,
had the good fortune to fall in with a woodman, axe upon shoulder,
trudging along in the very direction that he wished to go. With his
guidance he passed the fringe of Bolderwood Walk, famous for old ash
and yew, through Mark Ash with its giant beech-trees, and on through
the Knightwood groves, where the giant oak was already a great tree,
but only one of many comely brothers. They plodded along together, the
woodman and Alleyne, with little talk on either side, for their thoughts
were as far asunder as the poles. The peasant's gossip had been of the
hunt, of the bracken, of the gray-headed kites that had nested in Wood
Fidley, and of the great catch of herring brought back by the boats of
Pitt's Deep. The clerk's mind was on his brother, on his future--above
all on this strange, fierce, melting, beautiful woman who had broken
so suddenly into his life, and as suddenly passed out of it again. So
_distrait_ was he and so random his answers, that the woodman took
to whistling, and soon branched off upon the track to Burley, leaving
Alleyne upon the main Christchurch road.

Down this he pushed as fast as he might, hoping at every turn and rise
to catch sight of his companions of the morning. From Vinney Ridge to
Rhinefield Walk the woods grow thick and dense up to the very edges of
the track, but beyond the country opens up into broad dun-colored moors,
flecked with clumps of trees, and topping each other in long, low curves
up to the dark lines of forest in the furthest distance. Clouds of
insects danced and buzzed in the golden autumn light, and the air was
full of the piping of the song-birds. Long, glinting dragonflies shot
across the path, or hung tremulous with gauzy wings and gleaming bodies.
Once a white-necked sea eagle soared screaming high over the traveller's
head, and again a flock of brown bustards popped up from among the
bracken, and blundered away in their clumsy fashion, half running, half
flying, with strident cry and whirr of wings.

There were folk, too, to be met upon the road--beggars and couriers,
chapmen and tinkers--cheery fellows for the most part, with a rough jest
and homely greeting for each other and for Alleyne. Near Shotwood he
came upon five seamen, on their way from Poole to Southampton--rude
red-faced men, who shouted at him in a jargon which he could scarce
understand, and held out to him a great pot from which they had been
drinking--nor would they let him pass until he had dipped p