talk with thee; and Aurea also would have been here, but that she is
serving the lady as now. Hath she then some pity on me, said
Birdalone, that she hath bidden thee do by me what is most to my
pleasure?

Laughed Viridis thereat, and Atra said: She hath no pity, nor ever
shall have; but so hard of heart is she, that she may not deem that
we could love thee, a stranger, and unhappy, who can serve us in
nowise; so she feareth not the abatement of thy grief from any
compassion of us. Rather she hath sent us, and me in especial, not
to comfort thee, but to grieve thee by words; for she biddeth me tell
thee fair tales, forsooth, of what to-morrow shall be to thee, and
the day after; and of how she shall begin on thee, and what shall
follow the beginning, and what thou mayst look for after that. For
by all this she deemeth to lower thy pride and abate thy valour, and
to make every moment of to-day a terror to thy flesh and thy soul, so
that thereby thou mayest thole the bitterness twice over. Such is
her pity for thee! And yet belike this cruelty hath saved thee, for
but for that she had not refrained her from thee to-day, and to-
morrow thou shalt be far away from her.

Meanwhile, said Viridis, in her soft sweet voice, none of all these
things will we talk over with thee, but things comfortable and kind;
and we will tell each to each of our story. Will we not, Atra? Yea,
verily, said she.

Birdalone looked upon them and said: Wondrous is your compassion and
loving-kindness unto me, and scarce do I know how to bear the burden
thereof. But tell me one thing truly; will ye not suffer in my place
when this witch cometh to know that ye have stolen me away from her?