The Water of the Wondrous Isles eBook

Then the witch-wife took up the flasket and pulled out the stopple and betook it to Birdalone, and said:  Drink of this now, a little sip, no more.  And the maiden did so, and the liquor was no sooner down her gullet than the witch-wife and the chamber, and all things about her, became somewhat dim to her; but yet not so much so as that she could not see them.  But when she stretched out her arm she could see it not at all, nor her limbs nor any other part of her which her eyes might fall upon.  Then would she have uttered a lamentable wail, but the voice was sealed up in her and no sound came from her voice.  Then she heard the witch-wife how she said (and yet she heard it as if her voice came from afar), Nay, thou canst not speak, and thou canst not see thyself, nor may any other, save me, and I but dimly.  But this is but part of what I must lay upon thee; for next I must give thee a new shape, and that both thyself and all other may see.  But, before I do that, I must speak a word to thee, which thy new shape would not suffer the sense thereof to reach to thine heart.  Hearken!

CHAPTER XII.  THE WORDS OF THE WITCH-WIFE TO BIRDALONE

Said the witch-wife:  When thou comest to thyself (for it is not my will that thou shouldest never have thine own shape again), doubtless the first thing which thou shalt do with thy new-gained voice and thy new-gained wit shall be to curse me, and curse me again.  Do as thou wilt herein; but I charge thee, disobey me not, for that shall bring thee to thy bane.  For if thou do not my bidding, and if thou pry into my matters, and lay bare that which I will have hidden, then will it be imputed unto thee for guilt, and will I, will I not, I must be avenged on thee even to slaying:  and then is undone all the toil and pain I have had in rearing thee into a deft and lovely maiden.  Deem thou, then, this present anguish kind to thee, to keep thee that thou come not to nought.

Now since I have begun speaking, I will go on; for little heretofore have I spoken to thee what was in mine heart.  Well I wot that thou thinkest of me but as of an evil dream, whereof none can aught but long to awake from it.  Yet I would have thee look to this at least; that I took thee from poverty and pinching, and have reared thee as faithfully as ever mother did to child; clemming thee never, smiting thee not so oft, and but seldom cruelly.  Moreover, I have suffered thee to go whereso thou wouldest, and have compelled thee to toil for nought but what was needful for our two livelihoods.  And I have not stayed thy swimmings in the lake, nor thy wanderings in the wood, and thou hast learned bowshot there, till thou art now a past-master in the craft:  and, moreover, thou art swift-foot as the best of the deer, and mayest over-run any one of them whom thou wilt.