Page:The Story and Song of Black Roderick.djvu/67

Rh ‘Now,’ quoth she, ‘I am lost forever, and shall see not the fair place in Paradise that was prepared for me.’ And she gave a loud and despairing cry. But a voice came again from the night, and saith:

‘What evil thing keepeth the flying soul upon its way?’

And the dark bird answered:

‘Her jealousy, for bitter was her heart against one whom Black Roderick had loved ere she became his bride; and for this do I drag her down to her destruction.’

And the voice from the high heavens spoke, saying:

‘Is there none, then, to save her?’

And there looked up from the hillside the bright eyes of the red weasel, but he crouched in the grasses without reply. And the grasp of the evil bird became stronger on the quivering soul that could no longer fly upon its way to heaven. And from the great wings of the bird black feathers, wrenched out in the struggle, flew down upon the earth, spreading evil where they fell.