Torarin tried to do as he was bid and tell of the assize and the inquest, but he could command neither his lips nor his tongue, and his speech was faulty and stammering, so that Herr Arne stopped him at once. "Tell me only the main thing, Torarin. Were our murderers found and punished?" "No, Herr Arne," Torarin had the boldness to answer. "Your murderers lie at the bottom of Hakefjord. How would you have any take revenge on them?" When Torarin returned this answer Herr Arne's old temper seemed to be kindled within him and he smote the table hard. "What is that you say, Torarin? Has the Governor of Bohus been here with judges and clerks and held assize and has no man had the wit to tell him where he may find my murderers?" "No, Herr Arne," answered Torarin. "None among the living can tell him that." Herr Arne sat awhile with a frown on his brow, staring dismally before him. Then he turned once more to Torarin. "I know that you bear me affection, Torarin. Can you tell me how I may be revenged upon my murderers?" "I can well understand, Herr Arne," said Torarin, "that you wish to be revenged upon those who so cruelly have deprived you of your life. But there is none amongst us who walk God's earth that can help you in this." Herr Arne fell into a deep brooding when he heard this answer. There was a long silence. After a while Torarin ventured to put forward a request. "I have now fulfilled your desire, Herr Arne, and told you how it went at the assize. Have you aught else to ask me, or will you now let me go?" "You are not to go, Torarin," said Herr Arne, "until you have answered me once more whether none of the living can give us vengeance." "Not if all the men in Bohuslen and Norway came together to be revenged upon your murderers would they be able to find them," said Torarin. Then said Herr Arne: "If the living cannot help us, we must help ourselves." With this Herr Arne began in a loud voice to say a paternoster, not in Norse but in Latin, as had been the use of the country before his time. And as he uttered each word of the prayer he pointed with his finger at one of those who sat with him at the table. He went through them all in this way many times, until he came to Amen. And as he spoke this word his finger pointed at the young maid who was his niece. The young maid rose at once from the bench, and Herr Arne said to her: "You know what you have to do." Then the young maiden lamented and said: "Do not send me upon this errand! It is too heavy a charge to lay upon so tender a maid as I." "You shall assuredly go," said Herr Arne. "It is right that you go, since you have most to revenge. None of us has been robbed of so many years of life as you, who are the youngest among us." "I desire not to be revenged on any man," said the maiden. "You are to go at once," said Herr Arne. "And you will not be alone. You know that there are two among the living who sat with us here at table a week ago."