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Updated: June 6, 2025
He looked as though he had lately been ill. But in all else he seemed a gay and bold-faced cavalier, who walked on the sunny quays to show his fine clothes and his handsome face. Elsalill broke off both work and story. She stood looking at him with open mouth and staring eyes. And he smiled at her.
As Elsalill told her tale a black shadow fell across the table at which she worked. And when she looked up three fine gentlemen stood before her, wearing broad hats with long feathers and velvet clothes with great puffs, embroidered in silk and gold. One of them seemed to be of higher rank than the others; he was very pale, his chin was shaven, and his eyes sat deep in his head.
Elsalill began to fear that Sir Archie might be grievously sick, and she turned at once and went with the two Scottish gallants who were to bring her to him. Sir Philip and Sir Reginald walked one on each side of her. They smiled at one another and thought that nothing could be easier than to delude Elsalill. Elsalill was in great haste; she almost ran down the lane.
"And do you not believe them dead, Elsalill?" asked the stranger. "Oh, yes, I think they must be drowned," said Elsalill; "and yet I pray to God daily that they may have escaped. I speak to God in this wise: 'Let it be so that they have only driven the horse and the sledge into the hole, but have themselves escaped." "Why do you wish this, Elsalill?" asked the stranger.
Then Sir Archie turned to Elsalill with a startled face and said: "Do you see this hair, Elsalill, that is wound about my hand? Do you see this lock of fair hair?" When he began to speak the girl saw nothing, but ere he had finished she saw a coil of fine, fair hair wind itself twice about Sir Archie's hand.
"Yes, dear sister," said Elsalill, "you know I will help you with whatsoever you wish." Elsalill then took off her cloak, rolled up her sleeves and began the work. "Will you be very quiet and silent in here, Elsalill, so that the hostess may not know that I have found help?" "Yes, dear sister," said Elsalill; "you may be sure I will." "Then farewell, Elsalill," said the dead girl.
As these thoughts were in Elsalill's mind two men came by on their way to the tavern. When Sir Archie marked that they cast curious eyes on him and the maid, he said to her: "Come, Elsalill, I will take you home. I would not that any should see you had come to the tavern for me."
But as they were going down the wind blew out the light in the lantern that hung in the lobby and they were in darkness. Then Elsalill did not know where to turn her steps and the dead girl had to put her hand on hers to lead her. But the dead girl's hand was so cold that Elsalill started and began to quake with fear.
"Sir Archie," said Elsalill, "do you not hear them stand before the town hall?" Elsalill was trembling from head to foot, but Sir Archie took no note of it; he was quite calm. "Where else would you have them stand?" said Sir Archie. "They must bring the brawlers here to lay them by the heels in the watch house. Listen not to them, Elsalill, but to me, who ask you to follow me over the sea!"
Then Elsalill was found and brought down to the ice and borne in to Marstrand; and all the women in the place wept over the young maid, who had loved an evildoer and given her life to destroy him she loved.
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