Then Birdalone kissed her again, and made much of her, and so stepped
into the boat, and fell to her sacrifice to the wight thereof; and
those others stared at her and wondered, and spake nought unto her
till she was gone gliding over the face of the waters; but as they
walked back to the house, they spake amongst themselves that this
must be some goddess (for of Holy Church they knew nought) who had
come to visit them in her loveliness; and in after times, when this
folk waxed a many, and tilled all the isle and made ships and spread
to other lands and became great, they yet had a memory of Birdalone
as their own very lady and goddess, who had come from the fertile and
wise lands to bless them, when first they began to engender on that
isle, and had broken bread with them, and slept under their roof, and
then departed in a wonderful fashion, as might be looked for of a
goddess.
But as for Birdalone, she came not back ever, nor saw that folk
again, and now she sped over the water toward the Isle of Kings.
CHAPTER XI. COMING TO THE ISLE OF KINGS BIRDALONE FINDETH THERE A
SCORE AND TWO OF FAIR DAMSELS WHO WOULD FAIN HAVE HER COMPANY
Birdalone came ashore at the said isle at the day-dawn, and saw but
little change in the isle when it grew light, and still the castle
stood looking down awfully on to the meadows.
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