182 ORKNEY. 



returned to Borey. The music ceased as before, tha 

 dancers resumed their seal-skins, and disappeared in the 

 sea all but one beautiful girl, who went about wringing 

 her hands and weeping for the loss of hers. 



After a little time Harold approached and spoke to her. 

 She told him that she was the daughter of a pagan king. 

 He endeavoured to comfort her, and succeeded so well, 

 that she consented to go home with him and become his 

 wife. He loved her fondly, and she bore him several 

 children ; but at length she fell sick some secret grief 

 was consuming her. Often she asked for her seal-skin, 

 but Harold never suffered her to see it ; and at last she 

 confessed that she was anxious about her soul. A priest 

 was sent for, and she was baptized ; yet still she was not 

 satisfied, and pined away. 



" Harold," she said one day, " we have lived long and 

 happily together. If we part, we part for ever. If I die, 

 you cannot be sure that my soul is saved, for I have long 

 lived a pagan. To-night is the dancing night ; roll me in 

 my seal-skin and leave me on the beach ; they cannot 

 take me away if I am a Christian. But you must go out 

 of sight, and return for me in the morning ; then you will 

 know my fate." 



Harold yielded to her wish. He laid her on the shore, 

 and went himself to the other side of Gairsay to wait till 

 sunrise. All night he sat with his face buried in his 

 hands. Once he heard a sudden wail ; they had found 

 his wife on the shore, but he dared not move. That 

 short midsummer night seemed endless to him; at laat 



