it lasted forsooth, and still she
spake no word, though whiles a little sweet chuckle, as of the garden
warbler at his softest, came from her lips, and the ripple of her
raiment as her swift feet drave it, sounded loud to his eager ears in
the dark, windless wood.

At last, and it was more than half-an-hour of their walking thus, it
grew lighter, and he could see the shape of her alongside of him; and
still she held his hand and glided on swifter and swifter, as he
thought; and soon he knew that outside the wood dawn was giving place
to day, and even there, in the wood, it was scarce darker than twilight.

Yet a little further, and it grew lighter still, and he heard the
throstles singing a little way off, and knew that they were on the edge
of the pine-wood, and still her swift feet sped on till they came to a
little grassy wood-lawn, with nought anear it on the side away from the
wood save maples and thorn-bushes: it was broad daylight there, though
the sun had not yet arisen.

There she let fall his hand and turned about to him and faced him
flushed and eager, with her eyes exceeding bright and her lips half
open and quivering. He stood beholding her, trembling, what for
eagerness, what for fear of her words when he had told her of his
desire. For he had now made up his mind to do no less. He put his
helm from off his head and laid it down on the grass, and he noted
therewith that she had come in her green gown only, and had left mantle
and cote hardie behind.

Now he stood up again and was just going to speak, when lo! she put
both her palms to her face, and her bosom heaved, and her shoulders
were shaken with sobs, and she burst out a weeping, so that the tears
ran through her fingers. Then he cast himself on the ground before
her, and kissed her feet, and clasped her about the knees, and laid his
cheek to her raiment, and fawned upon her, and cried out many an idle
word of love, and still she wept a while and spake not. At last she
reached her hand down to his face and fondled it, and he let his lips
lie on the hand, and she suffered it a while, and then took him by the
arm and raised him up and led him on swiftly as before; and he knew not
what to do or say, and durst by no means stay her, and could frame no
word to ask her wherefore.

So they sped across a waste not much beset with trees, he silent, she
never wearying or slacking her pace or faltering as to the way, till
they came into the thick woo