The girl’s look, as he turned at the foot and faced her, stuck in his mind for long after.  Consternation and her sense of the ludicrous were having such an obvious struggle in every feature, that after looking straight into her face for a moment, he fairly burst into a silent convulsion of laughter that shook him till he had to steady himself by a rung of the ladder.  So infectious was it, that after the briefest conflict, consternation fled the field, a little smile appeared, and then a merrier, and in a moment she was laughing with him.  And certainly for a man commonly most careful of his appearance, he cut a comical enough figure, with his shoeless feet and tangled hair, and the great ill-fitting sheep-skin coat huddled round him to hide the poverty beneath.

“I fear my habit pleases not your eye,” he said at last, striving to control his countenance.

“It is—­” she began, and then her gravity for an instant forsook her again.  “It is highly befitting,” she said, more soberly and a little shyly.

“In truth, a garb to win a maiden’s heart; but I recked not of my clothing, I was in such haste to see the maid,” said Helgi boldly.

She looked at him with some surprise, and just a sufficient touch of dignity to check the dash of his advances.  He saw the change, and quickly added,—­

“To be quite honest with you, I knew not indeed that you were here, and feeling cold I came down to warm me.  I should ask your pardon.”

“Not so,” she said; “how could you know that I was here?  I have only just arrived.”

“And I,” replied Helgi, “leave early in the morning, though now I would fain stay longer.  So you will soon forget the man in the sheepskin coat who so alarmed you.”

“But not the coat,” she said demurely, her blue eyes lighting up again.  Helgi’s vanity was a little stung, but he answered gaily,—­

“I then will remember your face, and you—­”

At that instant a door opened, and turning suddenly he saw Atli come from behind a great bearskin that concealed the entrance to his inner chamber.  The old man’s face grew dark with displeased surprise, yet he hesitated for an instant, as if uncertain what to do.  Then he came up to the girl and said,—­

“Thy chamber is ready for thee.”  To Helgi he added, “I would speak with thee, Helgi.”

The girl at once left the fire, and followed him back to the other room.  As she turned away, Helgi said,—­

“Farewell, lady.”

“Farewell,” she answered frankly, with a smile, and went out with Atli.

“A bold raid and a lucky one,” said the Viking complacently to himself.  “A fairer face and brighter eyes I never saw before.  Who can she be?  Like enough some lady come to hear the spaeman’s mystic jargon, and swallow potions or mutter spells at his bidding.  I am in two minds about turning wizard myself, if such visitors be common.  Methinks I could give her as wise a rede as Atli.  But it is strange how she came here; she is not of this country, I’ll be sworn.”