried, and her cheeks were +hot. + +Thorgunna looked upon her with a dusky countenance. "Truly you are a +courteous hostess," said she, "but I will not sleep on straw for your +amusement." + +At that Aud's two ears grew hot as her cheeks; and she took Thorgunna at +her word; and left her from that time in peace. + +The woman was as good as her spoken word. Inside the house and out she +wrought like three, and all that she put her hand to was well done. When +she milked, the cows yielded beyond custom; when she made hay, it was +always dry weather; when she took her turn at the cooking, the folk +licked their spoons. Her manners when she pleased were outside +imitation, like one that had sat with kings in their high buildings. It +seemed she was pious too, and the day never passed but she was in the +church there praying. The rest was not so well. She was of few words, +and never one about her kin and fortunes. Gloom sat on her brow, and she +was ill to cross. Behind her back they gave her the name of the Waif +Woman or the Wind Wife; to her face it must always be Thorgunna. And if +any of the young men called her _mother_, she would speak no more that +day, but sit apart in the hall and mutter with her lips. + +"This is a queer piece of goods that we have gotten," says Finnward +Keelfarer, "I wish we get no harm by her! But the good wife's pleasure +must be done," said he, which was his common word. + +When she was at work, Thorgunna wore the rudest of plain clothes, though +ever clean as a cat; but at night in the hall she was more dainty, for +she loved to be admired. No doubt she made herself look well, and many +thought she was a comely woman still, and to those she was always +favourable and full of pleasant speech. But the more that some pleased +her, it was thought by good judges that they pleased Aud the less. + +When midsummer was past, a company of young men upon a journey came to +the house by Frodis Water. That was always a great day for Aud, when +there were gallants at table; and what made this day the greater, Alf of +the Fells was in the company, and she thought Alf fancied her. So be +sure Aud wore her best. But when Thorgunna came from the bed-place, she +was arrayed like any queen and the broad brooch was in her bosom. All +night in the hall these women strove with each other; and the little +maid, Asdis, looked on, and was ashamed and knew not why. But Thorgunna +pleased beyond all; she told of strange things that had befallen in the +world; when she pleased she had the cue to laughter; she sang, and her +voice was full and her songs new in that island; and whenever she turned, +the eyes shone in her face and the brooch glittered at her bosom. So +that the young men forgot the word of the merchants as to the woman's +age, and their looks followed her all night. + +Aud was sick with envy. Sleep fled her; her husband slept, but she sat +upright beside him in the bed, and gnawed her fingers. Now she began to +hate Thorgunna, and the glittering of the great brooch stood before her +in the dark. "Sure," she thought, "it must be the glamour of that +brooch! She is not so fair as I; she is as old as the dead in the +hillside; and as for her wit and her songs, it is little I think of +them!" Up she got at that, took a light from the embers, and came to her +guest's bed-place. The door was locked, but Aud had a master-key and +could go in. Inside, the chests were open, and in the top of one the +light of her taper shone upon the glittering of the brooch. As a dog +snatches food she snatched it, and turned to the bed. Thorgunna lay on +her side; it was to be thought she slept, but she talked the while to +herself, and her lips moved. It seemed her years returned to her in +slumber, for her face was grey and her brow knotted; and the open eyes of +her stared in the eyes of Aud. The heart of the foolish woman died in +her bosom; but her greed was the stronger, and she fled with that which +she had stolen. + +When she was back in bed, the word of Thorgunna came to her mind, that +these things were for no use but to be shown. Here she had the brooch +and the shame of it, and might not wear it. So all night she quaked with +the fear of discovery, and wept tears of rage that she should have sinned +in vain. Day came, and Aud must rise; but she went about the house like +a crazy woman. She saw the eyes of Asdis rest on her strangely, and at +that she beat the maid. She scolded the house folk, and, by her way of +it, nothing was done aright. First she was loving to her husband and +made much of him, thinking to be on his good side when trouble came. Then +she took a better way, picked a feud with him, and railed on the poor man +till his ears rang, so that he might be in the wrong beforehand. The +brooch she hid