The Waif Woman Read online

and shewas ill to cross. Behind her back they gave her the name of the WaifWoman or the Wind Wife; to her face it must always be Thorgunna. And ifany of the young men called her _mother_, she would speak no more thatday, but sit apart in the hall and mutter with her lips.

  "This is a queer piece of goods that we have gotten," says FinnwardKeelfarer, "I wish we get no harm by her! But the good wife's pleasuremust be done," said he, which was his common word.

  When she was at work, Thorgunna wore the rudest of plain clothes, thoughever clean as a cat; but at night in the hall she was more dainty, forshe loved to be admired. No doubt she made herself look well, and manythought she was a comely woman still, and to those she was alwaysfavourable and full of pleasant speech. But the more that some pleasedher, 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 tothe house by Frodis Water. That was always a great day for Aud, whenthere were gallants at table; and what made this day the greater, Alf ofthe Fells was in the company, and she thought Alf fancied her. So besure Aud wore her best. But when Thorgunna came from the bed-place, shewas arrayed like any queen and the broad brooch was in her bosom. Allnight in the hall these women strove with each other; and the littlemaid, Asdis, looked on, and was ashamed and knew not why. But Thorgunnapleased beyond all; she told of strange things that had befallen in theworld; when she pleased she had the cue to laughter; she sang, and hervoice 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. Sothat the young men forgot the word of the merchants as to the woman'sage, and their looks followed her all night.

  Aud was sick with envy. Sleep fled her; her husband slept, but she satupright beside him in the bed, and gnawed her fingers. Now she began tohate Thorgunna, and the glittering of the great brooch stood before herin the dark. "Sure," she thought, "it must be the glamour of thatbrooch! She is not so fair as I; she is as old as the dead in thehillside; and as for her wit and her songs, it is little I think ofthem!" Up she got at that, took a light from the embers, and came to herguest's bed-place. The door was locked, but Aud had a master-key andcould go in. Inside, the chests were open, and in the top of one thelight of her taper shone upon the glittering of the brooch. As a dogsnatches food she snatched it, and turned to the bed. Thorgunna lay onher side; it was to be thought she slept, but she talked the while toherself, and her lips moved. It seemed her years returned to her inslumber, for her face was grey and her brow knotted; and the open eyes ofher stared in the eyes of Aud. The heart of the foolish woman died inher bosom; but her greed was the stronger, and she fled with that whichshe had stolen.

  When she was back in bed, the word of Thorgunna came to her mind, thatthese things were for no use but to be shown. Here she had the broochand the shame of it, and might not wear it. So all night she quaked withthe fear of discovery, and wept tears of rage that she should have sinnedin vain. Day came, and Aud must rise; but she went about the house likea crazy woman. She saw the eyes of Asdis rest on her strangely, and atthat she beat the maid. She scolded the house folk, and, by her way ofit, nothing was done aright. First she was loving to her husband andmade much of him, thinking to be on his good side when trouble came. Thenshe took a better way, picked a feud with him, and railed on the poor mantill his ears rang, so that he might be in the wrong beforehand. Thebrooch she hid without, in the side of a hayrick. All this whileThorgunna lay in the bed-place, which was not her way, for by custom shewas early astir. At last she came forth, and there was that in her facethat made all the house look one at the other and the heart of Aud to bestraitened. Never a word the guest spoke, not a bite she swallowed, andthey saw the strong shudderings take and shake her in her place. Yet alittle, and still without speech, back she went into her bad-place, andthe 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 atthe end of my days."

  He made the customary talk.

  "I have had my good things; now my hour is come; and let suffice," quothshe. "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!--inthis black house, in a bleak island, far from all decency and proper waysof man; and now my treasure must be left. Small pleasure have I had ofit, and leave it with the less!" cried she.

  "Good woman, as the saying is, needs must," says Finnward, for he wasnettled with that speech.

  "For that I called you," quoth Thorgunna. "In these two chests are muchwealth and things greatly to be desired. I wish my body to be laid inSkalaholt in the new church, where I trust to hear the mass-priestssinging over my head so long as time endures. To that church I will youto give what is sufficient, leaving your conscience judge of it. Myscarlet cloak with the silver, I will to that poor fool your wife. Shelonged for it so bitterly, I may not even now deny her. Give her thebrooch as well. I warn you of her; I was such as she, only wiser; I warnyou, the ground she stands upon is water, and whoso trusts her leans onrottenness. I hate her and I pity her. When she comes to lie where Ilie--" 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 thethings 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 toall 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 yoursafety."

  "It stands upon my honour," quoth Finnward, "and I have the name of anhonourable man."

  "You have the name of a weak one," says Thorgunna. "Look to it, look toit, 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. Thespeech 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. Itwas a wild night for summer, and the wind sang about the eaves and cloudscovered the moon, when the dark woman wended. From that day to this noman has learned her story or her people's name; but be sure the one wasstormy and the other great. She had come to that isle, a waif woman, ona ship; thence she flitted, and no more remained of her but her heavychests and her big body.

  In the morning the house women streaked and dressed the corpse. Thencame Finnward, and carried the sheets and curtains from the house, andcaused build a fire upon the sands. But Aud had an eye on her man'sdoings.

  "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 twohands? No, troth," said Aud, "not so long as your wife is above ground!"

  "Good wife," said Finnward, "this is beyond your province. Here is myword pledged and the woman dead I pledged it to. So much the more am Ibound. Let me be doing as I must, goodwife."

  "Tilly-valley!" says she, "and a fiddlestick's end, goodman! You mayknow 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 cansay is just this," she says, laying hold of one end of the goods, "thatif ye are made up to burn the plenishing, you must burn your wife alongwith it."

  "I trust it will not go so hard," says Finnward, "and I beg you not tospeak so loud and let the house folk hear you."

  "Let them speak low that are ashamed!" cries Aud. "I speak only inreason."

  "You are to consider that the woman died in my house," says Finnward,"and this was her las
t behest. In truth, goodwife, if I were to fail, itis a thing that would stick long in my throat, and would give us an illname with the neighbours."

  "And you are to consider," says she, "that I am your true wife and worthall the witches ever burnt, and loving her old husband"--here she put herarms about his neck. "And you are to consider that what you wish to dois to destroy fine stuff, such as we have no means of replacing; and thatshe bade you do it singly to spite me, for I sought to buy this beddingfrom her while she was alive at her own price; and that she hated mebecause I was young and handsome."

  "That is a true word that she hated you, for she said so herself beforeshe