eams."

"Well," said the Sea-eagle, "we will not wrangle about it. But hearken.
Hard by in a pleasant nook of the meadows have I set up my tent; and
although it be not as big as the King's pavilion, yet is it fair enough.
Wilt thou not come thither with me and rest thee to-night; and to-morrow
we will talk of this matter?"

Now Hallblithe was weary and confused, and downhearted beyond his wont,
and the friendly words of the Sea-eagle softened his heart, and he smiled
on him and said: "I give thee thanks; I will come with thee: thou art
kind, and hast done nought to me save good from the time when I first saw
thee lying in thy bed in the Hall of the Ravagers. Dost thou remember
the day?"

The Sea-eagle knitted his brow as one striving with a troublous memory,
and said: "But dimly, friend, as if it had passed in an ugly dream:
meseemeth my friendship with thee began when I came to thee from out of
the wood, and saw thee standing with those three damsels; that I remember
full well ye were fair to look on."

Hallblithe wondered at his words, but said no more about it, and they
went together to a flowery nook nigh a stream of clear water where stood
a silken tent, green like the grass which it stood on, and flecked with
gold and goodly colours. Nigh it on the grass lay the Sea-eagle's
damsel, ruddy-cheeked and sweet-lipped, as fair as aforetime. She turned
about when she heard men coming, and when she saw Hallblithe a smile came
into her face like the sun breaking out on a fair but clouded morning,
and she went up to him and took him by the hands and kissed his cheek,
and said: "Welcome, Spearman! welcome back! We have heard of thee in
many places, and have been sorry that thou wert not glad, and now are we
fain of thy returning. Shall not sweet life begin for thee from
henceforward?"

Again was Hallblithe moved by her kind welcome; but he shook his head and
spake: "Thou art kind, sister; yet if thou wouldst be kinder thou wilt
show me a way whereby I may escape from this land. For abiding here has
become irksome to me, and meseemeth that hope is yet alive without the
Glittering Plain."

Her face fell as she answered: "Yea, and fear also, and worse, if aught
be worse. But come, let us eat and drink in this fair place, and gather
for thee a little joyance before thou departest, if thou needs must
depart."

He smiled on her as one not ill-content, and laid himself down on the
grass, while the twain busied them