Now they rejoiced in this word of Atra the wise; and
Atra prayed Birdalone to tell them somewhat more of
her story; and she told them much; but, whyso it were,
she said nought concerning the wood-wife, whose outward
semblance was the same as hers. Then they pitied
her, and caressed her; but Atra said: We must
tarry here no more, but go straight up to the lady,
or maybe we shall lose all.
So they went their ways and came into the pleasance,
and trod the sweet greensward betwixt the garland
flowers and the beauteous trees; which now indeed,
though Birdalone saw them all clear and over-clear,
were become nought to her. Those three also spake
gently to her, and now and then asked her somewhat,
as if to show her that she was one of themselves;
but she spake not, or answered at random, and to say
sooth scarce heard their words: forsooth she
was now become heart-sick, and was half dead for
fear; and her nakedness, which would have troubled
her little across the water, was now grown a shame
and a terror unto her, and every deal of her body
quivered with the anguish thereof.
CHAPTER III. BIRDALONE IS BROUGHT BEFORE THE WITCH-WIFE’S SISTER
So came they at last to the very house, and whereas
it stood high on the bent, a great stair or perron
of stone went up to it, and was of much majesty.
They went through the porch, which was pillared and
lovely, and into a great hall most nobly builded, and
at the other end thereof, on a golden throne raised
upon a dais, sat a big woman clad in red scarlet.
The three damsels led Birdalone to some four paces
of the great lady, and then stood away from her, and
left her standing there alone, the scarlet-clad woman
before her; on the right and the left the tall pillars
going up gleaming toward the roof, and about her feet
the dark polished pavement, with the wallowing of
strange beasts and great serpents and dragons all done
on the coal-blue ground.
When she was so left alone, at first she tottered,
and went nigh to falling; but then came back some
little heart to her, as she said to herself that now
she should verily die once for all, and that no long
while would be the passing from life into death.
She looked up and beheld the lady-witch, that she
was somewhat like to her sister, white-skinned and
of plenteous golden-hair as was she, but younger of
aspect, and nowise so ill-looked as that other had
now become; for somewhat well-shapen of body she was;
but her face forbidding; her lower lip thrust out,
her cheeks flaggy and drooping, her eyes little more
than half open; to be short, a face both proud, foolish,
and cruel; terrible indeed, sitting in judgment in
that place on a shrinking naked creature.
Now she spake; and if there were no majesty or solemnity
in the voice, there was ugly glee and malice therein;
but she said to those damsels: Is this the woman
that my keen eyes beheld come aland from my sister’s
Sending Boat e’en now? Aurea knelt on one
knee, and said: Yea, so please you, my lady.
