(_The men are standing with drawn swords along both sides of the hall, leaving a lane in the middle_. BRAND, BRODDI, ALF, _and the other slayers of_ THOROLF _pass up it_. LADY JORUN _in a man's apparel and_ DEACON SIGURD _follow them. Last of all_ HELGI SKAFTASON.) _Helga_.--There we see each other again, Helgi Skaftason! (_Points down with the thumb of her right hand_. HELGI _is killed and dragged out without the other slayers of_ THOROLF _becoming aware of it_. EINAR THE RICH _enters again with the men of_ KOLBEIN, _who dragged out_ HELGI. _He joins the band of_ BRAND. _The axe of_ HELGI _remains lying on the spot where he fell_.) _Brand_.--Hail, Kolbein kinsman! _Broddi_.--Hail, brother-in-law! What truce shall we have? _Helga_.--The same as had Thorolf Bjarnason! _Broddi_.--I care not to quarrel with women about my life! _Helga_.--It is too late for the fox to fight for life, once he has gone into the trap. _Kolbein_.--Why, Brand Kolbeinsson, did you attack and slay Thorolf, our friend? _Broddi_.--I did more to incite men to that than did Brand Kolbeinsson, and we offer to atone for his slaying with much money, if you are willing. _Helga_.--More will be needful than only money. _Brand_.--I thought there was great necessity to do away with Thorolf. _Helga_.--'Perjured men, murder-wolves.'[A] Jorun, your wife, egged you on to take revenge for her father and her brother. [Footnote A: Quotation from the Eddic poem Voluspo.] _Brand_.--It is entirely untrue that my wife Jorun egged me on to revenge either her father or brother, even if men have told you so, Kolbein. About absent people most things can be told. But for this reason was Thorolf deprived of life, because you had set him as chieftain over the Eyafirth, to succeed you. _Kolbein_.--Never did I do that! _Brand_.--Helga, your wife, affirmed that you had done so. _Helga_.--Certainly you did, my husband. But, well it may be that at the time you were not in full possession of your senses. _Einar_.--I heard it, my lord, how you set Thorolf chieftain over Eyafirth. And so no one dare blame Lady Helga for having misheard or mis-stated the matter. _Sigurd_.--You here, Einar the Rich! _Brand_.--Notwithstanding Thorolf's low descent you gave him preference over chieftains, you gave him authority over men, and you let him journey with you to Rome. No peacemaker was your Thorolf among men; but a bad companion he was, and me he nicknamed. _Kolbein_.--All that has Thorolf atoned for with his life. Why, Broddi, did you attack my friend Thorolf? _Broddi_.--I am your brother-in-law, Kolbein, and I owed it to you to avenge insults heaped upon you. Long had he been faithless to you and cunningly served both you and been a treacherous follower to you both here and abroad.