CHAPTER VI. HEREIN IS TOLD OF BIRDALONE'S RAIMENT



Lank and long is Birdalone the sweet, with legs that come forth bare
and browned from under her scant grey coat and scantier smock
beneath, which was all her raiment save when the time was bitter, and
then, forsooth, it was a cloak of goat-skin that eked her attire:
for the dame heeded little the clothing of her; nor did Birdalone
give so much heed thereto that she cared to risk the anger of her
mistress by asking her for aught.

But on a day of this same spring, when the witch-wife was of sweeter
temper than her wont was, and the day was very warm and kindly,
though it was but one of the last of February days, Birdalone,
blushing and shamefaced, craved timidly some more womanly attire.
But the dame turned gruffly on her and said: Tush, child! what
needeth it? here be no men to behold thee. I shall see to it, that
when due time comes thou shalt be whitened and sleeked to the very
utmost. But look thou! thou art a handy wench; take the deer-skin
that hangs up yonder and make thee brogues for thy feet, if so thou
wilt.

Even so did Birdalone, and shaped the skin to her feet; but as she
was sewing them a fancy came into her head; for she had just come
across some threads of silk of divers colours; so she took them and
her shoon and her needle up into the wood, and there sat down happily
under a great spreading oak which much she haunted, and fell to
broidering the kindly deer-skin. And she got to be long about it,