amidst these stones as best we may; for we should be stirring betimes
in the morning." Hallblithe said little in answer, and they arrayed
their sleeping places cunningly, as the hare doth her form, and like
men well used to lying abroad.

Hallblithe was very weary and he soon fell asleep; and as he lay
there, he dreamed a dream, or maybe saw a vision; whether he were
asleep when he saw it, or between sleeping and waking, I know not.
But this was his dream or his vision; that the Hostage was standing
over him, and she as he had seen her but yesterday, bright-haired and
ruddy-cheeked and white-skinned, kind of hand and soft of voice, and
she said to him: "Hallblithe, look on me and hearken, for I have a
message for thee." And he looked and longed for her, and his soul
was ravished by the sweetness of his longing, and he would have leapt
up and cast his arms about her, but sleep and the dream bound him,
and he might not. Then the image smiled on him and said: "Nay, my
love, lie still, for thou mayst not touch me: here is but the image
of the body which thou desirest. Hearken then. I am in evil plight,
in the hands of strong-thieves of the sea, nor know I what they will
do with me, and I have no will to be shamed; to be sold for a price
from one hand to another, yet to be bedded without a price, and to
lie beside some foe-man of our folk, and he to cast his arms about
me, will I, will I not: this is a hard case. Therefore to-morrow
morning at daybreak while men sleep, I think to steal forth to the
gunwale of the black ship and give myself to the gods, that they and
not these runagates may be masters of my life and my soul, and may do
with me as they will: for indeed they know that I may not bear the
strange kinless house, and the love and caressing of the alien house-
master, and the mocking and stripes of the alien house-mistress.
Therefore let the Hoary One of the sea take me and look to my