. The blood was flowing
fast from a great wound in her breast, and he tore off a piece of his
shirt to staunch it, but she without knowledge of him breathed forth
her last breath ere he could touch the hurt, and he still knelt by her,
staring on her as if he knew not what was toward.

She had dight her what she could to welcome his return from the
hunting, and had set a wreath of meadow-sweet on her red hair, and a
garland of eglantine about her girdlestead, and left her feet naked
after the pool of the stream, and had turned the bezels of her
finger-rings outward, for joy of that meeting.

After a while he rose up with a most bitter cry, and ran down the green
slope and over the water, and hither and thither amongst the bushes
like one mad, till he became so weary that he might scarce go or stand
for weariness. Then he crept back again to that Chamber of Love, and
sat down beside his new-won mate, calling to mind all the wasted words
of the day gone by; for the summer night was come now, most fair and
fragrant. But he withheld the sobbing passion of his heart and put
forth his hand, and touched her, and she was still, and his hand felt
her flesh that it was cold as marble. And he cried out aloud in the
night and the wilderness, where there was none to hear him, and arose
and went away from her, passing by Silverfax who was standing nearby,
stretching out his head, and whinnying at whiles. And he sat on the
edge of the green table, and there came into his mind despite himself
thoughts of the pleasant fields of Upmeads, and his sports and
pleasures there, and the even-song of the High House, and the folk of
his fellowship and his love. And therewith his breast arose and his
face was wryed, and he wept loud and long, and as if he should never
make an end of it. But so weary was he, that at last he lay back and
fell asleep, and woke not till the sun was high in the heavens. And so
it was, that his slumber had been so heavy, that he knew not at first
what had befallen; and one moment he felt glad, and the next as if he
should never be glad again, though why he wotted not. Then he turned
about and saw Silverfax cropping the grass nearby, and the Lady lying
there like an image that could move no whit, though the world awoke
about her. Then he remembered, yet scarce all, so that wild hopes
swelled his heart, and he rose to his knees and turned to her, and
called to mind that he should never see her alive again, and