As it twisted it grew larger and heavier, till at last it was thick as a great tress of hair, and the silver line bent beneath the weight so that I saw it soon must break.
Then while I wondered what would happen, a white hand holding a knife slid slowly down the silver line, and with the knife severed the wrappings of woman's hair, which fell and floated slowly away, like a little cloud touched with sunlight, till they were lost in darkness.

But the thread of silver that was your line of life, sprang up quivering and making a sound like sighs, till at last it sighed itself to silence.
"Then I seemed to sleep, and when I woke I was floating upon such a misty sea as we saw last night.

I had lost all sight of land, and I could not remember what the stars were like, nor how I had been taught to steer, nor understand where I must go.

I called to the sea, and asked it of the stars, and the sea answered me thus: "'Hope has rent her raiment, and the stars are set.' "I called again, and asked of the land where I should go, and the land did not answer, but the sea answered me a second time: "'Child of the mist, wander in the mist, and in darkness seek for light.' "Then I wept because Hope had rent her starry garment and in darkness I must seek for light.

And while I still wept, _you_ rose out of the sea and sat before me in the boat.