uest, yet would he have found nothing in all the world, or
perhaps in all the stars either, so sorrowful as Cissela.

They had accepted her sacrifice after long deliberation, they had arrayed
her in purple and scarlet, they had crowned her with gold wrought about
with jewels, they had spread abroad the veil of her golden hair; yet now,
as they led her forth in the midst of the band of knights, her brother
Eric holding fast her hand, each man felt like a murderer when he beheld
her face, whereon was no tear, wherein was no writhing of muscle,
twitching of nerve, wherein was no sorrow-mark of her own, but only the
sorrow-mark which God sent her, and which she _must_ perforce wear.

Yet they had not caught eagerly at her offer, they had said at first
almost to a man: 'Nay, this thing shall not be, let us die altogether
rather than this.' Yet as they sat, and said this, to each man of the
council came floating dim memories of that curse of the burned women, and
its remedy; to many it ran rhythmically, an old song better known by the
music than the words, heard once and again, long ago, when the gusty wind
overmastered the chesnut-boughs and strewed the smooth sward with their
star-leaves.

Withal came thoughts to each man, partly selfish, partly wise and just,
concerning his own wife and children, concerning children yet unborn;
thoughts too of the glory of the old name; all that had been suffered and
done that the glorious free land might yet be a nation.

And the spirit of hope, never dead but sleeping only, woke up within
their hearts: 'We may yet be a people,' they said to themselves, 'if we
can but get breathing time.'

And as they thought these things, and doubted, Siur rose up in the midst
of them and said: 'You are right in what you think, countrymen, and she
is right; she is altogether good and noble; send her forth.'

Then, with one look of utter despair at her as she stood statue-like, he
left the council, lest he should fall down and die in the midst of them,
he said; yet he died not then, but lived for many years afterwards.

But they rose from their seats, and when they were armed, and she royally
arrayed, they went with her, leading her through the dear streets, whence
you always saw the great pine-shadowed mountains; she went away from all
that was dear to her, to go and sit a crowned queen in the dreary marble
palace, whose outer walls rose right up from the weary-hearted sea. She
could not think, s