"Poor and lowly as I am," thought Torarin, "it is better for the maid that she go with me to the town than that she stay here among the country folk. In Marstrand are many rich burgesses, and perhaps the young maid may take service with one of them and so be well cared for."
When first the girl came to the town she sat and wept from morning to night. She bewailed Herr Arne and his household, and lamented that she had lost all who were dear to her. Most of all she wept for her foster sister, and said she wished she had not hidden herself against the wall, so that she might have shared death with her.
Torarin"s mother said nothing to this so long as her son was at home. But when he had gone on his travels again she said one morning to the girl:
"I am not rich enough, Elsalill, to give you food and clothing that you may sit with your hands in your lap and nurse your sorrow. Come with me down to the quays and learn to clean fish."
So Elsalill went with her down to the quays and stood all day working among the other fish cleaners.
But most of the women on the quays were young and merry. They began to talk to Elsalill and asked her why she was so silent and sorrowful.
Then Elsalill began to tell them of the terrible thing that had befallen her no more than three nights ago. She spoke of the three robbers who had broken into the house by the smoke-hole in the roof and murdered all who were near and dear to her.
As Elsalill told her tale a black shadow fell across the table at which she worked. And when she looked up three fine gentlemen stood before her, wearing broad hats with long feathers and velvet clothes with great puffs, embroidered in silk and gold.
One of them seemed to be of higher rank than the others; he was very pale, his chin was shaven, and his eyes sat deep in his head.
He looked as though he had lately been ill. But in all else he seemed a gay and bold-faced cavalier, who walked on the sunny quays to show his fine clothes and his handsome face.
Elsalill broke off both work and story. She stood looking at him with open mouth and staring eyes. And he smiled at her.
"We are not come hither to frighten you, mistress," said he, "but to beg that we too may listen to your tale."
Poor Elsalill! Never in her life had she seen such a man. She felt she could not speak in his presence; she merely held her peace and cast her eyes upon her work.
The stranger began again: "Be not afraid of us, mistress! We are Scotsmen who have been in the service of King John of Sweden ten full years, but now have taken our discharge and are bound for home. We have come to Marstrand to find a ship for Scotland, but when we came hither we found every channel and firth frozen over, and here we must bide and wait. We have no business to employ us, and therefore we range about the quays to meet whom we may. We should be happy, mistress, if you would let us hear your tale."
Elsalill knew that he had talked thus long to let her recover from her emotion. At last she thought to herself: "You can surely show that you are not too homely to speak to a n.o.ble gentleman, Elsalill! For you are a maiden of good birth and no fisher la.s.s."
"I was but telling of the great butchery at Solberga parsonage,"
said Elsalill. "There are so many who have heard that story."
"Yes," said the stranger, "but I did not know till now that any of Herr Arne"s household had escaped alive."
Then Elsalill told once more of the wild robbers" deed. She spoke of how the old serving-men had gathered about Herr Arne to protect him and how Herr Arne himself had s.n.a.t.c.hed his sword from the wall and pressed upon the robbers, but they had overcome them all. And the old mistress had taken up her husband"s sword and set upon the robbers, but they had only laughed at her and felled her to the floor with a billet of wood. And all the other women had crouched against the wall of the stove, but when the men were dead the robbers came and pulled them down and slew them. "The last they slew," said Elsalill, "was my dear foster sister. She begged for life so piteously, and two of them would have let her live; but the third said that all must die, and he thrust his knife into her heart."
While Elsalill was speaking of murder and blood the three men stood still before her. They did not exchange a glance with each other, but their ears grew long with listening, and their eyes sparkled, and sometimes their lips parted so that the teeth glistened.
Elsalill"s eyes were full of tears; not once did she look up whilst she was speaking. She did not see that the man before her had the eyes and teeth of a wolf. Only when she had finished speaking did she dry her eyes and look up at him.
But when he met Elsalill"s glance his face changed in an instant.
"Since you have seen the murderers so well, mistress," said he, "you would doubtless know them again if you met them?"
"I have no more than seen them by the light of the brands they s.n.a.t.c.hed from the hearth to light their murdering," said Elsalill; "but with G.o.d"s help I"ll surely know them again. And I pray to G.o.d daily that I may meet them." "What mean you by that, mistress?" asked the stranger. "Is it not true that the murderous vagabonds are dead?"
