old fisherman of our
water, and he told me that on that same night of her vanishing, as he
stood on the water-side handing the hawser of his barque, and the sail
was all ready to be sheeted home, there came along the shore a woman
going very swiftly, who, glancing about her, as if to see that there
was none looking on or prying, came up to him, and prayed him in a
sweet voice for instant passage down the water. Wrapped she was in a
dark cloak and a cowl over her head, but as she put forth her hand to
give him gold, he saw even by the light of his lantern that it was
exceeding fair, and that great gems flashed from the finger-rings, and
that there was a great gold ring most precious on her arm.

"He yeasaid her asking, partly because of her gold, partly (as he told
me) that he feared her, deeming her to be of the fairy. Then she
stepped over his gangway of one board on to his boat, and as he held
the lantern low down to light her, lest she should make a false step
and fall into the water, he noted (quoth he) that a golden shoe all
begemmed came out from under gown-hem and that the said hem was
broidered thickly with pearl and jewels.

"Small was his barque, and he alone with the woman, and there was a
wind in the March night, and the stream is swift betwixt the quays of
our city; so that by night and cloud they made much way down the water,
and at sunrise were sailing through the great wood which lieth hence a
twenty leagues seaward. So when the sun was risen she stood up in the
fore part of the boat, and bade him turn the barque toward the shore,
and even as the bows ran upon the sand, she leapt out and let the
thicket cover her; nor have any of Goldburg seen her since, or the
Queen. But for my part I deem the woman to have been none other than
the Queen. Seest thou then! she is gone: but the King Rainald her
cousin reigns in her stead, a wise man, and a mighty, and no tyrant or
skinner of the people."

Ralph heard and pondered, and was exceeding sorry, and more had he been
but for the joyousness which came of the Water of the Well. Howbeit he
might not amend it: for even were he to seek for the Queen and find
her, it might well be worse than letting it be. For he knew (when he
thought of her) that she loved him, and how would it be if she might
not outwear her love, or endure the days of Goldburg, and he far away?
This he said to himself, which he might not have said to any other soul.

CHAPTER 9

Th