It was a gold ring with a red stone in it, and he put it on her finger and kissed her.
In a cleft on the skerry was a patch of green grass. There they sat them down, and they were ministered to in wondrous wise, how he knew not nor cared to know, so great was his joy.
"Midsummer Day is beauteous," said she, "and I am young and thou art my bridegroom. And now we'll to our bridal bed."
So bonnie was she that he could not contain himself for love.
But when night drew nigh, and the sun began to dance out into the sea, she kissed him and shed tears.
"Beauteous is the summer day," said she, "and still more beauteous is the summer evening; but now the dusk cometh."
And all at once it seemed to him as if she were becoming older and older and fading right away.
When the sun went below the sea-margin there lay before him on the skerry some mouldering linen rags and nought else.
Calm was the sea, and in the clear Midsummer night there flew twelve cormorants out over the sea.