without, in the side of a hayrick. All this while +Thorgunna lay in the bed-place, which was not her way, for by custom she +was early astir. At last she came forth, and there was that in her face +that made all the house look one at the other and the heart of Aud to be +straitened. Never a word the guest spoke, not a bite she swallowed, and +they saw the strong shudderings take and shake her in her place. Yet a +little, and still without speech, back she went into her bad-place, and +the door was shut. + +"That is a sick wife," said Finnward, "Her weird has come on her." + +And at that the heart of Aud was lifted up with hope. + +All day Thorgunna lay on her bed, and the next day sent for Finnward. + +"Finnward Keelfarer," said she, "my trouble is come upon me, and I am at +the end of my days." + +He made the customary talk. + +"I have had my good things; now my hour is come; and let suffice," quoth +she. "I did not send for you to hear your prating." + +Finnward knew not what to answer, for he saw her soul was dark. + +"I sent for you on needful matters," she began again. "I die here--I!--in +this black house, in a bleak island, far from all decency and proper ways +of man; and now my treasure must be left. Small pleasure have I had of +it, and leave it with the less!" cried she. + +"Good woman, as the saying is, needs must," says Finnward, for he was +nettled with that speech. + +"For that I called you," quoth Thorgunna. "In these two chests are much +wealth and things greatly to be desired. I wish my body to be laid in +Skalaholt in the new church, where I trust to hear the mass-priests +singing over my head so long as time endures. To that church I will you +to give what is sufficient, leaving your conscience judge of it. My +scarlet cloak with the silver, I will to that poor fool your wife. She +longed for it so bitterly, I may not even now deny her. Give her the +brooch as well. I warn you of her; I was such as she, only wiser; I warn +you, the ground she stands upon is water, and whoso trusts her leans on +rottenness. I hate her and I pity her. When she comes to lie where I +lie--" There she broke off. "The rest of my goods I leave to your black- +eyed maid, young Asdis, for her slim body and clean mind. Only the +things of my bed, you shall see burned." + +"It is well," said Finnward. + +"It may be well," quoth she, "if you obey. My life has been a wonder to +all and a fear to many. While I lived none thwarted me and prospered. +See to it that none thwart me after I am dead. It stands upon your +safety." + +"It stands upon my honour," quoth Finnward, "and I have the name of an +honourable man." + +"You have the name of a weak one," says Thorgunna. "Look to it, look to +it, Finnward. Your house shall rue it else." + +"The rooftree of my house is my word," said Finnward. + +"And that is a true saying," says the woman. "See to it, then. The +speech of Thorgunna is ended." + +With that she turned her face against the wall and Finnward left her. + +The same night, in the small hours of the clock, Thorgunna passed. It +was a wild night for summer, and the wind sang about the eaves and clouds +covered the moon, when the dark woman wended. From that day to this no +man has learned her story or her people's name; but be sure the one was +stormy and the other great. She had come to that isle, a waif woman, on +a ship; thence she flitted, and no more remained of her but her heavy +chests and her big body. + +In the morning the house women streaked and dressed the corpse. Then +came Finnward, and carried the sheets and curtains from the house, and +caused build a fire upon the sands. But Aud had an eye on her man's +doings. + +"And what is this that you are at?" said she. + +So he told her. + +"Burn the good sheets!" she cried. "And where would I be with my two +hands? No, troth," said Aud, "not so long as your wife is above ground!" + +"Good wife," said Finnward, "this is beyond your province. Here is my +word pledged and the woman dead I pledged it to. So much the more am I +bound. Let me be doing as I must, goodwife." + +"Tilly-valley!" says she, "and a fiddlestick's end, goodman! You may +know well about fishing and be good at shearing sheep for what I know; +but you are little of a judge of damask sheets. And the best word I can +say is just this," she says, laying hold of one end of the goods, "that +if ye are made up to burn the plenishing, you must burn your wife along +with it." + +"I trust it will not go so hard," says Finnward, "and I beg you not to +speak so loud and let the house folk hear you." + +"Let them speak low that are ashamed!" cries Aud. "I speak only in +reason." + +"You are to consider that the woman died in my house," says Finnward, +"and this was her last behest. In truth, goodwife, if I were