"Indeed, I have heard so," said Elsalill. "The peasants who set out after them followed their tracks from the parsonage down to a hole in the ice. Thus far they saw tracks of sledge-runners upon the smooth ice, tracks of a horse"s hoofs, tracks of men with heavy nailed boots. But beyond the hole no tracks led on across the ice, and therefore the peasants supposed them all dead."
"And do you not believe them dead, Elsalill?" asked the stranger.
"Oh, yes, I think they must be drowned," said Elsalill; "and yet I pray to G.o.d daily that they may have escaped. I speak to G.o.d in this wise: "Let it be so that they have only driven the horse and the sledge into the hole, but have themselves escaped.""
"Why do you wish this, Elsalill?" asked the stranger.
The tender maid Elsalill, she flung back her head and her eyes shone like fire. "I would they were alive that I might find them out and seize them. I would they were alive that I might tear their hearts out. I would they were alive that I might see their bodies quartered and spiked upon the wheel."
"How do you think to bring all this about?" said the stranger.
"For you are only a weak little maid."
"If they were living," said Elsalill, "I should surely bring their punishment upon them. Rather would I go to my death than let them go free. Strong and mighty they may be, I know it, but they would not be able to escape me."
At this the stranger smiled upon her, but Elsalill stamped her foot.
"If they were living, should I not remember that they have taken my home from me, so that I am now a poor la.s.s, compelled to stand here on the cold quay and clean fish? Should I not remember that they have slain all those near to me, and should I not remember most of all the man who plucked my foster sister from the wall and slew her who was so dear to me?"
But when the tender little maid gave proof of such great wrath, the three Scottish campaigners burst out laughing. So full of merriment were they that they went off, lest Elsalill might take offence. They walked across the harbour and up a narrow alley which led to the market-place. But long after they were out of sight Elsalill heard their roars of loud and scornful laughter.
CHAPTER III
THE MESSENGER
A week after his death Herr Arne was buried in Solberga church, and on the same day an inquest was held upon the murder in the a.s.size house at Branehog.
Now Herr Arne"s fame was such throughout Bohuslen, and so many people came together on the day of his funeral, both from the mainland and the islands, that it was as though an army had a.s.sembled about its leader. And so great a concourse moved between Solberga church and Branehog that toward evening not an inch of snow could be seen that had not been trampled by men"s feet.
But late in the evening, when all had gone their ways, came Torarin the fish hawker driving along the road from Branehog to Solberga.
Torarin had talked with many men in the course of the day; again and again had he told the story of Herr Arne"s death. He had been well entertained too at the a.s.size and had been made to empty many a mug of ale with travellers from afar.
Torarin felt dull and heavy and lay down upon his load. It saddened him to think that Herr Arne was gone, and as he approached the parsonage a yet more grievous thought began to torment him. "Grim, my dog," he said, "had I believed that warning of the knives I might have warded off the whole disaster. I often think of that, Grim, my dog. It disquiets my spirit, I feel as though I had had a part in taking Herr Arne"s life. Now remember what I say--next time I hear such a thing I will hold it true and be guided by it!"
Now while Torarin lay dozing upon his load with eyes half closed, his horse went on as he pleased, and on coming to Solberga parsonage he turned into the yard from old habit and went up to the stable door, Torarin being all unwitting. Only with the stopping of the sledge did he rise up and look about him; and then he fell a-shuddering, when he saw that he was in the yard of a house where so many people had been murdered no more than a week before.
He seized the reins at once to turn his horse and drive into the road again, but at that moment he felt a hand upon his shoulder and looked round. Beside him stood old Olof the groom, who had served at the parsonage as long as Torarin could remember.
"Have you such haste to leave our house tonight, Torarin?" said the man. "Let be and come indoors! Herr Arne sits there waiting for you."
A thousand thoughts came into Torarin"s head. He knew not whether he was dreaming or awake. Olof the groom, whom he saw standing alive and well beside him, he had seen a week before lying dead amongst the others with a great wound in his throat.
Torarin took a firmer hold of the reins. He thought the best thing for him was to make off as soon as he could. But Olof the groom"s hand still lay upon his shoulder, and the old fellow gave him no peace.
Torarin racked his brains to find an excuse. "I had no thought of coming to disturb Herr Arne so late in the evening," said he. "My horse turned in here whilst I was unaware. I will go now and find a lodging for the night. If Herr Arne wishes to see me, I can well come again tomorrow."
With this Torarin bent forward and struck his horse with the slack of the reins to make him move off.