ifshehadonlybeenabletoconfideinhimandtellhimofhergrief.butdumbshemustremaintillhertaskwasreforeatnightshecreptawayintoherlittlechamber,whichhadbeendeckedouttolooklikethecave,andquicklywoveonecoatafteranother.butwhenshebegantheseventhshefoundshehadnomoreflax.sheknewthatthenettlesshewantedtousegrewinthechurchyard,andthatshemustpluckthemherself.howshouldshegetoutthere?"oh,whatisthepaininmyfingerstothetormentwhichmyheartendures?"saidshe."imustventure,ishallnotbedeniedhelpfromheaven."thenwithatremblingheart,asifshewereabouttoperformawickeddeed,shecreptintothegardeninthebroadmoonlight,andpassedthroughthenarrowwalksandthedesertedstreets,tillshereachedthechurchyard.thenshesawononeofthebroadtombstonesagroupofghouls.thesehideouscreaturestookofftheirrags,asiftheyintendedtobathe,andthenclawingopenthefreshgraveswiththeirlong,skinnyfingers,pulledoutthedeadbodiesandatetheflesh!elizahadtopassclosebythem,andtheyfixedtheirwickedglancesuponher,butsheprayedsilently,gatheredtheburningnettles,andcarriedthemhomewithhertothecastle.onepersononlyhadseenher,andthatwasthearchbishop-hewasawakewhileeverybodywasasleep.nowhethoughthisopinionwasevidentlycorrect.allwasnotrightwiththequeen.shewasawitch,andhadbewitchedthekingandallthepeople.secretlyhetoldthekingwhathehadseenandwhathefeared,andasthehardwordscamefromhistongue,thecarvedimagesofthesaintsshooktheirheadsasiftheywouldsay."itisnotso.elizaisinnocent."

butthearchbishopinterpreteditinanotherway;hebelievedthattheywitnessedagainsther,andwereshakingtheirheadsatherwickedness.twolargetearsrolleddowntheking'scheeks,andhewenthomewithdoubtinhisheart,andatnighthepretendedtosleep,buttherecamenorealsleeptohiseyes,forhesawelizagetupeverynightanddisappearinherownchamber.fromdaytodayhisbrowbecamedarker,andelizasawitanddidnotunderstandthereason,butitalarmedherandmadeherhearttrembleforherbrothers.herhottearsglitteredlikepearlsontheregalvelvetanddiamonds,whileallwhosawherwerewishingtheycouldbequeens.inthemeantimeshehadalmostfinishedhertask;onlyonecoatofmailwaswanting,butshehadnoflaxleft,andnotasinglenettle.oncemoreonly,andforthelasttime,mustsheventuretothechurchyardandpluckafewhandfuls.shethoughtwithterrorofthesolitarywalk,andofthehorribleghouls,butherwillwasfirm,aswellashertrustinprovidence.elizawent,andthekingandthearchbishopfollowedher.theysawhervanishthroughthewicketgateintothechurchyard,andwhentheycamenearertheysawtheghoulssittingonthetombstone,aselizahadseenthem,andthekingturnedawayhishead,forhethoughtshewaswiththem-shewhoseheadhadrestedonhisbreastthatveryevening."thepeoplemustcondemnher,"saidhe,andshewasveryquicklycondemnedbyeveryonetosufferdeathbyfire.awayfromthegorgeousregalhallswassheledtoadark,drearycell,wherethewindwhistledthroughtheironbars.insteadofthevelvetandsilkdresses,theygaveherthecoatsofmailwhichshehadwoventocoverher,andthebundleofnettlesforapillow;butnothingtheycouldgiveherwouldhavepleasedhermore.shecontinuedhertaskwithjoy,andprayedforhelp,whilethestreet-boyssangjeeringsongsabouther,andnotasoulcomfortedherwithakindword.towardsevening,sheheardatthegratingtheflutterofaswan'swing,itwasheryoungestbrother-hehadfoundhissister,andshesobbedforjoy,althoughsheknewthatverylikelythiswouldbethelastnightshewouldhavetolive.butstillshecouldhope,forhertaskwasalmostfinished,andherbrotherswerecome.thenthearchbishoparrived,tobewithherduringherlasthours,ashehadpromisedtheking.butsheshookherhead,andbeggedhim,bylooksandgestures,nottostay;forinthisnightsheknewshemustfinishhertask,otherwiseallherpainandtearsandsleeplessnightswouldhavebeensufferedinvain.thearchbishopwithdrew,utteringbitterwordsagainsther;butpoorelizaknewthatshewasinnocent,anddiligentlycontinuedherwork.

thelittlemiceranaboutthefloor,theydraggedthenettlestoherfeet,tohelpaswellastheycould;andthethrushsatoutsidethegratingofthewindow,andsangtoherthewholenightlong,assweetlyaspossible,tokeepupherspirits.

itwasstilltwilight,andatleastanhourbeforesunrise,whentheelevenbrothersstoodatthecastlegate,anddemandedtobebroughtbeforetheking.theyweretolditcouldnotbe,itwasyetalmostnight,andasthekingslepttheydarednotdisturbhim.theythreatened,theyentreated.thentheguardappeared,andeventhekinghimself,inquiringwhatallthenoisemeant.atthismomentthesunrose.theelevenbrotherswereseennomore,butelevenwildswansflewawayoverthecastle.

andnowallthepeoplecamestreamingforthfromthegatesofthecity,toseethewitchburnt.anoldhorsedrewthecartonwhichshesat.theyhaddressedherinagarmentofcoarsesackcloth.herlovelyhairhunglooseonhershoulders,hercheeksweredeadlypale,herlipsmovedsilently,whileherfingersstillworkedatthegreenflax.evenonthewaytodeath,shewouldnotgiveuphertask.thetencoatsofmaillayatherfeet,shewasworkinghardattheeleventh,whilethemobjeeredherandsaid,"seethewitch,howshemutters!