It was at haymaking, and many of the house-folk were away on the outlying pastures; those who were at home were overpowered as they lay asleep. Steinfinn did not wake until he was pulled out of the bed, where he slept with his wife. The summer was warm that year, so folk lay naked; Steinfinn was bare as his mother bore him as he stood bound by his own board with three men holding him.

The lady Ingebjörg defended herself like a wild beast, with tooth and nail, while Mattias wrapped the coverlet about her, lifted her out of bed, and set her on his knees. Mattias said to Steinfinn:

“Now could I take such vengeance as ye two deserve—and you, Steinfinn, should stand there a bound man with no power to protect your wife, if I had a mind to take her who was promised to me and never to you. But I have more fear of breaking God’s law and I take more heed of good morals than you. So now I shall chasten you, Steinfinn, by letting you take back your wife inviolate, by my favour—and you, my Ingebjörg, dwell with your man and peace be with you both! After this night I trow ye will remember to thank me each time ye shall embrace in joy and gladness,” he said with a loud laugh.

He kissed the lady and laid her in the bed, calling to his men that now they should ride away.—Then he turned to Steinfinn.

Steinfinn had not uttered a word, and, as he saw he could not break loose, he stood still; but his face was a deep crimson and he did not take his eyes off Mattias. The other went close up to him.

“If you have not the grace, man, then maybe you have the wit to thank me for the mercy I have shown tonight?” asked Mattias with a laugh.

“Be sure I shall thank you,” quoth Steinfinn. “If God grant me life.”

Now, Mattias was dressed in a kirtle with open, hanging sleeves and tassels at their points. He took the flap of his sleeve in his hand and whisked the tassel across Steinfinn’s face, laughing yet louder. And of a sudden he drove his fist into the face of the bound man, so that the blood flowed from Steinfinn’s mouth and nose.

That done, he went out to his men. Olav Audunsson, Steinfinn’s foster-son, a boy of eleven years, ran forward and cut Steinfinn’s bonds. The lad, Steinfinn’s children, and their foster-mothers had been dragged into the outer room and held there while Mattias was speaking to his faithless betrothed and her man within.

Steinfinn snatched a spear and, naked as he was, ran out after Mattias and his men as they rode down the steep slope, straight across the plough-land, laughing scornfully. Steinfinn flung the spear, but it fell short. Meanwhile the boy Olav ran to the men’s room and the byre and let out the serving-men who had been barred in, while Steinfinn went back to the house, dressed himself, and took his arms.

But all thought of pursuing Mattias was vain, for there were but three horses left at Frettastein and they were loose in the paddock. Nevertheless Steinfinn rode off at once, to seek his father and brothers. As he dressed, he had spoken in private with his wife. She came out with him when he was ready to set out. And now Steinfinn declared to his house-folk that he would not sleep with his wife until he had repaired the shame, so that no man could say she was his by the favour of Mattias Haraldsson. Then he rode forth, but his lady went into an old outhouse that stood in the courtyard, and locked herself in.

The house-folk, men and women, streamed into the hall, eager to learn what had happened. They close-questioned Olav, who sat half-clad on the edge of the bed that Steinfinn’s weeping daughters had crept into; they turned to ask the two little maids and the foster-mother of Steinfinn’s youngest son. But none of these could tell them aught, and soon the servants grew tired of questioning and went out.

The boy sat in the dark hall listening to Ingunn’s obstinate weeping. Then he climbed up into the bed and lay down by her side.

“Be sure your father will take vengeance. You may well believe he will do that. And I trow I shall be with him, to show that Steinfinn has a son-in-law, though his sons are yet too young to bear arms!”

It was the first time Olav had dared to speak straight out of the betrothal that had been made between him and Ingunn when they were children. In the first years he spent at Frettastein the servants had sometimes chanced to speak of it and tease the children with being betrothed, and it had always made Ingunn wild. Once she had run to her father and complained, and he had been angered and had forbidden his people to speak of such things—so wrathfully that more than one of them had guessed that maybe Steinfinn repented his bargain with Olav’s father.

That night Ingunn took Olav’s reminder of the plans that had been made for them in such wise that she crept up to the boy and wept upon his arm, till the sleeve of his shirt was drenched with her tears.

•   •   •

From that night a great change came over the life at Frettastein. Steinfinn’s father and brothers counselled him to bring a suit against Mattias Haraldsson, but Steinfinn said that he himself would be the judge of what his honour was worth.

Now, Mattias had gone straight home to the manor in Borgesyssel where he dwelt. And the following spring he went on a pilgrimage in foreign lands. But when this was noised abroad and it was known that Steinfinn’s wrath was such that he shunned folk and would not live with his wife any more, then there was much talk of the vengeance that Mattias had taken upon his faithless betrothed. Even though Mattias and his men told no different tale of the raid from what was heard at Frettastein, it turned out that the farther the rumour spread over the country, the more cheaply folk judged that Steinfinn had been held by Mattias.