he tore up the brow of the hill to the gate of the palace.
When I reached the entrance-hall, the princess was just throwing the
robe around her which she had left on the floor. The blood had ceased to
flow from her wounds, and had dried in the wind of her flight.

When she saw me, a flash of anger crossed her face, and she turned her
head aside. Then, with an attempted smile, she looked at me, and said,

"I have met with a small accident! Happening to hear that the cat-woman
was again in the city, I went down to send her away. But she had one of
her horrid creatures with her: it sprang upon me, and had its claws in
my neck before I could strike it!"

She gave a shiver, and I could not help pitying her, although I knew
she lied, for her wounds were real, and her face reminded me of how she
looked in the cave. My heart began to reproach me that I had let her
fight unaided, and I suppose I looked the compassion I felt.

"Child of folly!" she said, with another attempted smile, "--not crying,
surely!--Wait for me here; I am going into the black hall for a moment.
I want you to get me something for my scratches."

But I followed her close. Out of my sight I feared her.

The instant the princess entered, I heard a buzzing sound as of many
low voices, and, one portion after another, the assembly began to be
shiftingly illuminated, as by a ray that went travelling from spot to
spot. Group after group would shine out for a space, then sink back into
the general vagueness, while another part of the vast company would grow
momently bright.

Some of the actions going on when thus illuminated, were not unknown to
me; I had been in them, or had looked on them, and so had the princess:
present with every one of them I now saw her. The skull-headed dancers
footed the grass in the forest-hall: there was the princess looking in
at the door! The fight went on in the Evil Wood: there was the princess
urging it! Yet I was close behind her all the time, she standing
motionless, her head sunk on her bosom. The confused murmur continued,
the confused commotion of colours and shapes; and still the ray went
shifting and showing. It settled at last on the hollow in the heath, and
there was the princess, walking up and down, and trying in vain to wrap
the vapour around her! Then first I was startled at what I saw: the old
librarian walked up to her, and stood for a moment regarding her; she
fell; her limbs forsook her and fled; her body vani