But out then spoke she, Alice Brand,
     That woman void of fear,—­
’And if there ’s blood upon his hand,
     ‘Tis but the blood of deer.’

’Now loud thou liest, thou bold of mood! 
     It cleaves unto his hand,
The stain of thine own kindly blood,
     The blood of Ethert Brand.’

Then forward stepped she, Alice Brand,
     And made the holy sign,—­
’And if there’s blood on Richard’s hand,
     A spotless hand is mine.

’And I conjure thee, demon elf,
     By Him whom demons fear,
To show us whence thou art thyself,
     And what thine errand here?’

XV.

Ballad Continued.

“Tis merry, ’tis merry, in Fairy-land,
     When fairy birds are singing,
When the court cloth ride by their monarch’s side,
     With bit and bridle ringing: 

’And gayly shines the Fairy-land—­
     But all is glistening show,
Like the idle gleam that December’s beam
     Can dart on ice and snow.

’And fading, like that varied gleam,
     Is our inconstant shape,
Who now like knight and lady seem,
     And now like dwarf and ape.

’It was between the night and day,
     When the Fairy King has power,
That I sunk down in a sinful fray,
And ’twixt life and death was snatched away
     To the joyless Elfin bower.

’But wist I of a woman bold,
     Who thrice my brow durst sign,
I might regain my mortal mould,
     As fair a form as thine.’

She crossed him once—­she crossed him twice—­
     That lady was so brave;
The fouler grew his goblin hue,
     The darker grew the cave.

She crossed him thrice, that lady bold;
     He rose beneath her hand
The fairest knight on Scottish mould,
     Her brother, Ethert Brand!

Merry it is in good greenwood,
     When the mavis and merle are singing,
But merrier were they in Dunfermline gray,
     When all the bells were ringing.

XVI.

Just as the minstrel sounds were stayed,
A stranger climbed the steepy glade;
His martial step, his stately mien,
His hunting-suit of Lincoln green,
His eagle glance, remembrance claims—­
’Tis Snowdoun’s Knight, ’tis James Fitz-James. 
Ellen beheld as in a dream,
Then, starting, scarce suppressed a scream: 
’O stranger! in such hour of fear
What evil hap has brought thee here?’
’An evil hap how can it be
That bids me look again on thee? 
By promise bound, my former guide
Met me betimes this morning-tide,
And marshalled over bank and bourne
The happy path of my return.’ 
’The happy path!—­what! said he naught
Of war, of battle to be fought,
Of guarded pass?’ ’No, by my faith! 
Nor saw I aught could augur scathe.’ 
’O haste thee, Allan, to the kern: 
Yonder his tartars I discern;
Learn thou his purpose, and conjure
That he will guide the stranger sure!—­
What prompted thee, unhappy man? 
The meanest serf in Roderick’s clan
Had not been bribed, by love or fear,
Unknown to him to guide thee here.’