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264 to think that her lord would so far forget his loyalty, and she would shrink from considering how far such disloyalty might lead him.

The day after the king’s council with his earl-folk, Thorgills met Earl Sigvalde and said to him, “My Jarl, thou hast complained so oft of late that King Olaf was idly grieving for the false bride we wished him not to wed, thou wilt be glad to know he goes viking soon again.”

“How so?” inquired Sigvalde.

“He summoned the earl-folk last night to meet him.”

“Aye, I did receive the summons, but I went not, for my many ills of my many years hold me excused.”

“Thy years and thy ills, Jarl Sigvalde, seem to have come very speedily, since it was but a year ago that thou didst give thy word—a good wise word, too, it was, my Jarl—at all King Olaf’s councils. But to the matter of last night. The king is aroused over the viking of Raud the Strong, how he is harassing our own shore, and the spirit of our noble sea-king hath risen and he desires to meet this Raud in battle. Olaf hath asked for all the coin we can spare from the coffers, and knowing his people are happiest when following him at sea, or awaiting his return with all the spoils of the vanquished, the earl-folk have promised him full gold to fit out his ships.”

Earl Sigvalde smiled grimly. “The earl-folk are generous with the hard-wrung taxes of the Norse