THORFINN. Take care of your own tongue, Orm.
[Valgerd with drinking horns.]
VALGERD. Here, foster brothers, I drink to your oath of friendship
and better luck for your next voyage.
THORFINN. I forbid you to speak of that again. [They drink.
Thorfinn takes horn hastily from mouth and asks] Where is the
child?
VALGERD [Troubled]. She is in the loft.
THORFINN. Call her hither.
VALGERD. She's not well.
THORFINN [Looks sharply at Valgerd]. She shall--come!
VALGERD. You don't mean that.
THORFINN. Did you hear the word?
VALGERD. It is not your last.
THORFINN. A man has but one, though woman must always have the
last.
VALGERD [Weakly]. You mock me.
THORFINN. You are angry I believe.
VALGERD. You laugh so much tonight.
[Goes out.]
THORFINN. Orm! A thought comes to me.
ORM. If it's a great one you had better hide it. Great thoughts are
scarce these days.
THORFINN. Did you notice my wife?
ORM. I never notice other men's wives.
THORFINN. How kindly and mild she was.
ORM. She pitied you.
THORFINN. Pitied me?
ORM. Yes, because sorrow that laughs is the laughter of death, she
thought.
THORFINN. Woman cannot think.
ORM. No, not with her head, but with her heart. That's why she has
a smaller head but a bigger breast than we.
THORFINN. Forebodings of evil torture me.
ORM. Poor Thorfinn.
THORFINN. My child! Orm! When she comes do you bid her drink from
the horn to Asa-Odin.
ORM. The fox scents against, the wind.
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