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"And would thou had'st rotted there!" quoth Giles o' the Bow, edging nearer Now hereupon the h the silken curtain of her black and glossy hair, and beholding the entreaty of that look, the virginal purity of those wide blue eyes, the archer stood awed and silent, his coer and he crouched to spring on Gurth; but, of a sudden, Beltane rode in between, at whose co a shout went up and thereafter a silence fell But now at sight of Beltane, the witch- beneath his look, crouched upon her knees and spake in strange, hushed accents
"Messire," she whispered, "mine eyes do tell me thou art the lord Beltane!"
"Aye, 'tis so"
"Ah!" she cried, "now glory be and thanks to God that I do see thee hale and well!" So saying, she shivered and covered her face Nohile Beltane yet stared, a, the bushes parted near by and a hooded figure stepped forth silent and soft of foot, at sight of who, drew a second cross in the dust with his bow-stave, what tistone Waste herself!"
Very still she stood, looking round upon thelittered 'neath the shadow of her hood; and when at last she spake, her voice was rich and sweet to hear
"Liar!" she said, and pointed at Gurth a long, white finger, "unhand her, liar, lest thou wither, flesh and bone, body and soul!" Now here, once again, er crossed himself devoutly
"The evil eye!" he ers, Giles, lest she blast thee!" But Gurth shook his head and laughed aloud
"Fools!" he cried, "do ye forget? No witch hath power i' the sun! She can work no evil i' the sunshine Seize her!--'tis an accursed hag-- seize her! Bring her to the water and see an she can sith a stone at her hag's neck All witches are powerless by day See, thus I spit upon and defy her!"
Now hereupon a roar of anger went up and, for that they had feared her before, so no they ed at her, hands that rent her cloak, that grasped with cruel fingers at her long grey hair, bending her this way and that; but she uttered no groan nor complaint, only the er in hand, pushed and strove to co the throng withround upon theh was harsh and bitter