And Sir Baard said with a little smile, “It seems to me that your daughter has demonstrated that she is not lacking in will. For two years she has stood by Erlend, in spite of your wishes.”
Lavrans said, “I know that quite well, and yet I know what I’m talking about. It has been hard for her during the time she has defied me, and she won’t be happy with a husband for long unless he can rule her.”
“The Devil take me,” said Sir Munan. “Then your daughter must be quite unlike all the women I have known, for I’ve never found a single one who didn’t prefer to rule over both herself and her husband.”
Lavrans shrugged his shoulders and didn’t reply.
Then Baard Peters?n said, “I can imagine, Lavrans Bj?rgulfs?n, that now you are even less in favor of this marriage between your daughter and my foster son since the woman he was with came to such an end. But you should know that it has now come to light that the wretched woman had let herself be seduced by another man, the foreman of Erlend’s farm at Husaby. Erlend knew about this when he journeyed with her through the valley; he had offered to provide her with a proper dowry if the man would marry her.”
“Are you sure this is true?” asked Lavrans. “And yet I don’t know whether it makes the situation any better. It must be bitter for a woman of good family to arrive on the arm of the landowner, only to leave with the farm hand.”
Munan Baards?n put in, “I see, Lavrans Bj?rgulfs?n, that your strongest objection to my cousin is that he has had this unfortunate trouble with Sigurd Saksulvs?n’s wife. And it’s true that it was ill advised. But in the name of God, man, you must remember—there he was, a young boy in the same house with a young and beautiful wife, and she had a cold and useless old husband, and the nights last half the year up there. I don’t think much else could have been expected, unless Erlend had actually been a holy man. It can’t be denied that Erlend has never had any monk flesh in him, but I don’t imagine that your lovely young daughter would be grateful if you gave her to a monk. It’s true that Erlend conducted himself foolishly, and even worse later on. But this matter must finally be considered closed. We, his kinsmen, have striven to help set the boy on his feet again. The woman is dead, and Erlend has done everything within his power for her body and soul. The Bishop of Oslo himself has redeemed him from his sin, and now he has come home, cleansed by the Holy Blood in Schwerin. Do you intend to be harsher than the Bishop of Oslo and the archbishop or whoever it is down there who presides over the precious blood?
“My dear Lavrans, it’s true that pure living is an admirable thing, but it’s hardly within the powers of a grown man unless he is particularly blessed by God. By Saint Olav—you should keep in mind that the holy king himself was not given that blessing until the end of his life on earth. It was evidently God’s will that he should first produce the capable boy-king Magnus, who repelled the heathens’ invasion of the north. King Olav did not have that son by his queen, and yet he sits among the highest of saints in Heaven. Yes, I can see that you think this improper talk . . .”
Sir Baard interrupted, “Lavrans Bj?rgulfs?n, I didn’t like this matter any better than you when Erlend first came to me and said that he had set his heart on a maiden who was betrothed. But I have since realized that there is such a strong love between these two young people, it would be a great sin to separate their affections. Erlend was with me at the Christmas feast that King Haakon held for his men. That’s where they met, and as soon as they saw each other, your daughter fainted and lay as if dead for a long time—and I could see that my foster son would rather lose his own life than lose her.”
Lavrans sat in silence for a moment before he replied.
“Yes, that sort of thing sounds so beautiful when we hear it in a courtly tale from the southern lands. But we are not in Bretland,1 and surely you would demand more of a man you intend to take as a son-in-law than that he had made your daughter swoon with love before everyone’s eyes.”
The other two didn’t speak, and then Lavrans continued, “I think, good sirs, that if Erlend Nikulauss?n had not so greatly diminished both his property and his reputation, then you would not be sitting here, asking so earnestly for a man of my circumstances to give my daughter to him. But I won’t have it said about Kristin that she was honored by coming to Husaby through marriage to a man belonging to this country’s best lineage—after that man had disgraced himself so badly that he could neither expect a better match nor maintain his family’s distinction.”
He stood up abruptly and paced back and forth across the floor.
But Sir Munan jumped up. “No, Lavrans, if you’re going to talk about bringing shame upon oneself, then by God you should know that you’re being much too proud—”
Sir Baard cut him off. He went over to Lavrans and said, “And proud you are, Lavrans. You’re like those landowners in the past we’ve heard about, who refused to accept titles from the kings because their sense of pride could not tolerate hearing people say that they owed anything to anyone but themselves. I must tell you that if Erlend had possessed all the honor and wealth that the boy was born with, I would still not consider it disparaging to myself when I asked a man of good lineage and good circumstances to give his daughter to my foster son, if I could see that it would break the hearts of these two young people to be kept apart. Especially,” he said softly, placing his hand on the other man’s shoulder, “if things were such that it was best for the health of both their souls if they were allowed to marry.”
Lavrans shook off Baard’s hand. His face grew stony and cold. “I don’t know what you mean, sir.”
The two men looked at each other for a moment. Then Sir Baard said, “I mean that Erlend has told me that they have sworn themselves to each other with the most solemn of oaths. Perhaps you think you have the authority to release your child, since she has sworn without your consent. But you cannot release Erlend. And I can’t see that there is anything standing in the way except your pride—and your abhorrence of sin. But in this it seems to me that you wish to be harsher than God Himself, Lavrans Bj?rgulfs?n!”
Lavrans answered somewhat uncertainly, “You may be right in what you say, Sir Baard. But I have mainly opposed this marriage because Erlend seemed to me an unreliable man to whom I would not want to entrust my daughter.”
“I think I can vouch for my foster son now,” said Baard in a subdued tone of voice. “He loves Kristin so much that if you give her to him, I am convinced he will conduct himself in such a manner that you will have no cause to complain of your son-in-law.”
Lavrans didn’t reply at once.
Then Sir Baard said imploringly, holding out his hand, “In God’s name, Lavrans Bj?rgulfs?n, give your consent!”
Lavrans gave his hand to Sir Baard. “In God’s name.”
Ragnfrid and Kristin were called to the loft, and Lavrans told them of his decision. Sir Baard graciously greeted the two women. Sir Munan shook Ragnfrid’s hand and spoke courteously to her, but he greeted Kristin in the foreign manner with kisses, and he took his time about it. Kristin noticed that her father was looking at her as he did this.
“How do you like your new kinsman, Sir Munan?” he asked with derision when he was alone with her for a moment that evening.
Kristin gave her father an imploring look. Then he stroked her face several times and said nothing more.
When Sir Baard and Sir Munan had gone to bed, the latter said, “What wouldn’t I give to see the face of this Lavrans Bj?rgulfs?n if he ever learned the truth about his precious daughter. Here you and I had to beg on our knees for Erlend to win a woman as his wife whom he has had with him up at Brynhild’s inn so many times.”
“You keep quiet about that,” replied Sir Baard bitterly. “It was the worst thing Erlend could have done when he enticed the child to such a place. And never let Lavrans get word of this; it will be best for everyone if those two can be friends.”