Gudrid said, "That is not my opinion. I wish with all my heart I had."
"Wait," said Freydis, "until you have a man for a mate." But that made
Gudrid's eyes bright.
"You must not scorn my husband to my face," she said.
"Pooh!" said Freydis; "he's not here for long." Then Gudrid turned pale, and grew very grave.
"You know that, then?"
"Why," said Freydis, "it is common knowledge. We have all had to do with Thorberg. She has the second sight."
"That is dreadful to me," Gudrid said, but Freydis took it easily.
"You are woman enough to bear what you must bear," she said. "One of you must die before the other. I hope you don't want to share graves with such an old man as Thore? Well, then, suppose it had been you that were to die first—do you suppose that Thore would have left you for some other girl? What do you take him for? Not he. He's man enough to have his pleasure. Trust him for that."
Such was Freydis, who treated her own husband with a high hand, and sent for him when she wanted him.
Freydis spoke of the marriage of Thorstan and Gudrid as of an appointed thing. "You will suit each other," she said. "There is good mettle in Thorstan."