ttle beggar was able to gather her wings without any trouble,
which occupation she continued for several hours in my company."

"What became of her?" I asked.

"I took her home with me to my castle, and she told me all her story;
but it seemed to me, all the time, as if I were hearing a child talk in
its sleep. I could not arrange her story in my mind at all, although it
seemed to leave hers in some certain order of its own. My wife---"

Here the knight checked himself, and said no more. Neither did I urge
the conversation farther.

Thus we journeyed for several days, resting at night in such shelter
as we could get; and when no better was to be had, lying in the forest
under some tree, on a couch of old leaves.

I loved the knight more and more. I believe never squire served his
master with more care and joyfulness than I. I tended his horse; I
cleaned his armour; my skill in the craft enabled me to repair it when
necessary; I watched his needs; and was well repaid for all by the love
itself which I bore him.

"This," I said to myself, "is a true man. I will serve him, and give him
all worship, seeing in him the imbodiment of what I would fain become.
If I cannot be noble myself, I will yet be servant to his nobleness."
He, in return, soon showed me such signs of friendship and respect, as
made my heart glad; and I felt that, after all, mine would be no lost
life, if I might wait on him to the world's end, although no smile but
his should greet me, and no one but him should say, "Well done! he was
a good servant!" at last. But I burned to do something more for him than
the ordinary routine of a squire's duty permitted.

One afternoon, we began to observe an appearance of roads in the wood.
Branches had been cut down, and openings made, where footsteps had worn
no path below. These indications increased as we passed on, till, at
length, we came into a long, narrow avenue, formed by felling the trees
in its line, as the remaining roots evidenced. At some little distance,
on both hands, we observed signs of similar avenues, which appeared to
converge with ours, towards one spot. Along these we indistinctly saw
several forms moving, which seemed, with ourselves, to approach the
common centre. Our path brought us, at last, up to a wall of yew-trees,
growing close together, and intertwining their branches so, that nothing
could be seen beyond it. An opening was cut in it like a door, and all
the wall was trimmed smoot