"Why not?" asked Vagn, in surprise.
"Well," Sigurd hesitated, "she would make a fuss about it, and—well, I really wish you wouldn't, old fellow!"
Seeing that Sigurd really wished it so, Vagn agreed, and they went to Astrid's room to tell her of their plans with Ulf.
Astrid greeted them with a laugh. "You changed pretty quickly, Sigurd," she said.
"Why, what do you mean?" Both boys stared at her.
"Oh, one of my maids just ran in and told me how some yellow-haired stranger rescued our old friend Thorkel down in the harbor, and ran off before they could find out who he was. So I knew that it must be Fairhair, here!"
"So it was, Astrid!" cried out Vagn. "If I'd been there I would have let the scoundrel drown!"
"No you wouldn't, Vagn," protested Sigurd. "You might kill him in fair fight, but you wouldn't let him drown without trying to save him!"
"Never mind," declared Astrid, looking at Sigurd, "it was a noble thing to do, Fairhair, and I am proud of you for it."
Sigurd blushed rosily, and hastily turned the conversation by describing his meeting with Ulf.