to fail, it +is a thing that would stick long in my throat, and would give us an ill +name with the neighbours." + +"And you are to consider," says she, "that I am your true wife and worth +all the witches ever burnt, and loving her old husband"--here she put her +arms about his neck. "And you are to consider that what you wish to do +is to destroy fine stuff, such as we have no means of replacing; and that +she bade you do it singly to spite me, for I sought to buy this bedding +from her while she was alive at her own price; and that she hated me +because I was young and handsome." + +"That is a true word that she hated you, for she said so herself before +she wended," says Finnward. + +"So that here is an old faggot that hated me, and she dead as a bucket," +says Aud; "and here is a young wife that loves you dear, and is alive +forby"--and at that she kissed him--"and the point is, which are you to +do the will of?" + +The man's weakness caught him hard, and he faltered. "I fear some hurt +will come of it," said he. + +There she cut in, and bade the lads tread out the fire, and the lasses +roll the bed-stuff up and carry it within. + +"My dear," says he, "my honour--this is against my honour." + +But she took his arm under hers, and caressed his hand, and kissed his +knuckles, and led him down the bay. "Bubble-bubble-bubble!" says she, +imitating him like a baby, though she was none so young. "Bubble-bubble, +and a silly old man! We must bury the troll wife, and here is trouble +enough, and a vengeance! Horses will sweat for it before she comes to +Skalaholt; 'tis my belief she was a man in a woman's habit. And so now, +have done, good man, and let us get her waked and buried, which is more +than she deserves, or her old duds are like to pay for. And when that is +ended, we can consult upon the rest." + +So Finnward was but too well pleased to put it off. + +The next day they set forth early for Skalaholt across the heaths. It +was heavy weather, and grey overhead; the horses sweated and neighed, and +the men went silent, for it was nowhere in their minds that the dead wife +was canny. Only Aud talked by the way, like a silly sea-gull piping on a +cliff, and the rest held their peace. The sun went down before they were +across Whitewater; and the black night fell on them this side of +Netherness. At Netherness they beat upon the door. The goodman was not +abed nor any of his folk, but sat in the hall talking; and to them +Finnward made clear his business. + +"I will never deny you a roof," said the goodman of Netherness. "But I +have no food ready, and if you cannot be doing without meat, you must +e'en fare farther." + +They laid the body in a shed, made fast their horses, and came into the +house, and the door was closed again. So there they sat about the +lights, and there was little said, for they were none so well pleased +with their reception. Presently, in the place where the food was kept, +began a clattering of dishes; and it fell to a bondman of the house to go +and see what made the clatter. He was no sooner gone than he was back +again; and told it was a big, buxom woman, high in flesh and naked as she +was born, setting meats upon a dresser. Finnward grew pale as the dawn; +he got to his feet, and the rest rose with him, and all the party of the +funeral came to the buttery-door. And the dead Thorgunna took no heed of +their coming, but went on setting forth meats, and seemed to talk with +herself as she did so; and she was naked to the buff. + +Great fear fell upon them; the marrow of their back grew cold. Not one +word they spoke, neither good nor bad; but back into the hall, and down +upon their bended knees, and to their prayers. + +"Now, in the name of God, what ails you?" cried the goodman of +Netherness. + +And when they had told him, shame fell upon him for his churlishness. + +"The dead wife reproves me," said the honest man. + +And he blessed himself and his house, and caused spread the tables, and +they all ate of the meats that the dead wife laid out. + +This was the first walking of Thorgunna, and it is thought by good judges +it would have been the last as well, if men had been more wise. + +The next day they came to Skalaholt, and there was the body buried, and +the next after they set out for home. Finnward's heart was heavy, and +his mind divided. He feared the dead wife and the living; he feared +dishonour and he feared dispeace; and his will was like a sea-gull in the +wind. Now he cleared his throat and made as if to speak; and at that Aud +cocked her eye and looked at the goodman mocking, and his voice died +unborn. At the last, shame gave him courage. + +"Aud," said he, "yon was a most uncanny thing at Netherness." + +"No doubt," said Aud. + +"I have never had it in my