ad lain in his
arms night-long but of late.

Howso that might be, he took his way toward the thicket where he had
slain the lion, and came thither by then it was afternoon, at the hottest
of the day. So he entered therein, and came to the very place whereas
the Lady had lain, when she fell down before the terror of the lion; and
there was the mark of her body on the grass where she had lain that
while, like as it were the form of a hare. But when Walter went on to
where he had slain that great beast, lo! he was gone, and there was no
sign of him; but there were Walter's own footprints, and the two shafts
which he had shot, one feathered red, and one blue. He said at first:
Belike someone hath been here, and hath had the carcase away. Then he
laughed in very despite, and said: How may that be, since there are no
signs of dragging away of so huge a body, and no blood or fur on the
grass if they had cut him up, and moreover no trampling of feet, as if
there had been many men at the deed. Then was he all abashed, and again
laughed in scorn of himself, and said: Forsooth I deemed I had done
manly; but now forsooth I shot nought, and nought there was before the
sword of my father's son. And what may I deem now, but that this is a
land of mere lies, and that there is nought real and alive therein save
me. Yea, belike even these trees and the green grass will presently
depart from me, and leave me falling down through the clouds.

Therewith he turned away, and gat him to the road that led to the Golden
House, wondering what next should befall him, and going slowly as he
pondered his case. So came he to that first thicket where they had lost
their quarry by water; so he entered the same, musing, and bathed him in
the pool that was therein, after he had wandered about it awhile, and
found nothing new.

So again he set him to the homeward road, when the day was now waning,
and it was near sunset that he was come nigh unto the house, though it
was hidden from him as then by a low bent that rose before him; and there
he abode and looked about him.

Now as he looked, over the said bent came the figure of a woman, who
stayed on the brow thereof and looked all about her, and then ran swiftly
down to meet Walter, who saw at once that it was the Maid.

She made no stay then till she was but three paces from him, and then she
stooped down and made the sign to him, and then spake to him
breathlessly, and said: "Hearken! but sp