My lord, in trying to
win her back, was slain by Roderic's hand, and thereupon Roderic carried
away my child as his willing captive to his island home in Gigha. There
he made her his wedded wife. But not long had my lord been dead, not
long had his younger brother taken his place as ruler in our land, when
my heart so yearned for my fair Sigrid that I took ship and came south
in search of her. By chance I landed upon your father's isle of Bute,
for it was of Bute that Roderic had spoken as the home of his fathers.
"The ship that brought me hither was the ship of my brother, Rapp the
Icelander. Him I bade go over to Gigha and fulfil for me my vengeance
upon my enemy Roderic, and rescue my daughter. But the people secretly
told him that Roderic had been cruel to Sigrid, and that her love for
him had vanished as the morning mist. My child had lost her reason, and
in her mad despair she had gone out one day and cast herself from the
cliffs into the sea. Now Sigrid had left two children, and it was said
that they were unhappy. So Rapp, searching for them, with intent to
carry them off and bring them to me that I might be revenged upon their
father, found them one day playing in a great rock tunnel in Gigha."
"I know the place," said Kenric; "'twas there that Aasta --"
"'Twas there that Rapp the Icelander found Earl Roderic's bairns, and
from thence he carried them off.
Pages:
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289