Suddenly he dropped the bag, stepped from under the shadow of the door, and cried in his natural voice,—­

“I must have you too, Osla!”

She started this time indeed, and for an instant the shock of surprise took thoughts and words away.

“Vandrad!” she cried faintly, and then she was trembling in King Estein’s arms.

“Nay,” he said, “no longer Vandrad, but rather Estein the Lucky!  Forgive me, Osla, for deceiving you before; but then, in truth, fate had treated me so ill that I cared not to have it known that I was son to the King of Sogn.”

A little later he said,—­

“So the feud is at an end, and I have found a queen.”

“A queen, Estein?” she whispered.

“Ay, a queen, worthy of the proudest King of Sogn.  And, Osla, do you know I have seen you since we parted on the Holy Isle?  Can you call to mind a Jemtland village where you halted on your journey, and a man whom the villagers pursued?”

“And that—­” she cried in astonishment.

“Was Vandrad; and Atli—­”

“Is Kolskegg, foster-father of thy brother Olaf,” said a voice behind them, and looking quickly round the lovers saw the venerable form of the seer standing within five paces of them.

For a moment they were too surprised to speak, and the old man went on with kindling enthusiasm,—­

“Ay, Osla, I followed thee up from the ship, and awaited under the shadow of Hakonstad itself the issue ordained by the gods.  King Estein, when thou wert with me I knew not who were the wizard and the witch of the Orkneys.  My dreams revealed them not.  When Osla came to me that night ye slept in the loft, I hid her coming from thee, for I knew the race of Yngve forget not the injuries of their kin.  Nor when I knew all did I tell anything to Osla, for I wished the fates to bring matters to an end as they willed.”

“But why did you tell me nothing of yourself?” asked Estein.

“I have said the reason.  Thy race have long and bitter memories, and I knew full well that I could not serve thee hadst thou known.  Ay, King Estein, long have I wished to come into atonement with thee, but my brother’s rash deed—­done to avenge what he thought my injuries—­brought the blood feud on me.  I was banished for mine own fault, thenceforth Thord exiled me for his.”

Then raising his voice till it rang through the night, he cried,—­

“But now, King Estein, the ship has crossed the seas!”

There was a minute’s silence after he had finished, and then the king took Osla by the hand and drew her towards the door, saying,- -

“I wish them to see my queen to-night.”

“Let me come to-morrow,” she whispered.

“Go in, Osla,” said her uncle, “I bid thee,” and so she went in with Estein to the hall.

As he led her up to the high seat, dead silence fell on the guests, and all men gazed in growing wonder.  Opposite Earl Sigvald he stopped, and throwing back her hood, cried,—­