The Earl answered sore wroth: "Late wilt thou be loth to ask respite
for Grettir; but in my mind it is that thou hast no good cause in
court; he has now slain three brothers, one at the heels of the other,
who were men so brave that they would none bear the other to purse.
Now it will not avail thee, Thorfinn, to pray for Grettir, for I
will not thus bring wrongs into the land so as to take boot for such
unmeasured misdeeds."

Then came forward Bessi, Skald-Torfa's son, and prayed the Earl to
take the offered settlement. "Thereto," he said, "I will give up my
goods, for Grettir is a man of great kin and a good friend of mine;
thou mayst well see, Lord, that it is better to respite one man's life
and to have therefor the thanks of many, thyself alone dooming the
fines, than to break down thine own honour, and risk whether thou
canst seize the man or not."

The Earl answered, "Thou farest well herein, Bessi, and showest at all
times that thou art a high-minded man; still I am loth thus to break
the laws of the land, giving respite to men of foredoomed lives."

Then stepped forth Thorstein Dromond and greeted the Earl, and made
offers on Grettir's behalf, and laid thereto many fair words. The Earl
asked for what cause he made offers for this man. Thorstein said that
they were brothers. The Earl said that he had not known it before:
"Now it is but the part of a man for thee to help him, but because
we have made up our mind not to take money for these man-slayings,
we shall make all men of equal worth here, and Grettir's life will we
have, whatsoever it shall cost and whensoever chance shall serve."

Thereat the Earl sprang up, and would listen in nowise to the offered