her. Not once in this month did Hobb go out of the forest, which was
confined on the north and north-west by big roads running to the world,
and on all other sides by sloped of Downland. But whenever in their
wanderings they arrived at any of these boundaries, Margaret turned him
back and said, "I do not love the open; come away."

But on the last day of the month they came upon a very narrow neck of
the treeless down, a green ride carved between their wood and a dark
plantation that lay beyond, so close as to be almost a part of Open
Winkins, but for that one little channel of space; and Hobb pointed to
it and said, "That's a strange place, let us go there."

"No," said Margaret.

"But is it not our own wood?"

"How can you think so?" she said petulantly. "Do you not see how black
it is in there? How can you want to go there? Come away."

"What is it called?" asked Hobb.

"The Red Copse," said she.

"Why?" asked Hobb.

"I don't know," said she.

"Have you never been there?" asked Hobb.

"No, never. I don't like it. It frightens me." And she clung to him
like a child. "Oh, come away!"

She was trembling so that he turned instantly, and they went back to
the Pilleygreen Lodges, getting wild raspberries for supper on the way.
And after supper they sang songs, one against the other, each sweeter
than the last, and told stories by turns, outdoing each other in fancy
and invention; and at last went happily to bed.

But Hobb could not sleep. For in the night a wind came up and blew four
times round his lodge, shaking it once on every wall. And it stirred in
him the memory of High and Over, and with the memory misgivings that he
could not name. And he rose restlessly from his couch and went out
under the troubled moon, for a windy rack of clouds was blowing over
the sky. But through it she often poured her amber light, and by it
Hobb saw that Margaret's door was blowing on its hinges. He called her
softly, but he got no answer; and then he called more loudly, but still
she did not answer.

"She cannot be sleeping through this," said Hobb to himself; and with
an uneasy heart he stood beside the door and looked into the lodge. And
she was not there, and the couch had not been slept on. But on it lay
her empty dress, its gold and black all tumbled in a heap, and on top
of it was an embroidered smock. And something in the smock attracted
him, so that he went quickly forward to examine it; and he saw that it
was H