ld see the four ways clearly enough, though it would not be easy
for anyone to see him thence.

Thither he betook him, and he did the rein off Falcon, but tethered him
by a halter in the thickest of the copse, and sat down himself nigher
to the outside thereof; he did off his helm and drew what meat he had
from out his wallet and ate and drank in the beginning of the summer
night; and then sat pondering awhile on what had befallen on this
second day of his wandering. The moon shone out presently, little
clouded, but he saw her not, for though he strove to wake awhile,
slumber soon overcame him, and nothing waked him till the night was
passing, nor did he see aught of that company of which the lady had
spoken, and which in sooth came not.

CHAPTER 10

A Meeting and a Parting in the Wood Perilous

When the first glimmer of dawn was in the sky he awoke in the fresh
morning, and sat up and hearkened, for even as he woke he had heard
something, since wariness had made him wakeful. Now he hears the sound
of horse-hoofs on the hard road, and riseth to his feet and goeth to
the very edge of the copse; looking thence he saw a rider who was just
come to the very crossing of the roads. The new comer was much muffled
in a wide cloak, but he seemed to be a man low of stature. He peered
all round about him as if to see if the way were clear, and then
alighted down from horseback and let the hood fall off his head, and
seemed pondering which way were the best to take. By this time it was
grown somewhat lighter and Ralph, looking hard, deemed that the rider
was a woman; so he stepped forward lightly, and as he came on to the
open sward about the way, the new comer saw him and put a foot into the
stirrup to mount, but yet looked at him over the shoulder, and then
presently left the saddle and came forward a few steps as if to meet
Ralph, having cast the cloak to the ground.

Then Ralph saw that it was none other than the damsel of the hostelry
of Bourton Abbas, and he came up to her and reached out his hand to
her, and she took it in both hers and held it and said, smiling: "It is
nought save mountains that shall never meet. Here have I followed on
thy footsteps; yet knew I not where thou wouldst be in the forest. And
now I am glad to have fallen in with thee; for I am going a long way."

Ralph looked on her and himseemed some pain or shame touched his heart,
and he said: "I am a knight adventurous; I have nought to