d thuswise she rode for some two hours, and the day waxed
hot, and she was come to a clear pool amidst of a little clearing,
covered with fine greensward right down to the water's edge.

There she made stay, and got off her horse, and stood awhile by him
as he cropped the sweet grass; and the birds sang at the edge of the
thicket, and the rabbits crept and gambolled on the other side of the
water; and from the pool's edge the moorhens cried. She stood half
leaning against the side of the horse till she became somewhat drowsy;
yea, and even dreamed a little, and that little but ill, it seemed, as
she gave a troubled cry and shrank together and turned pale. Then she
rubbed her eyes and smiled, and turned to the pool, where now a little
ripple was running over the face of it, and a thought came upon her,
and she set her hand to the clasp of her gown and undid it, and drew the
gown off her shoulders, and so did off all her raiment, and stood
naked a little on the warm sunny grass, and then bestirred her and went
lightly into the pool, and bathed and sported there, and then came on to
the grass again, and went to and fro to dry her in the air and sun. Then
she did on her raiment again, and laid her down under a thorn-bush
by the pool-side, and there, would she, would she not, went to sleep
soundly and dreamed not. And when she awoke she deemed her sleep had
been long, but it was not so, but scarce a score of minutes. Anyhow, she
sprang up now and went to her horse, and drew the girths tight (which
she had loosed erewhile,) and so bestrode the good horse, and shook the
reins, and rode away much comforted and enheartened.

CHAPTER XV. OF GOLDILIND IN THE WILD-WOOD.

Goldilind rode on, hastening yet to put as many miles as she might
betwixt her and Greenharbour. Within a three hours from her bathing she
fell a-hungering sore, and knew not what to do to eat, till she found a
pouch made fast to the saddle-bow, and therein a little white loaf, that
and no more, which she took and ate the half of with great joy, sitting
down by a brook-side, whence she had her drink.

Then again she mounted, and rode on till dusk overtook her just as she
came to a little river running from the north from pool to shallow, and
shallow to pool. And whereas she was now exceeding weary, and the good
horse also much spent, and that the grass was very sweet and soft down
to the water's edge, and that there was a thick thorn-bush to cover her,
s