After this she went once and again fishing on to Green Eyot by the
bidding of the dame, who went not again to the shore with her. These
times she had half a mind to go see the Sending Boat, but durst not,
lest the thing itself might have life enough to tell of her.

And now was come the time of wheat-harvest, and Birdalone must wear
her days swinking in the acre-land, clad but in smock and shoes; and
the toil was hard, and browned her skin and hardened her hands, but
it irked her not, for the witch let her work all alone, and it was
holiday unto the maiden if her mistress were not anigh, despite those
words which had somewhat touched her heart that other day.

But when wheat-getting was done, there was again rest for her body,
and swimming withal and fishing from the eyot by the witch's leave.
And again by her own leave she went to seek Habundia in the wood, and
spent a happy hour with her, and came back with a fawn which she had
shot, and so but barely saved her skin from the twig-shower. Then
yet again she went into the wood on the witch's errand as well as her
own, and was paid by her friend's sweet converse, and by nought else
save the grudging girding of her mistress.

But on a night when September was well in, and the sky was moonless
and overcast, somewhat before midnight the dame came and hung over
Birdalone as she lay abed, and watched to see if she waked; forsooth
the witch's coming had waked her; but even so she was wary, and lay
still, nor changed her breathing. So the witch turned away, but even
therewith Birdalone made a shift to get a glimpse of her, and this
she saw thereby, that the semblance of her was changed, and that she