But at last, as she stood in the door of the Mote-
house, and beheld all the throng of folk happy and friendly, it came
over her that she herself had done her full share to bring all this
about, and that all those pleasant places of Silver-dale now full of
the goodly life of man would be there even as she had striven for
them, and that they would be a part of her left behind, though she
were dwelling otherwhere.
Therewithal she said to herself that it was now her part to wield the
life of men in Burgdale, and begin once more her days of a chieftain
and a swayer of the Folk, and the life of a stirring woman, which the
edge of the sword and the need of the hard hand-play had taken out of
her hands for a while, making her as a child in the hands of the
strong wielders of the blades.
So now she became calm once more, and her face was clad again with
the full measure of that majesty of beauty which had once overawed
Face-of-god amidst his love of her; and folk beheld her and marvelled
at her fairness, and said: 'She hath an inward sorrow at leaving the
fair Dale wherein her Fathers dwelt, and where her mother's ashes lie
in earth.
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