Frey and His Wife

by Maurice Hewlett

"How so?"

"Why, you drove me to say what was untrue. He did not speak his mind to me. That is not true. Or if he did, what he said was quite otherwise."

"You mean," said Gunnar, "that the mind of Frey, as you understand it, is not my mind."

"Certainly it is not," she said. "He hates you. He does not rest because of you."

Gunnar looked at her. "You mean, I believe, that you do not rest."

She stamped her foot. "It is the same thing. If he does not rest, how can I rest?"

Gunnar said, "It is not at all the same thing. And do you think you would rest better if I went away?"

She shook her head, but did not speak. He saw that she was crying.

"Well," said he after a while, "then I shall not go, but will stay here and make Frey a little more friendly."