Frey and His Wife

by Maurice Hewlett

"He is not then," said Gunnar. "He will look shabby in his new wagon. Just try him for yourself and see."

She was most unwilling, but yet she allowed him to put Frey up in the forepart of the wain.

"Look at him," said Gunnar. "Look at the brown blur upon his neck; and see how smeared his cheeks are. There is no shine left. To my thinking he is failing in one eye. It is like the eye of a dead fish. There should be new gilding on his cone. Strange how a new wagon shows him up."

She was not looking at Frey at all; but when Gunnar had him down in the court and was about to take his clothes off, she sprang forward with flaming cheeks and dangerous eyes. "I dare you to touch him."

Gunnar stood. "As you please," he said. "It is nothing to me. Let him go bleary to his work."

She shifted about and paced the court uneasily. "He is very well as he is. If anything is to be done to him I will do it."

"As you please," said Gunnar again, and left the court. He went out into the forest where the birds were singing. He looked to see if any were nesting yet, and was away three or four hours.

When he came back Frey was in his house again, and he examined what Sigrid had done. She had washed him; Gunnar thought he looked sadly bleached about the chaps, and there were flaws in his beard. His neck was pinker. She had tried to repaint his right eye.

While he was looking at Frey Sigrid came in. She was flushed, and prepared to be angry in a moment.