The Wood Beyond the World

d him reverence, and made him all cheer, and showed him his room aboard ship, and the plent

he time about the haven, gazing listlessly on the ships that were making them ready outward, or unlading, and

before, a ship all-boun, which had her boats out, and men sitting to the oars thereof ready to tow her outwards whe

came a dwarf, dark-brown of hue and hideous, with long arms and ears exceeding great and dog-teeth that stuck out like the fan

grey-eyed, brown-haired, with lips full and red, slim and gentle of body. Simple was her arra

anigh her, lift up his eyes again after he had dropped them, and look again on her, and yet again and yet again. Even so did Walter, and as the three passed by him, it seemed to him as if all the other folk there about had vanished and were noug

g ship toward the harbour-mouth with hale and how of men. Then the sail fell down from the yard and was sheeted home and filled with the fair wind as the ship's bows ran up on the first

herewith he went his way from the water-side, and through the streets unto his father's house; but when he was but a little way thence, and the door was before him, him-seemed for a moment of time that he beheld those three coming out down the steps of stone and into the street; to wit the dwarf, the maiden, and the stately lady: but when he stood still to abide their coming, and looked toward them,

so much was his mind entangled in the thought of those three, and they were ever before his eyes, as if they had been painted on a table by the best of limners. And of the two women he thought exceeding much, and cast no wyte upon himself for running after the de

ings; for his heart was full. Then presently the old man went aland; the gangway was unshipped, the hawsers cast off; the oars of the towing-boats splashed in the dark water, the sail fell down from the yard, and was sheeted home, and out plunged the

the other ship had done; and the thought of it as if the twain were as beads strung on one string and led away by it into the s