Nay, said Birdalone, it will no better be but that
I depart on the morrow; and all thanks do I give you
for your kindness.
The woman kissed her, and she arose, and all they
went together to the milking of the kine some half
mile inland; and they passed through much of orchard,
and some deal of tillage, wherein the wheat was already
growing high; and so came they to a wide meadow through
which ran a little stream, and therein was a goodly
herd of kine. So they fell to the milking, and
made Birdalone drink of the sweet cows’ milk,
and then went and lay down under the shade of the little
young trees, and talked and were merry together.
But the men were both of them somewhat willing at
first to kiss Birdalone and toy with her, but when
she let them know that she desired it not they refrained
them without grudging.
All this while of their talk they asked Birdalone
nought of whence and whither, and she would not ask
them, lest it might stir their asking, and then she
would have to tell them some deal of her story; and
telling it was now become unto her somewhat weary work.
In a while they arose all, and the men and one woman
went their ways to deal with the acre-land, but the
meat-fetcher went back with Birdalone into the house;
and she showed her all that was therein, which was
for the more part, forsooth, the four babes aforesaid.
The others came back in the eventide, bearing with
them foison of blue hare-bells, and telling joyously
how they had found them anigh the coppice edge in
such a place: and thereafter they were merry,
and sang and talked the evening away, and showed Birdalone
at last to a fair little chamber wherein was a bed
of dry grass, where she lay down and slept in all
content.
On the morrow Birdalone arose betimes, and would not
tarry despite all the kindness of that folk and the
change which had come over the Isle of Nothing; so
the friends saw her down to the boat all together,
and bore down with them a deal of bread and cheese
and late apples of the last year, for her provision
on the road, and a pail of milk withal; and men and
women they kissed her at departure, and the meat-fetcher
said: If by any means thou mayst find a keel
which will carry thee hither, at some time, I would
thou wouldst come; for even if thou be old, and we
passed away, yet here shall be our children or our
grandchildren to welcome thee; and we will tell them
the tale of thee that they remember it and long for
thee.
