oped her way painfully down
Voundervoor and over the Green, stumbling over the ruts and sandy banks
until she was very nearly driven crazy. Through only being able to see
with her left eye, she kept bearing away to the left side of the road, and
I cannot tell you how many times she fell into the ditch, marketing and
all! And so afraid was she of falling into the sea, and so close did she
keep to the other side of the road away from it, that at last she went
right through the hedge and fell over into a place called
'Park-an-Shebbar!'

Luckily one of the farm-boys was in the field, and helped her up and
picked up her parcels for her; then, seeing how bad she was, he took her
into the house to rest and recover, for she seemed quite dazed by that
time. There they gave her something to bring her round, and presently she
began to feel better and able to go on again.

By this time she was very anxious to get home, so the lad helped her over
the stream and set her on the right road once more. This time Joan
stepped out briskly, for she was really very troubled about the Squire's
supper, and all the people who were expected to it. If she did not get
home soon, they would have arrived first, and, oh, how angry the Squire
would be!

By the time, though, that she got to the top of Paul Hill, she was so
tired she felt she could not go another step without a rest, so, though
she could badly spare the time, she dropped with a sigh of relief on to a
soft green spot, when, oh! what a shriek she gave! for the soft green spot
was a duck-pond covered with duck-weed! How she got out of the pond she
could never tell, but she did and crept over to the other side of the
road, where she fell back on the hedge quite exhausted.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" she moaned, "I'm nearly dead. Oh, if only I'd got our
old Dumpling here to give me a lift; or any other quiet old horse I'd be
thankful for. I shall never reach home to-night on my two feet, I'm sure,
they are ready to drop off already!"

Barely had she uttered her wish when there by the roadside stood an old
white horse, cropping quietly away at the brambles and dead ferns.
How he came there I can't tell you. Whether he had been there all the
time without her seeing him, or whether he came by magic, no one can say,
but there he was.

Many persons in Dame Joan's place would have been afraid to mount him,
fearing witchcraft, or fairies' pranks, but Joan was too tired to have
many scruple