mind," said he, "that yon woman was the thing +she should be." + +"I dare say not," said Aud. "I never thought so either." + +"It stands beyond question she was more than canny," says Finnward, +shaking his head. "No manner of doubt but what she was ancient of mind." + +"She was getting pretty old in body, too," says Aud. + +"Wife," says he, "it comes in upon me strongly this is no kind of woman +to disobey; above all, being dead and her walking. I think, wife, we +must even do as she commanded." + +"Now what is ever your word?" says she, riding up close and setting her +hand upon his shoulder. "'The goodwife's pleasure must be done'; is not +that my Finnward?" + +"The good God knows I grudge you nothing," cried Finnward. "But my blood +runs cold upon this business. Worse will come of it!" he cried, "worse +will flow from it!" + +"What is this todo?" cries Aud. "Here is an old brimstone hag that +should have been stoned with stones, and hated me besides. Vainly she +tried to frighten me when she was living; shall she frighten me now when +she is dead and rotten? I trow not. Think shame to your beard, goodman! +Are these a man's shoes I see you shaking in, when your wife rides by +your bridle-hand, as bold as nails?" + +"Ay, ay," quoth Finnward. "But there goes a byword in the country: +Little wit, little fear." + +At this Aud began to be concerned, for he was usually easier to lead. So +now she tried the other method on the man. + +"Is that your word?" cried she. "I kiss the hands of ye! If I have not +wit enough, I can rid you of my company. Wit is it he seeks?" she cried. +"The old broomstick that we buried yesterday had wit for you." + +So she rode on ahead and looked not the road that he was on. + +Poor Finnward followed on his horse, but the light of the day was gone +out, for his wife was like his life to him. He went six miles and was +true to his heart; but the seventh was not half through when he rode up +to her. + +"Is it to be the goodwife's pleasure?" she asked. + +"Aud, you shall have your way," says he; "God grant there come no ill of +it!" + +So she made much of him, and his heart was comforted. + +When they came to the house, Aud had the two chests to her own bed-place, +and gloated all night on what she found. Finnward looked on, and trouble +darkened his mind. + +"Wife," says he at last, "you will not forget these things belong to +Asdis?" + +At that she barked upon him like a dog. + +"Am I a thief?" she cried. "The brat shall have them in her turn when +she grows up. Would you have me give her them now to turn her minx's +head with?" + +So the weak man went his way out of the house in sorrow and fell to his +affairs. Those that wrought with him that day observed that now he would +labour and toil like a man furious, and now would sit and stare like one +stupid; for in truth he judged the business would end ill. + +For a while there was no more done and no more said. Aud cherished her +treasures by herself, and none was the wiser except Finnward. Only the +cloak she sometimes wore, for that was hers by the will of the dead wife; +but the others she let lie, because she knew she had them foully, and she +feared Finnward somewhat and Thorgunna much. + +At last husband and wife were bound to bed one night, and he was the +first stripped and got in. "What sheets are these?" he screamed, as his +legs touched them, for these were smooth as water, but the sheets of +Iceland were like sacking. + +"Clean sheets, I suppose," says Aud, but her hand quavered as she wound +her hair. + +"Woman!" cried Finnward, "these are the bed-sheets of Thorgunna--these +are the sheets she died in! do not lie to me!" + +At that Aud turned and looked at him. "Well?" says she, "they have been +washed." + +Finnward lay down again in the bed between Thorgunna's sheets, and +groaned; never a word more he said, for now he knew he was a coward and a +man dishonoured. Presently his wife came beside him, and they lay still, +but neither slept. + +It might be twelve in the night when Aud felt Finnward shudder so strong +that the bed shook. + +"What ails you?" said she. + +"I know not," he said. "It is a chill like the chill of death. My soul +is sick with it." His voice fell low. "It was so Thorgunna sickened," +said he. And he arose and walked in the hall in the dark till it came +morning. + +Early in the morning he went forth to the sea-fishing with four lads. Aud +was troubled at heart and watched him from the door, and even as he went +down the beach she saw him shaken with Thorgunna's shudder. It was a +rough day, the sea was wild, the boat laboured exceedingly, and it may be +that Finnward's mind was troubled with his sickness. Certain it is that +they struck, and their boat was burst, upon a skerry under Snowfellness. +The four lads