unrebuked, or not sorely rebuked;
as bringing her flowers in the spring, or whiles a singing-bird or a
squirrel; and an old man there was of the men-at-arms, who would ask
leave, and get it at whiles, to come to her in her chamber, or the
garden? and tell her minstrel tales and the like for her joyance. Sooth
to say, even the pinched heart of the old Burgreve was somewhat touched
by her; and he alone had any might to stand between her and Dame Elinor;
so that but for him it had gone much harder with her than it did.

For the rest, none entered the Castle from the world without, nay not so
much as a travelling monk, or a friar on his wanderings, save and except
some messenger of Earl Geoffrey who had errand with Dame Elinor or the
Burgreve.

So wore the days and the seasons, till it was now more than four years
since she had left Leashowe, and her eighteenth summer was beginning.

But now the tale leaves telling of Goldilind, and goes back to
the matters of Oakenrealm, and therein to what has to do with King
Christopher and Rolf the Marshal.

CHAPTER VI. HOW ROLF THE MARSHAL DREAMS A DREAM AND COMES TO THE CASTLE
OF THE UTTERMOST MARCH.

Now this same summer, when King Christopher was of twenty years and
two, Rolf the Marshal, sleeping one noontide in the King's garden at
Oakenham, dreamed a dream. For himseemed that there came through the
garth-gate a woman fair and tall, and clad in nought but oaken-leaves,
who led by the hand an exceeding goodly young man of twenty summers, and
his visage like to the last battle-dead King of Oakenrealm when he was a
young man. And the said woman led the swain up to the Marshal, who asked
in his mind what these two were: and the woman answered his thought and
said: "I am the Woman of the Woods, and the Landwight of Oakenrealm; and
this lovely lad whose hand I hold is my King and thy King and the King
of Oakenrealm. Wake, fool--wake! and look to it what thou wilt do!"

And therewith he woke up crying out, and drew forth his sword. But when
he was fully awakened, he was ashamed, and went into the hall, and sat
in his high-seat, and strove to think out of his troubled mind; but for
all he might do, he fell asleep again; and again in the hall he dreamed
as he had dreamed in the garden: and when he awoke from his dream he had
no thought in his head but how he might the speediest come to the house
of Lord Richard the Lean, and look to the matter of his lord's son and
see him w