should depart when once
the bliss of the Glittering Plain had entered into their souls, and they
would ask for nought but leave to abide here and be happy. Yet I trow
that if he had foemen he could crush them as easily as I set my foot on
this daisy."

So as they went on they fell in with many folk, men and women, sporting
and playing in the fields; and there was no semblance of eld on any of
them, and no scar or blemish or feebleness of body or sadness of
countenance; nor did any bear a weapon or any piece of armour. Now some
of them gathered about the new-corners, and wondered at Hallblithe and
his long spear and shining helm and dark grey byrny; but none asked
concerning them, for all knew that they were folk new come to the bliss
of the Glittering Plain. So they passed amidst these fair folk little
hindered by them, and into Hallblithe's thoughts it came how joyous the
fellowship of such should be and how his heart should be raised by the
sight of them, if only his troth-plight maiden were by his side.

Thus then they came to the King's pavilion, where it stood in a bight of
the meadow-land at the foot of the hill, with the wood about it on three
sides. So fair a house Hallblithe deemed he had never seen; for it was
wrought all over with histories and flowers, and with hems sewn with
gold, and with orphreys of gold and pearl and gems.

There in the door of it sat the King of the Land in an ivory chair; he
was clad in golden gown, girt with a girdle of gems, and had his crown on
his head and his sword by his side. For this was the hour wherein he
heard what any of his folk would say to him, and for that very end he sat
there in the door of his tent, and folk were standing before him, and
sitting and lying on the grass round about; and now one, now another,
came up to him and spoke before him.

His face shone like a star; it was exceeding beauteous, and as kind as
the even of May in the gardens of the happy, when the scent of the
eglantine fills all the air. When he spoke his voice was so sweet that
all hearts were ravished, and none might gainsay him.

But when Hallblithe set eyes on him, he knew at once that this was he
whose carven image he had seen in the Hall of the Ravagers, and his heart
beat fast, and he said to himself: "Hold up thine head now, O Son of the
Raven, strengthen thine heart, and let no man or god cow thee. For how
can thine heart change, which bade thee go to the house wherefrom it was