THE LADY SPES
There was a very distinguished lady in that town, the owner of a large establishment, very rich and highly born. Her name was Spes. Her husband's name was Sigurd; he too was wealthy, but of lower birth than she was. She had been married to him for his money. There was not much love between them, and the marriage was thought an unhappy one. She was very proud, and had much dignity.
One evening when Thorsteinn was diverting himself she happened to pass along the street near the dungeon and heard singing so sweet that she declared she had never heard the like. She was walking with several retainers, and told them to go in and find out who it was that had such a magnificent voice. They called out and asked who was there in such close confinement. Thorsteinn told his name. Spes said:
"Are you as good at other things as you are at singing?"He said there was not much in that.
"What have you done," she asked, "that they should torture you here to death?"He said he had killed a man and avenged his brother; "but I have no witness to prove it," he said; "so I have been put here unless some one comes to release me, of which there seems little hope, since I have no relations here.""A great loss would it be if you were killed," she said. "Was your brother then a man of such renown, he whom you avenged?"Thorsteinn said he was half as good a man again as himself.
She asked what token there was of that. Then Thorsteinn spoke this verse:
"Goddess of rings! No eight could meet him, or gain the sword from his vanquished hand.
Brave was Grettir; his foemen doughty severed the hand of the ruler of ships."Those who understood the song declared that it told of great nobility. When she heard that she asked:
"Will you receive your life at my hands if the choice is offered you?""Indeed I will," he said, "if this companion of mine sitting here is released along with me. If not, we must both remain sitting here together."She answered: "I think you are more worth paying for than he is.""However that may be," he said, "either we both of us come out from here together or neither of us comes out."So she went to the Varangians' quarters and asked for the release of Thorsteinn, offering money. They agreed. With her interest and her wealth she brought it about that both of them were released. Directly Thorsteinn came out of the dungeon he went to pay his respects to the lady Spes. She welcomed him and kept him there secretly. From time to time he went campaigning with the Varangians, and was distinguished for his courage in all their engagements.
