Ask the carles else!" Ralph held his peace, and rose to be gone and turning saw the damsel wading the shallow ford, and looking over her shoulder at him.

He gave the dame good day, and departed light-foot but heavy hearted.

Yet as he went, he kept saying to himself: "Did she not send that Roger to turn my ways hither?
yet she cometh not.

Surely she hath changed in these last days, or it may be in these last hours: yea, or this very hour." Amidst such thoughts he came into the wood, and made his way by the paths and open places, going south and east of the House: whereas the last day he had gone west and north.

He went a soft pace, but wandered on without any stay till it was noon, and he had seen nought but the wild things of the wood, nor many of them.