Through stillness, the thrall spoke again. “Do you accept this atonement, king?”
To whom, after a little time has passed, our king answered in a strange voice: “I accept this atonement.”
Then, his task being accomplished, the thrall loosed an awful discordant sound of grief; and raising the head between his palms kissed it on either cheek, crying:
“I slew you and I brought you hither because I have never dared go against your will in anything, but even you cannot hinder me from following you now!”
Wherewith he slew himself with the knife he had at his belt. And the sound of his falling body broke the spell, so that the bars of silence were let down and men’s voices rushed in like lowing cattle.
Excepting only in the little chapel in the wall. There Valgard stood as a man in a dream, gazing on the dead face of his brother; while the Little Nun, clasping him close, yet lifted awe-filled eyes to Our Lady that thus in her own inscrutable way answered the prayer to keep alive in the nature of an evil man its one good part.
Let us all give thanks that there is such a Lady, and pray that she may harken to us in our need!
AS THE NORNS WEAVE
