upward and
downward of the Gorge, out of all the eternity of the night, and to be
as that they came backward very faint out of lonesome miles, and out of
the strange deepness of unknown caverns of the world. And so in the end
to silence; and the far bottom of the Gorge to be filled with a white
and horrid hill, very dreadful, and that did yet quiver to show the
slowness of Death. And alway a dreadful reek and stinking to fill all
the air, even unto the height, as of the grave.

And I stood upward in that far, high place, and held the Maid very
strong and tender; and she to have covered her ears from that dreadful
crying; and to be yet shaken with the greatness and horror of the dying
of the Monster, and the nearness that she did come unto falling, as you
have seen.

And presently she came less to tremble, and did weep very easeful, even
as a babe doth weep; and I, mayhap, to be not over-steady, as you shall
think; but yet to have a great gladness set in my heart, and a triumph,
and an utter grace of thankfulness.

And I held Mine Own, very tender and sure, as I did say; and she very
soon to be eased of her trouble, and the shock to be something gone from
her. And she lookt up at me, and slipt her arms upward about my neck,
and pulled me downward unto her, that she might kiss me.

And we to talk then, of the going down; and surely this did seem a great
and dangerous task; for, truly, we had come upward pretty easy in the
excess of our fear; but how we might go down, with our blood cool, I did
be all in doubt.

Yet, before that we did aught else, I led the Maid upward on to the safe
part of the ledge; and we sat there, very quiet and weary, and she did
be leaned against me. And we eat, each of us, two of the tablets, and I
to scold and coax Mine Own to this end, and she to obey and to be better
afterward, because that she had eat. And we drank some of the water, and
did rest a time longer.

And presently, our courage and strength was come back into us; and we
packt the scrip again, and the Maid set it fast to my back; and we went
then to the edge of the shelf, and lookt downward, this way and that;
and surely, there did be no way to go, save the way we came; only that
we might shape our downward climbing to bring us a little below that
place where the dead Monster did be.

And I saw by mine own heart and by the paleness of the Maid, that we
should do well that we consider the thing no more; but make to the task.