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diff --git a/19750.txt b/19750.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c8b703b --- /dev/null +++ b/19750.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1134 @@ +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*** + + + + + +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 + +This unpublished story, preserved among Mrs.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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