62 James Christian Lindberg 



Entangled in thy self-laid snare. I '11 not 

 Employ snch paltry means as merest chance 

 Hath offered me. Not so, my Hakon Jarl ! 

 Upon the battle field I '11 boldly meet thee. 

 Thou seest thy schemes have fai.led. Thy Thorer stands 

 Before high heaven's Judge. 'T were easy now 

 To seize thee ; easier still to end thy life. 

 liUt I defend the Christian faith, and. scorn 

 The like inglorious display. So choose 

 Betwixt a twofold choice; remain as Jarl 

 At Hlade, as thou art, and give thy oath 

 Of loyalty, — well then begone ! And bear 

 In mind that wheresoe'er we meet again. 

 It's blood, my Jarl! Blood! Thou or I must die! 

 Hakon. [Proudly and calmly.] 



I choose the latter, Olaf, aye, the latter. 

 Thou callest me villain, — slave? This makes me smile. 

 One reads in this thine utter youth. Sir Olaf. 

 Thy years betray themselves in flippancy. 

 In arrogance. Look deep into mine eyes. 

 Yea, scan my forehead, Olaf ; tell me : sawest 

 Thou ever such-in slaves ? Think you, perchance, 

 That cowardice, deceitfulness have carved 

 This wrinkled brow ? I lured thee on ? And w-hy ? 

 I knew thou needest hnt a sign to tempt 

 Thee toward the prize. Deep in thy haughtly soul 

 Thou lovest more the ties of blood, that bound 

 Thee to a royal race extinct, than all 

 The scores of far-famed deeds of Hakon Jarl. 

 Thou 'st waited long to bring confusion and 

 Disturb an old man's peace. That I desired 

 To end the feud, as soon as possible. 

 Does this astonish thee ? That I l)eguiled 

 A frenzied visionary, one Avho scorns 

 The highest gods, does this astonish thee ? 

 Does it astonish thee, that I approved 

 My Thorer's scheme, when hostile fate made threats 



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