ady," he said, "I wooed thee not at all; I was given to thee, would I,
would I not: great joy was that to me."

Then said she: "Thou sayest sooth, thou hast not wooed me, but taken
me." She laughed therewith, as one in bitterness. But presently she
turned to him, and he wondered, for in her face was longing and kindness
nought like to her words. But he durst not speak to her lest he should
anger her, and she turned her face from him again: and she said: "Wert
thou given to me? meseems I was given to thee, would I, would I not; the
Queen to the Churl, the Wood-man, the Wolf-head." And again she rode on,
and he followed, sick at heart and wondering sorely.

When they were riding together again, they spake not to each other,
though she stole glances at him to see how he fared; but he rode on with
knit brows and a stern countenance. So in a while she began to speak to
him again, but as if there were nought but courtesy between them, and
neither love nor hatred. She fell to asking him of woodland matters,
concerning bird and beast and things creeping; and at first he would
scarce answer her at all, and then were his answers short; but at last,
despite of all, he began to forget both grief and anger, so much the
sweetness of her speech wound about his heart; and, withal, she fell to
asking him of his fellows and their life in the woods, and of Jack of
the Tofts and the like; and now he answered her questions fully, and
whiles she laughed at his words, and he laughed also; and all pleasure
had there been of this converse, if he had not beheld her from time to
time and longed for the fairness of her body, and feared her wrath at
his longing.

So wore the day, and the sun was getting low, and they were come to
another woodland pool which was fed by a clear-running little brook,
and up from it went a low bank of greensward exceeding sweet, and
beyond that oak trees wide-branched and great, and still fair greensward
beneath them and hazel-thicket beyond them. There, then, Goldilind
reined up, and looked about her, but Christopher looked on her and
nought else. But she said: "Let to-morrow bring counsel; but now am I
weary to-night, and if we are not to ride night-long, we shall belike
find no better place to rest in. Wilt thou keep watch while I sleep?"

"Yea," he said, bowing his head to her soberly; and therewith he got
off his horse, and would have helped her down from hers, but she slipped
lightly down and stood before him