finished she saw a coil of fine, fair hair wind itself twice about
Sir Archie's hand.

And Elsalill sprang up in terror and cried out: "Sir Archie, whose
hair is it that is bound about your hand?"

Sir Archie looked at her in confusion, not knowing what to say.
"It is real hair, Elsalill, I can feel it. It lies soft and cool
about my hand. But whence did it come?"

The maid sat staring at his hand, and it seemed that her eyes
would fall out of her head.

"So was it that my foster sister's hair was wound about the hand
of him who murdered her," she said.

But now Sir Archie burst into a laugh. He quickly drew back his
hand.

"Why," said he, "you and I, Elsalill, we are frightening ourselves
like little children. It was nothing more than a bright sunbeam
falling through the window."

But the girl fell to weeping and said: "Now methinks I am
crouching again by the stove and I can see the murderers at their
work. Ah, but I hoped to the last they would not find my dear
foster sister, but then one of them came and plucked her from the
wall, and when she sought to escape he twined her hair about his
hand and held her fast. And she fell on her knees before him and
said: 'Have pity on my youth! Spare my life, let me live long