Then said the witch: Ho thou! Wilt thou
plead some errand hither from my sister? Dost
thou deem me so witless as not to know that if she
had sent thee hither thou wouldst not have come in
this plight? Nay, I know; thou hast stolen thyself
from her: thou art a thief, and as a thief shalt
thou be dealt with.
Spake Birdalone in a clear voice: No errand
do I feign from thy sister, lady: when I could
bear my life there no longer, I took occasion to flee
from her: this is all the tale. Yet once
and again it hath been in my mind that it was thy
sister who stole me from them that loved me.
Hah, thrall! said the lady, thou art bold; thou art
over-bold, thou naked wretch, to bandy words with
me. What heed I thy tale now thou art under
my hand? Her voice was cold rather than fierce,
yet was there the poison of malice therein.
But Birdalone spake: If I be bold, lady, it
is because I see that I have come into the House of
Death. The dying may well be bold.
The House of Death! cried the stupid lady; and wilt
thou call my noble house the House of Death?
Now art thou no longer bold, stripped thrall, but
impudent.
Scorn rose into Birdalone’s heart at this word,
but she refrained her, and spake: I meant that
I have stirred the wrath in thee, and that thou wilt
slay me therefor; and that it availeth not to crave
mercy of thee.
Laughed the lady: Thou art a fool, thrall, said
she; if a sparrow fled hither from my sister, I should
not wring its neck, but keep it for her. So
shall I do with thee. I shall not slay thee,
and so destroy my sister’s chattel; nor shall
I spoil thee, and spoil her possession. I shall
send thee back unto her, the stolen thrall in the
stolen boat, when I have learned thee a lesson here.
Forsooth it was for that cause meseemeth that she
let thee slip through her fingers, for she is wise
enough to have stayed thee from this holiday had she
willed it. But she is tender-hearted, and kind,
and soft, and might well deem that if thy chastisement
were done to her hand here, it were better done than
by her mercy. Now, thrall, I have spoken enough
to thee, or more than enough: get thee back out
of earshot!
Birdalone did as she was bidden, and the witch called
unto her Atra, who came and stood humbly on the footpace
beside her, and held converse with her mistress a
while. Then she went backward from her a little,
and then came to Birdalone, and in a somewhat harsh
voice bade her come with her. Birdalone followed
her, quaking, and they came out of the hall and into
a long passage, which led to a wide stair winding
round a newel; and all was builded exceeding fair,
had Birdalone’s heart suffered her eyes to see
it; but her flesh was weak, and quaked before the
torment to come, so that her knees well-nigh failed
her.
