Hildigunna was out of doors, and said, "Now shall all the men of my household be out of doors when Flosi rides into the yard; but the women shall sweep the house and deck it with hangings, and make ready the high seat for Flosi."
Then Flosi rode into the town, and Hildigunna turned to him and said, "Come in safe and sound and happy kinsman, and my heart is fain at thy coming hither."
"Here," says Flosi, "we will break our fast, and then we will ride on."
Then their horses were tethered, and Flosi went into the sitting- room and sat him down, and spurned the high seat away from him on the dais, and said, "I am neither king nor earl, and there is no need to make a high seat for me to sit on, nor is there any need to make a mock of me."
Hildigunna was standing close by, and said, "It is ill if it mislikes thee, for this we did with a whole heart."
"If thy heart is whole towards me, then what I do will praise itself if it be well done, but it will blame itself if it be ill done."
Hildigunna laughed a cold laugh, and said, "There is nothing new in that, we will go nearer yet ere we have done."
She sat her down by Flosi, and they talked long and low.
After that the board was laid, and Flosi and his band washed their hands. Flosi looked hard at the towel and saw that it was all in rags, and had one end torn off. He threw it down on the bench and would not wipe himself with it, but tore off a piece of the tablecloth, and wiped himself with that, and then threw it to his men.
After that Flosi sat down to the board and bade men eat.