Laxdæla Saga | Page 9

very ill-clad. Hoskuld thought, as far as he could see, this
woman was fair to look upon. Then said Hoskuld, "What is the price of
that woman if I should wish to buy her?" Gilli replied, "Three silver
pieces is what you must weigh me out for her." "It seems to me," said
Hoskuld, "that you charge very highly for this bonds-woman, for that is
the price of three (such)." Then Gilli said, "You speak truly, that I value
her worth more than the others. Choose any of the other eleven, and
pay one mark of silver for her, this one being left in my possession."
Hoskuld said, "I must first see how much silver there is in the purse I
have on my belt," and he asked Gilli to take the scales while he
searched the purse. [Sidenote: Of the dumb slave woman] Gilli then
said, "On my side there shall be no guile in this matter; for, as to the

ways of this woman, there is a great drawback which I wish, Hoskuld,
that you know before we strike this bargain." Hoskuld asked what it
was. Gilli replied, "The woman is dumb. I have tried in many ways to
get her to talk, but have never got a word out of her, and I feel quite
sure that this woman knows not how to speak." Then, said Hoskuld,
"Bring out the scales, and let us see how much the purse I have got here
may weigh." Gilli did so, and now they weigh the silver, and there were
just three marks weighed. Then said Hoskuld, "Now the matter stands
so that we can close our bargain. You take the money for yourself, and
I will take the woman. I take it that you have behaved honestly in this
affair, for, to be sure, you had no mind to deceive me herein." Hoskuld
then went home to his booth. That same night Hoskuld went into bed
with her. The next morning when men got dressed, spake Hoskuld,
"The clothes Gilli the Rich gave you do not appear to be very grand,
though it is true that to him it is more of a task to dress twelve women
than it is to me to dress only one." After that Hoskuld opened a chest,
and took out some fine women's clothes and gave them to her; and it
was the saying of every one that she looked very well when she was
dressed. But when the rulers had there talked matters over according as
the law provided, this meeting was broken up. Then Hoskuld went to
see King Hakon, and greeted him worthily, according to custom. The
king cast a side glance at him, and said, "We should have taken well
your greeting, Hoskuld, even if you had saluted us sooner; but so shall
it be even now."

CHAP. XIII
Hoskuld Returns to Iceland, A.D. 948
[Sidenote: King Hakon bids Hoskuld farewell] After that the king
received Hoskuld most graciously, and bade him come on board his
own ship, and "be with us so long as you care to remain in Norway."
Hoskuld answered: "Thank you for your offer; but now, this summer, I
have much to be busy about, and that is mostly the reason I was so long
before I came to see you, for I wanted to get for myself house-timber."
The king bade him bring his ship in to the Wick, and Hoskuld tarried

with the king for a while. The king got house-timber for him, and had
his ship laden for him. Then the king said to Hoskuld, "You shall not be
delayed here longer than you like, though we shall find it difficult to
find a man to take your place." After that the king saw Hoskuld off to
his ship, and said: "I have found you an honourable man, and now my
mind misgives me that you are sailing for the last time from Norway,
whilst I am lord over that land." The king drew a gold ring off his arm
that weighed a mark, and gave it to Hoskuld; and he gave him for
another gift a sword on which there was half a mark of gold. Hoskuld
thanked the king for his gifts, and for all the honour he had done him.
[Sidenote: Hoskuld's arrival in Iceland] After that Hoskuld went on
board his ship, and put to sea. They had a fair wind, and hove in to the
south of Iceland; and after that sailed west by Reekness, and so by
Snowfellness in to Broadfirth. Hoskuld landed at Salmon-river-Mouth.
He had the cargo taken out of his ship, which he took into the river and
beached, having a shed built for it. A ruin is to be seen now where he