wives that we have wedded, and our mothers who have borne us, and our
sisters who serve us. Again I bid you light down off your horses, and
eat and drink, and be merry; and depart when ye will, to seek what land
ye will."

They scarce looked on him, but cried out together mournfully:

"This is not the Land! This is not the Land!"

No more than that they said, but turned about their horses and rode out
through the garth gate, and went clattering up the road that led to the
pass of the mountains. But Hallblithe hearkened wondering, till the
sound of their horse-hoofs died away, and then turned back to his work:
and it was then two hours after high-noon.

CHAPTER II: EVIL TIDINGS COME TO HAND AT CLEVELAND

Not long had he worked ere he heard the sound of horsehoofs once more,
and he looked not up, but said to himself, "It is but the lads bringing
back the teams from the acres, and riding fast and driving hard for joy
of heart and in wantonness of youth."

But the sound grew nearer and he looked up and saw over the turf wall of
the garth the flutter of white raiment; and he said:

"Nay, it is the maidens coming back from the sea-shore and the gathering
of wrack."

So he set himself the harder to his work, and laughed, all alone as he
was, and said: "She is with them: now I will not look up again till they
have ridden into the garth, and she has come from among them, and leapt
off her horse, and cast her arms about my neck as her wont is; and it
will rejoice her then to mock me with hard words and kind voice and
longing heart; and I shall long for her and kiss her, and sweet shall the
coming days seem to us: and the daughters of our folk shall look on and
be kind and blithe with us."

Therewith rode the maidens into the garth, but he heard no sound of
laughter or merriment amongst them, which was contrary to their wont; and
his heart fell, and it was as if instead of the maidens' laughter the
voices of those wayfarers came back upon the wind crying out, "Is this
the Land? Is this the Land?"

Then he looked up hastily, and saw the maidens drawing near, ten of the
House of the Raven, and three of the House of the Rose; and he beheld
them that their faces were pale and woe-begone, and their raiment rent,
and there was no joy in them. Hallblithe stood aghast while one who had
gotten off her horse (and she was the daughter of his own mother) ran
past him into the hall, looking not at him, as if she durst