He drew a little nigher, and then he saw that it was a woman, clad in green like the sward whereon she lay.

She was playing with the welling out of the water, and she had trussed up her sleeves to the shoulder that she might thrust her bare arms therein.

Her shoes of black leather lay on the grass beside her, and her feet and legs yet shone with the brook.
Belike amidst the splashing and clatter of the water she did not hear him drawing nigh, so that he was close to her before she lifted up her face and saw him, and he beheld her, that it was the maiden of the thrice-seen pageant.

She reddened when she saw him, and hastily covered up her legs with her gown-skirt, and drew down the sleeves over her arms, but otherwise stirred not.

As for him, he stood still, striving to speak to her; but no word might he bring out, and his heart beat sorely.
But the maiden spake to him in a clear sweet voice, wherein was now no trouble: "Thou art an alien, art thou not?
For I have not seen thee before." "Yea," he said, "I am an alien; wilt thou be good to me ?" She said: "And why not?
I was afraid at first, for I thought it had been the King's Son.