neither to make plain her
spiritual cryings through any mighty space of the aether.

And lo! I drew in my breath, and set my teeth a moment, to steady my
lips; and I said: "MIRDATH," out of the bush where I did be, and using
natural human speech. And the Maid ceased from her weeping, and lookt
this way and that, with an utter new fear, and with a frightened hope
that did shine with her tears in the light from the fire-hole. And I
divided the bush before me, and went through the bush, so that I came
out before her, and did be there in my grey armour; and I did pause
then, and was all adrift in myself; for my heart said that I should take
this Maid into mine arms again; for that I was come again to be with
Mirdath after an utter lost Eternity. But yet was I all paused; for
truly she was Naani and she was Mirdath, and she did be a stranger in
mine eyes, and very dainty and pretty and shaken with woe and sore
trouble and grief.

And in that same moment of my coming unto her out of the bush, she
screamed and fell back from me, and strove weakly to gain unto the
hither bushes; for, truly, she knew not what was come upon her in that
first little moment. And immediately she saw that it did be an human
man, and no monster to slay her, and in that instant I said the
Master-Word unto her, aloud, that she should have knowledge of peace and
help. And I told my name, and said I am That One. And she knew this
thing, even as my lips made the sounds. And she cried out something in
an utter broke voice, and ran unto me, and thrust her two small hands
into my charge and keeping, and fell thence into a great sobbing and
shaking, so that I was all in trouble to ease her; but did keep a
silence and held fast her hands, for I had not on mine armoured gloves.

And she leaned against me, very weak, and seeming wondrous like to a
child. And lo! in a while she ceased to sob, and did but catch her
breath this time and that, but said no word. And I bethought me that she
did suffer of hunger, for I perceived that she had been long wandering
and alone, and was come unto the end of hope, when that I did come.

And the Maid stood there yet silent, for she might not yet command her
mouth to speak. And she trembled as she stood. And I opened my left
hand, and lookt at the hand within my palm, and surely it was utter thin
and wasted. And I made no more pause, but lifted mine Own and set her
easy upon the earth, with an hump of smooth rock unto her back