As aforesaid, she was
better clad than most of those of Rose-dale, and indeed might be
called gaily clad, and where her raiment was befouled or rent, it was
from the roughness of the wood and its weather, and not from the
thralldom. She was a young and fair woman, black-haired and grey-
eyed. She had washed herself that day in a woodland stream which
they had crossed on the road, and had arrayed her garments as trimly
as she might, and had plucked some fumitory, wherewith she had made a
garland for her head. She sat down on the grass in front of Face-of-
god, while the man her mate stood leaning against a tree and looked
on her greedily. The Burgdale carles drew near to her to hearken her
story, and looked kindly on the twain. She smiled on them, but
especially on Face-of-god, and said:
'Thou hast sent for me, lord, and I wot well thou wouldst hear my
tale shortly, for it would be long to tell if I were to tell it
fully, and bring into it all that I have endured, which has been
bitter enough, for all that ye see me smooth of skin and well-liking
of body. I have been the bed-thrall of one of the chieftains of the
Dusky Men, at whose house many of their great men would assemble, so
that ye may ask me whatso ye will; as I have heard much talk and may
call it to mind.
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