were spilled into the sea, and the sea broke and buried +them, but Finnward was cast upon the skerry, and clambered up, and sat +there all day long: God knows his thoughts. The sun was half-way down, +when a shepherd went by on the cliffs about his business, and spied a man +in the midst of the breach of the loud seas, upon a pinnacle of reef. He +hailed him, and the man turned and hailed again. There was in that cove +so great a clashing of the seas and so shrill a cry of sea-fowl that the +herd might hear the voice and nor the words. But the name Thorgunna came +to him, and he saw the face of Finnward Keelfarer like the face of an old +man. Lively ran the herd to Finnward's house; and when his tale was told +there, Eyolf the boy was lively to out a boat and hasten to his father's +aid. By the strength of hands they drove the keel against the seas, and +with skill and courage Eyolf won upon the skerry and climbed up, There +sat his father dead; and this was the first vengeance of Thorgunna +against broken faith. + +It was a sore job to get the corpse on board, and a sorer yet to bring it +home before the rolling seas. But the lad Eyolf was a lad of promise, +and the lads that pulled for him were sturdy men. So the break-faith's +body was got home, and waked, and buried on the hill. Aud was a good +widow and wept much, for she liked Finnward well enough. Yet a bird sang +in her ears that now she might marry a young man. Little fear that she +might have her choice of them, she thought, with all Thorgunna's fine +things; and her heart was cheered. + +Now, when the corpse was laid in the hill, Asdis came where Aud sat +solitary in hall, and stood by her awhile without speech. + +"Well, child?" says Aud; and again "Well?" and then "Keep us holy, if you +have anything to say, out with it!" + +So the maid came so much nearer, "Mother," says she, "I wish you would +not wear these things that were Thorgunna's." + +"Aha," cries Aud. "This is what it is? You begin early, brat! And who +has been poisoning your mind? Your fool of a father, I suppose." And +then she stopped and went all scarlet. "Who told you they were yours?" +she asked again, taking it all the higher for her stumble. "When you are +grown, then you shall have your share and not a day before. These things +are not for babies." + +The child looked at her and was amazed. "I do not wish them," she said. +"I wish they might be burned." + +"Upon my word, what next?" cried Aud. "And why should they be burned?" + +"I know my father tried to burn these things," said Asdis, "and he named +Thorgunna's name upon the skerry ere he died. And, O mother, I doubt +they have brought ill luck." + +But the more Aud was terrified, the more she would make light of it. + +Then the girl put her hand upon her mother's. "I fear they are ill come +by," said she. + +The blood sprang in Aud's face. "And who made you a judge upon your +mother that bore you?" cried she. + +"Kinswoman," said Asdis, looking down, "I saw you with the brooch." + +"What do you mean? When? Where did you see me?" cried the mother. + +"Here in the hall," said Asdis, looking on the floor, "the night you +stole it." + +At that Aud let out a cry. Then she heaved up her hand to strike the +child. "You little spy!" she cried. Then she covered her face, and +wept, and rocked herself. "What can you know?" she cried. "How can you +understand, that are a baby, not so long weaned? He could--your father +could, the dear good man, dead and gone! He could understand and pity, +he was good to me. Now he has left me alone with heartless children! +Asdis," she cried, "have you no nature in your blood? You do not know +what I have done and suffered for them. I have done--oh, and I could +have done anything! And there is your father dead. And after all, you +ask me not to use them? No woman in Iceland has the like. And you wish +me to destroy them? Not if the dead should rise!" she cried. "No, no," +and she stopped her ears, "not if the dead should rise, and let that end +it!" + +So she ran into her bed-place, and clapped at the door, and left the +child amazed. + +But for all Aud spoke with so much passion, it was noticed that for long +she left the things unused. Only she would be locked somewhile daily in +her bed-place, where she pored on them and secretly wore them for her +pleasure. + +Now winter was at hand; the days grew short and the nights long; and +under the golden face of morning the isle would stand silver with frost. +Word came from Holyfell to Frodis Water of a company of young men upon a +journey; that night they supped at Holyfell, the next it would be at +Frodis Water; and Alf of the Fells was there, and Thongbrand Ketilson, +and Hall the Fair. Aud went early to her bed-place, and there she pored +upon these