36 James C/irlsfiaii Lindbcrg 



The only one who hrought thee artless love. 

 Was Thora. Rank was naught to me. My strain 

 Renowned and famed, dates hack as far as thine. 

 Bewildered as I was, 1 thought to cleanse, 

 Regenerate thy heart, to make thee chaste 

 And lovely. Odin ! When was Loke" true ? 

 But vengeance, vengeance, Hakon ! T have friends 

 And brothers ! Better men than thou. I swear 

 By Asa Odin, they shall punish thee. 

 Hakou. [Jl'ifh excited coldness.] 



Too fast, too fast : thou hast lost thy breath ; take time I 



[He calls. Kahkf.r comes.] 



If thou hast more to say, behold, there stands 



My thrall ; tell him the rest. It ill becomes 



The Jarl to hear such weak abusive words 



From an excited woman. [E.vit. 



T/iora. Shameless knave ! 



V\'hat brings thee here ? 



Karker. Thou 'st heard mv master say, 



I 'm here to be ainised. 



Thora. [Strikes h.im.] Slave, reprobate! 



Karker. ]\1\- noble lady, oh, beware ! Thou 'It bruise 

 Thy hand upon mv back. 



Thora. [Calming herself.] Ha, Thora ! You 

 Debase yourself. Where 's now your rank, your pride ? 

 Thou fool, begone ! 



Karker. My master's orders bid 



Me not begone. 



Thora. What are his orders, pray ? 



Karker. That I announce, thy carriage waits to drive 

 Thee home to Rimol. 



Thora. This then,- is the charge 



Tliat thou shouldst bring, wherefore thy master lacked 

 The time ? "T is well ; he is our common lord. 

 I freely yield ; I go without delay. ' [E.vit. 



74 



