to the horse, and patted and
caressed him, and did bridle and saddle on him, and was going to climb
upon him, when, of a sudden, she thought she would lead him across, lest
there should be a hole near the other bank and he might stumble into
it unwarily; so she bared her feet once more and trussed up her gown
skirts, and so took the ford, leading the beast; the water was nowhere
up to mid-leg of her, and she stepped ashore on to short and fine grass,
which spread like a meadow before her, with a big thorn or two scattered
about it, and a little grassy hill beset with tall elms toward the top,
coming down into the flat of the meadow and drawing round it nearly up
to the river on the north side.

But now she stood staring in wonder and some deal of fear; for there
were three milch kine feeding on the meadow, and, moreover, under a
thorn, scarce a hundred yards from where she stood, was a tall man
standing gazing on her. So stricken was she that she might neither cry
out nor turn aside; neither did she think to pull her gown out of her
girdle to cover the nakedness of her legs.

When they had thus stood a little while the man began to move toward
her very slowly, nor did she dare to flee any the more. But when he was
within half a dozen paces her face flushed red, and she did pull her
gown out of its trusses and let it flow down. But he spake to her in a
pleasant voice, and said: "May I speak to thee, maiden?"

Fear was yet in her soul, so that she might not speak for a little, and
then she said: "O, I beseech thee, bring me not back to Greenharbour!"
And she paled sorely as she spake the word.

But he said: "I wot not of Greenharbour, how to find the way thereto,
though we have heard of it. But comfort thyself, I pray thee, there is
nought to fear in me."

The sound of his voice was full pleasant to her, and when she hearkened
him, how kind and frank it was, then she knew how much of terror was
blent with her joy in her newly-won freedom and the delight of the kind
and happy words. Yet still she spoke not, and was both shamefast and
still not altogether unafraid. Yet, sooth to say, though his attire was
but simple, he was nought wild or fierce to look on. From time to time
she looked on him, and then dropped her eyes again. In those glances she
saw that he was grey-eyed, and smooth-cheeked, and round-chinned, and
his hair curly and golden; and she must needs think that she had never
seen any face half so fair. He was