THE KING OF ELFLAND’S DAUGHTER
singular dreams, all fancies. And from magic may all true folk be turned away. Amen.”
He turned round suddenly and was into the night. A wind loitered about the door, then flapped it to. And the large room in the forge of Narl was as it had been but a few moments before, yet the mellow mood of it seemed dulled and dim. And then Narl spoke, rising up at the table’s end and breaking the gloom of the silence. “Did we plan our plans,” he said, “so long ago, and put our faith in magic, that we should now renounce magical things and curse our neighbours, the harmless folk beyond the fields we know, and the beautiful things of the air, and dead mariners’ lovers dwelling beneath the sea?”
“No, no,” said some. And they quaffed their mead again.
And then one rose with his horn of mead held high, then another and then another, till all were standing upright all round the light of the candles. “Magic!” one cried. And the rest with one accord took up his cry till all were shouting “Magic.”
The Freer on his homeward way heard that cry of Magic, he gathered his sacred robe more closely around him and clutched his holy things, and said a spell that kept him from sudden demons and the doubtful things of the mist.
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