said the father , laughingly , to his eldest daughter , one evening when they were all sitting at the door of their cottage . ` You know that is a very important point ! ' ` Yes ; I will never wed any man who is not called Sigmund , ' answered she . ` Well , it is lucky for you that there are a great many Sigmunds in this part of the world , ' replied her father , ` so that you can take your choice ! And what do YOU say ? ' he added , turning to the second . ` Oh , I think that there is no name so beautiful as Sigurd , ' cried she . ` Then you wo n't be an old maid either , ' answered he . ` There are seven Sigurds in the next village alone ! And you , Helga ? ' Helga , who was still the prettiest of the three , looked up . She also had her favourite name , but , just as she was going to say it , she seemed to hear a voice whisper : ` Marry no one who is not called Habogi . ' The girl had never heard of such a name , and did not like it , so she determined to pay no attention ; but as she opened her mouth to tell her father that her husband must be called Njal , she found herself answering instead : ` If I do marry it will be to no one except Habogi . ' ` Who IS Habogi ? ' asked her father and sisters ; ` We never heard of such a person . ' ` All I can tell you is that he will be my husband , if ever I have one , ' returned Helga ; and that was all she would say . Before very long the young men who lived in the neighbouring villages or on the sides of the mountains , had heard of this talk of the three girls , and Sigmunds and Sigurds in scores came to visit the little cottage . There were other young men too , who bore different names , though not one of them was called ` Habogi , ' and these thought that they might perhaps gain the heart of the youngest . But though there was more than one ` Njal ' amongst them , Helga 's eyes seemed always turned another way . At length the two elder sisters made their choice from out of the Sigurds and the Sigmunds , and it was decided that both weddings should take place at the same time .
Invitations were sent out to the friends and relations , and when , on the morning XXXXX the great day , they were all assembled , a rough , coarse old peasant left the crowd and came up to the brides ' father .
At If as for like of on so than to