fineries till her heart was melted with self-love. There was +a kirtle of a mingled colour, and the blue shot into the green, and the +green lightened from the blue, as the colours play in the ocean between +deeps and shallows: she thought she could endure to live no longer and +not wear it. There was a bracelet of an ell long, wrought like a serpent +and with fiery jewels for the eyes; she saw it shine on her white arm and +her head grew dizzy with desire. "Ah!" she thought, "never were fine +lendings better met with a fair wearer." And she closed her eyelids, and +she thought she saw herself among the company and the men's eyes go after +her admiring. With that she considered that she must soon marry one of +them and wondered which; and she thought Alf was perhaps the best, or +Hall the Fair, but was not certain, and then she remembered Finnward +Keelfarer in his cairn upon the hill, and was concerned. "Well, he was a +good husband to me," she thought, "and I was a good wife to him. But +that is an old song now." So she turned again to handling the stuffs and +jewels. At last she got to bed in the smooth sheets, and lay, and +fancied how she would look, and admired herself, and saw others admire +her, and told herself stories, till her heart grew warm and she chuckled +to herself between the sheets. So she shook awhile with laughter; and +then the mirth abated but not the shaking; and a grue took hold upon her +flesh, and the cold of the grave upon her belly, and the terror of death +upon her soul. With that a voice was in her ear: "It was so Thorgunna +sickened." Thrice in the night the chill and the terror took her, and +thrice it passed away; and when she rose on the morrow, death had +breathed upon her countenance. + +She saw the house folk and her children gaze upon her; well she knew why! +She knew her day was come, and the last of her days, and her last hour +was at her back; and it was so in her soul that she scarce minded. All +was lost, all was past mending, she would carry on until she fell. So +she went as usual, and hurried the feast for the young men, and railed +upon her house folk, but her feet stumbled, and her voice was strange in +her own ears, and the eyes of the folk fled before her. At times, too, +the chill took her and the fear along with it; and she must sit down, and +the teeth beat together in her head, and the stool tottered on the floor. +At these times, she thought she was passing, and the voice of Thorgunna +sounded in her ear: "The things are for no use but to be shown," it said. +"Aud, Aud, have you shown them once? No, not once!" + +And at the sting of the thought her courage and strength would revive, +and she would rise again and move about her business. + +Now the hour drew near, and Aud went to her bed-place, and did on the +bravest of her finery, and came forth to greet her guests. Was never +woman in Iceland robed as she was. The words of greeting were yet +between her lips, when the shuddering fell upon her strong as labour, and +a horror as deep as hell. Her face was changed amidst her finery, and +the faces of her guests were changed as they beheld her: fear puckered +their brows, fear drew back their feet; and she took her doom from the +looks of them, and fled to her bed-place. There she flung herself on the +wife's coverlet, and turned her face against the wall. + +That was the end of all the words of Aud; and in the small hours on the +clock her spirit wended. Asdis had come to and fro, seeing if she might +help, where was no help possible of man or woman. It was light in the +bed-place when the maid returned, for a taper stood upon a chest. There +lay Aud in her fine clothes, and there by her side on the bed the big +dead wife Thorgunna squatted on her hams. No sound was heard, but it +seemed by the movement of her mouth as if Thorgunna sang, and she waved +her arms as if to singing. + +"God be good to us!" cried Asdis, "she is dead." + +"Dead," said the dead wife. + +"Is the weird passed?" cried Asdis. + +"When the sin is done the weird is dreed," said Thorgunna, and with that +she was not. + +But the next day Eyolf and Asdis caused build a fire on the shore betwixt +tide-marks. There they burned the bed-clothes, and the clothes, and the +jewels, and the very boards of the waif woman's chests; and when the tide +returned it washed away their ashes. So the weird of Thorgunna was +lifted from the house on Frodis Water. + +PRINTED BY +BILLING AND SONS, LIMITED +GUILDFORD, ENGLAND. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAIF WOMAN*** + + +******* This file should be named 19750.txt or 19750.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/9/7/5/19750 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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