Then there fell a silence. Weakened by the trying days that had preceded, the blow seemed to have robbed the girl of all energy, and soon she fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly she awakened. The light streamed faintly into the room. Stiff from long lying, she tried to move, but only did so with much difficulty. Raising herself on one arm, she turned toward the figure at her side. Noting how perfectly still Gyda lay, she bent over her and looked into her face. She was dead. With a scream of horror, Egwina sprang up. At this instant a man and woman, attracted by her cry, entered the room. Egwina took a step toward the woman, then clasping her hands to her head, she reeled and fell an unconscious heap on the floor. “’Tis a pity that the jade waxeth sick at this time,” a voice broke rudely upon Egwina’s ear one morning as she awoke with the clear light of reason in her eyes. “Here we but get done wailing for the mother, when the daughter must be sick also.” “Was she her daughter?” came a man’s voice. “I knew not that Gyda had a daughter, sibbe though we be.” “Do not the neighbors say so?” asked the first voice. “How should she be here if not her daughter? But now ’tis burthensome for the minx to be sick.” “Well, see how she doeth. We cannot treat her ill, though but for her, all of Gyda’s treasure would befortune us. Much hath she hidden somewhere, and when the girl becometh better, mayhap she will tell us where it be.” “Not she,” grumbled the other. Still grumbling the woman approached the bed where Egwina lay. “How art thou this morning?” she asked. “Have I been ill?” The clear eyes of Egwina looked at the woman in amazement. “Who art thou and why am I here?” “Who am I? Why Githa, the wife of Sweyn, own cousin to thy mother. Who else should I be?” asked the woman, who was of surly countenance. “But I wot not thy meaning. I have no mother; nor have I had sith a child. Nor have I ever heard of any of that name sibbe to us.” “Odin hear her!” ejaculated the woman. “Dost thou hear that, Sweyn?” “What?” asked the man. “The girl doth deny her kith and kin.” “Well, sith she doth, let her deny,” returned the man lazily. “But seest thou not, blockhead, that ’tis to keep us from the money,” cried the woman angrily. The man sprang to his feet and entered the room where they were. Egwina regarded the pair with wonder. “Art thou not Gyda’s daughter?” demanded the man of her. “Gyda’s? No. Why should ye think me the seid woman’s daughter?” asked Egwina in amazement. “Hast thou not lived here with her always, and then sayest thou that thou art not her daughter?” the woman exclaimed fiercely. “How now, maiden?” “Nay; but I am not her daughter,” reiterated Egwina. “Then how camest thou here? The neighbors say that thou wert here for weeks, and that Gyda called thee daughter. Thou didst call her mother!”