The Wood Beyond the World

ran off from him, and he wandered on merrily, neither did aught befall him save the coming of night, when he laid him down

ht easily have got his meat thereof; but he meddled not with them since he had his bread, and was timorous of lighting a fire. Withal he doubted little of having some entertainment; and that, might be, nought evi

in gushing out from under the rock, which ran thence in a fair little stream. And when he had the rock and the fountain and the stream clear before him, lo! a child of Adam sitting beside the fountain under the shadow of the rock. He drew a little nigher, and then he saw that it was a woman, c

e beheld her, that it was the maiden of the thrice-seen pageant. She reddened when she saw him, and hastily covered up her legs with her gown-skirt, and drew down t

e, wherein was now no trouble: "Thou art an alien

am an alien; wilt t

en the King's Son. I looked to see none other; for of goodly men he ha

look for my coming

e said; "ho

an seemed to be looking for me, and knew

, and grew somewhat pale, a

-servant or what not, so he would not show his loathing of him

, and beat the air with her hands; but said presently in a faint voice: "I pray thee

oked upon Walter and smiled kindly on him, as though to ask his pardon for having scared him. Then she rose

upon her and said: "Have I h

y still, and said: "O nay; th

turned pale, and laid a hand on her breast, and Walter cried out

it not. Mayhappen in a little while I shall know what troubles me. Now I bid thee depart from me a little, and I will abid

him; but he said: "How

as she answered him:

ed long to him, and she called not to him: but once again he forbore to go; then at last he arose, and his heart beat and he trembled, and he walked back again speedily, and came to the maiden, who was still standing by the rock of the spring, her arms hanging down, her eyes downcast. She l

no big one. Shall I not stride over, and come to thee, tha

till I have told thee of matters. I mus

thing is this; that though thou hast seen me first only within this hour, thou hast set thine heart upon me to have me for t

nd this out I wot not; since now for the first time I say i

wot not, nor dost thou. But sore is my hope that it may be so; for I also, though it be but scarce an hour since I set eyes on thee, have cast mine eyes on thee to have thee for my love and my darling, and my s

o things, to wit, that thou lovest me, and I thee, wilt thou not come hither, that I may cast mine arms about thee, and kiss t

loud in this wilderness fruitful of evil. Now I have told thee, indeed, of two things whereof we both wot; but next I must needs tell thee of things whereof I wot, and thou wottest not. Yet this were better, that thou

but Walter said: "Since it must be so, I

he twain of them went side by side some half a furlong thence, and sat down, shadowed by the boughs of a sli

nd surely never god was crueller nor colder than she. Me she hateth sorely; yet if she hated me little or nought, small were the gain to me if it were her pleasure to deal hardly by me. But as things now are, and are like to be, it would not be for her pleasure, but for her pain and loss, to make an end of me, therefore, as I said e'en now, my mere life is not in peril with her; unless, perchance, some sudden passion get the better of her, and she slay me, and repent of it thereafter. For so it is, that if it be the least evil of her conditions that she is wanton, at least wanton she is to the letter. Many a time hath she cast the net for the catching of some goodly young man; and her latest prey (save it be thou) is the young man whom I named, when first I saw thee, by the na

er face, and wept, and murmured: "Who sh

: "For what else am

emembered his pledged word, and drew aback from her in terror, whereas

liver thee. And now I pray thy pardon for thus grieving thee with my grief, and that more especially because thou mayst not solace thy grief with

thou must do after the teaching of my words. And first, I deem by the monster having met thee at the gates of the land, and refreshed thee, that the Mistress hath

seen go past me the images of the monster and th

ords how it had gone with him sinc

so sore as I longed for thee. For the Mistress will have thee for her only, and hath lured thee hither for nought else; and she is wise in wizardry (even as some deal am I), and wert thou to touch m

st, and Walter held his peace from grief and confusi

hat she hath not set eyes on thee. Remember this, whatsoever her seeming may be to thee. Now, therefore, shall the King's Son be free, though he know it not, to cast his love on whomso he will; and, in a way, I al

at we twain should be longer together. But I would say one thing yet; and maybe another thereafter. Thou hast cast thy love upon one who will be true to thee, whatsoever may befall; yet is she a guileful creature, and might not help it her life long, and now for thy very sake must needs be more guileful now than ever before. And as for me, the guileful, my love

art my Hallow, and I will swear it as on the relics

and blushed, and looked full kindly on him; and then her

, whatsoever outward semblance thou mayst make. If thou have to yield thee to her, then yield rather late than early, so as to gain time. Yet not so late as to seem shamed in yielding for fear's sake. Hold fast to thy life, my friend, for in warding that, thou wardest me from grief without remedy. Thou wilt see me ere long; it may be to-morrow, it may be some days hence. But

se and went his ways; but when he had gone a space he turned about, and saw her still standin

d, and his heart was full with hope