foam-sprent deeps below, like one quite dumbfounded. At last:

"O Martin," says she in my ear, for the noise of the fall was very
loud, "here is wonder on wonder!"

"As how, comrade?"

"This great body of water for all its weight yet disturbeth yonder
black depths very little--and how should this chance except this dark
lake be immeasurably deep?"

"Aye, true!" says I. "Here belike was a volcano once and this the
crater."

Hard by, a great rock jutted out above the lake, that same barren rock
wherein I had sat the day I discovered this cataract; now as I viewed
this rock I was struck by its grotesque shape and then, all at once, I
saw it was hatefully like to a shrivelled head--there were the
fleshless jaws, the shrunken nose and great, hollow eye-socket. And
now even as I stared at the thing my companion spied it also, for I
felt her hand on my arm and saw her stand to view it wide-eyed. So we,
speaking no word, stared upon this shape, and ever as we stared the
nameless evil of it seemed to grow, insomuch that we turned with one
accord and hasted away.

"Yonder was an ill sight, Martin."

"Indeed!" says I. "'Twas like the face of one long dead! And yet 'tis
no more than a volcanic rock! Nature playeth strange tricks sometimes,
and here was one vastly strange and most unlovely!" After this we went
on side by side and never a word betwixt us until we had reached that
pleasant champain country where flowed the river shaded by goodly
trees, in whose branches fluttered birds of a plumage marvellously
coloured and diverse, and beneath which bloomed flowers as vivid;
insomuch that my lady brake forth ever and anon into little soft cries
of delighted wonder. And yet despite all these marvels it was long ere
we shook off the evil of that ghastly rock.

Presently as we journeyed came a wind sweet and fresh from the sea,
offsetting the sun's immoderate heat to our great comfort, so that,
though ofttimes our way was toilsome, our spirits rose notwithstanding,
and we laughed and talked unfeignedly as only good comrades may.

By noon we had reached a place of rocks where, according to Adam's map
should be a ford, though hereabouts the stream, swollen by the late
rains, ran deep. Howbeit we presently came upon the ford sure enough
and, having crossed it, my lady must needs fall to admiring at her new
shoes again, finding them water-fast.

"And they so comfortable and easy to go in, Martin!"

"Why, you have foo