86 James Clirisfiaii Lindherg 



Shall seize Jarl Hakon's sonl and on their wings 

 vShall carry it aloft to Odin's hall. 

 Th' all-seeing- sun shall find my lifeless frame 

 Upon the mount, and say : "He lived and died 

 Exalted high above the multitude." 



Tlwra. O Hakon, Hakon ! Speak not so. Nay, Hakon I 

 I hate thee not, no, no, I hate thee not ; 

 And I will house thee, keep thee, yea, protect, thee 

 Against a thousand enemies. [SIic seizes his hand.] 



Hakon. But Thora! 



Dost know that I have slain witli this same hand — 

 The little Erling whom thou lovedst so well ? 



Tlwra. T l^now it, aye, an ofi'ering to tlie gods, 

 AA'hich shows, O Hakon, but the far extreme ' 

 To which ill-fated destiny hatli brought 

 Thy rarest of all souls of men. 



Hakon. But Thora; 



Dost know this hand which thou dost take so fondlv 

 Has — ah, it pains me much to — 



Thora. Yes, I kno\v, 



This hand has killed mv brothers in the war. 



Hakon. And still? 



Thora. Thou 'It find that Thora loves thee still. 



Yes, Hakon ! Harshly hast thou treated me ; 

 Thou 'st pushed aside my love with bitter scorn ; 

 Thou 'st killed my brothers, dearly loved ! But then 

 In war 't is life for life ; and Einar says 

 That Odin took them to his lilessed hall. 



\SI\c hides her face in her hands a)id weeps ; soon she raises 

 her head and stares npon the Jarl.] 



Ha, tell me, Hakon ! is it thou who standest 



Tn Thora's room, in this dark, forest home, 



So far removed from Hlade's brilliant throne, 



With shuddering darkness creeping round about thee, 



Where storms are beating 'gainst the castle walls, 



As in my bosom? Tell me, sir, T pray, 



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