mind to make of her a thing accursed like to herself, and to bait the
trap with her for the taking of the sons of Adam. Forsooth she saw,
though dimly, that her mistress was indeed wicked, and that in the
bonds of that wickedness was she bound.

One thing, moreover, had she noted now this long while, that once and
again, it might be once every two moons, the witch-wife would arise
in the dead of night and go forth from the house, and be away for a
day, or two or three, or whiles more, and come back again weary and
fordone; but never said she any word to Birdalone hereof. Yet oft
when she arose to go this errand, before she left the chamber would
she come to Birdalone's truckle-bed, and stand over her to note if
she were asleep or not; and ever at such times did Birdalone feign
slumber amidst of sickening dread. Forsooth in these latter days it
whiles entered the maiden's head that when the dame was gone she
would rise and follow her and see whither she went, and what she did;
but terror constrained her that she went not.

Now from amidst all these imaginings arose a hope in her that she
might one day escape from her thralldom: and whiles, when she was
lonely and safe in the wood, to this hope she yielded herself; but
thereof came such tumult of her soul for joy of the hope, that she
might not master her passion; the earth would seem to rise beneath
her, and the woods to whirl about before her eyes, so that she might
not keep her feet, but would sink adown to earth, and lie there
weeping. Then most oft would come the cold fit after the hot, and
the terror would take her that some day the witch would surprise the
joy of that hope in her eyes, and would know what it meant, or that
some light word might bewray her; and therewith came imaginings of
what would then befall her, nor were that hard to picture, and it