s prey, so did she seek her
destruction. As the fowler lureth the bird into his net, so did she lie
in wait for her. Yet she feared to destroy her openly, because that she
was afraid of the fierce anger of her husband Ethelfrith, and his love
for his daughter was great.

Sleep fled from her eyes, and colour forsook her cheeks, because of her
envy of the beauty of Agitha, and the hatred which she bore her. She
spoke unto her father Gormack, the weird thane, that he would aid her
with his sorceries against her. Then did they practise their unclean
spells, and perform their dark incantations to destroy her; but their
spells and incantations prevailed not, for the spirit of Woden protected
Agitha.

Now, there resided at that time in a dark cave, in the heugh which is
called Spindleston, an enchantress of great power, named Elgiva--the
worker of wonders. Men said that she could weave ropes of sand, and
threads from the motes of the sunbeams. She could call down fire from
the clouds, and transform all things by the waving of her magic wand.
Around her hung a loose robe, composed of the skins of many beasts. Her
feet and her arms were bare, and they were painted with strange figures.
On her face, also, was the likeness of the spirits that ministered to
her will. She was fearful to look upon. Men fled at her approach. The
beasts of the field were scared by her shadow. Round her head was
wreathed a crown of fantastic hemlock--round her neck a corslet of
deadly nightshade. On her left arm coiled a living snake, and it rested
its head upon her bosom. In her right hand she held a wand dipped in the
poison of all things venomous. Whatsoever it touched died--whatsoever it
waved over was transformed. No human foot approached her cave--no mortal
dared. The warrior, who feared not a hundred foes, quailed at the sight
of Elgiva, the enchantress, the worker of wonders. Unclean reptiles
crawled around her cave--the asp, the loathsome toad, and the hissing
adder. Two owls sat in the farthest corner of the cave, and their eyes
were as lamps in its darkness. They sat upon skulls of the dead. A tame
raven croaked in the midst of it. It was told that the reptiles, the
owls, and the raven, were objects of her enchantment--warriors, and the
daughters of warriors, transformed by the waving of her wand.

Now, when Bethoc could find no rest because of the greatness of her
hatred for Agitha, and, moreover, as she herself had communed with
impure s